Recycling Organics in San Luis Obispo County Copy

Organic waste accounts for more than a third of California’s total waste stream, around 12 million pounds annually.

You can do your part by separating your organic materials with a free food scrap pail and putting the items in your green waste bin for curbside pickup each week, where they will be converted into energy, and reintroduced into the food production system as compost and soil amendments.

You can read our Annual Organic Waste Notice for San Luis Obispo County here y lea nuestro Aviso anual sobre residuos
orgánicos para el condado de San Luis Obispo aqui.

Learn more about our organic waste recycling system below.

Input

Source-Separated Organic Waste

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Process

Dry Anaerobic Digestion

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Output

1. Carbon-Neutral Biogas (Electricity)
2. High-Quality Soil Amendments (Compost)

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Benefits of the SLO Organic Waste Recycling System

Organic waste is recycled locally, not going to the landfill, extending the life of the Cold Canyon Landfill and reducing greenhouse gas emissions
Our Dry Anaerobic Digestion plant generates a renewable source of electricity, while producing compost and liquid fertilizer for local growers
We are doing our part within the SLO IWMA Regional Strategy to Meet California Solid Waste Diversion Mandates

Participants in the SLO Organics Recycling System

A coordinated and concerted effort is being made by the following public and private organizations and individuals:

Residents and businesses in San Luis Obispo County

Participating communities of San Luis Obispo County are taking daily actions to source-separate and place their uncontaminated organic waste in organic waste containers.

SLO Integrated Waste Management Authority

The San Luis Obispo County Integrated Waste Management Authority (IWMA) was formed in 1994 to plan and implement regional solid waste and hazardous waste programs. SLO IWMA member communities include San Luis Obispo County (including all Community Service Districts, or CSDs) and the Cities of Arroyo Grande, Atascadero, Grover Beach, Morro Bay, Paso Robles, Pismo Beach and San Luis Obispo.

Waste Connections’ Subsidiaries

In keeping with Waste Connections' Sustainability Efforts, their five SLO area organic waste collectors deliver the organic waste they collect to the HZI Kompogas plant, located on the San Luis Garbage property.

Hitachi Zosen Inova

Watch video about HZI's San Luis Obispo Anaerobic Digestion Plant

Zurich-based Hitachi Zosen Inova (HZI) is a global leader in energy and material from waste solutions. They designed, financed, built, own and operate the HZI Kompogas dry anaerobic digestion plant in San Luis Obispo. This project was privately financed by:

51% MUFG Bank, Ltd.
49% Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC)

Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E)

PG&E signed a power purchase agreement with HZI and are participating in California’s BioMAT Feed-in Tariff Program.

Earth Stewards

The exclusive distributor of the Kompogas plant’s solid and liquid digestate, Earth Stewards is based in San Luis Obispo and they can be reached at (805) 440-3367.

Agricultural Organizations

Not only will growers benefit from a new local source of solid and liquid soil amendments, they will be investing these nutrients in their future crops.

Media

Local and national organizations have been publishing articles about the SLO Organics Recycling System: