The City of Chula Vista wants to help its residents compost by distributing at-home kitchen caddies on Sunday to reduce the amount of organic waste in the landfill and greenhouse gasses.
Chula Vista’s Office of Sustainability and republic services will distribute free food waste caddies on June 12 and at several other events. Residents can visit the following locations to receive one free kitchen caddy per household:
- June 7, Otay Ranch Farmer’s Market from 4 to 7 p.m.;
- June 12, Third Avenue Village Market (near Memorial Park) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.;
- June 25, Otay Recreation Center, 3554 Main Street from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.;
- July 9, Veteran’s Park, 785 East Palomar from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.;
- July 12, Otay Ranch Farmer’s Market from 4 to 7 p.m.; and
- July 24, Third Avenue Village Market from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Residents may also pick up a kitchen caddy at the Environmental Services office at 276 Fourth Avenue, Building C, Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The kitchen caddies are a part of a collective effort to satisfy the recycling food waste requirement that went into effect in January 2022. Residential, commercial, and multi-family properties were required to start recycling, composting, or otherwise diverting their organic waste from landfills
Senate Bill 1383, which former Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law in 2016, is a statewide effort to reduce the emission of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCP) by reducing organic waste disposal. The bill establishes methane emission reduction targets resulting from the decomposition of organic waste in landfills.
This goes hand in hand with Chula Vista’s Waste Reduction Strategic plan and the state-mandated food and waste organics program partnered with Republic Services. The bill requires municipalities to implement programs to reduce the amount of food and yard waste disposed into landfills by 75 percent by 2025. The Waste Reduction Strategic plan was based on a goal based on the city’s 2017 Climate Action Plan to seek 90 percent waste diversion by 2035.
According to Republic Services, household organic waste includes yard and food waste. These materials make up about 30 percent of the waste that’s sent to landfills, according to the Environmental Protection agency.
Republic Services provided the following instruction on how to use kitchen caddies:
- Place your kitchen caddy in a convenient area where food waste is generated. Common locations include kitchen counters, freezers/fridges, or under the sink.
- Place food scraps and food spoiled paper into your kitchen caddy
- Empty the contents of your kitchen caddy into your organics cart.
For more information on acceptable waste items, maintenance, and SB 1383, visit https://www.republicservices.com/cms/documents/municipality/ca/CHULA-VISTA/Chula-Vista-Kitchen-Caddy-FAQ.pdf or visit the republic services website at https://www.republicservices.com/municipality/chula-vista-ca
