California landfill receives composting grant

The Yolo County Central Landfill (YCCL) in Woodland, California, and Davis, California-based Northern Recycling LLC have received a $10 million grant from the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) to significantly expand their composting operations.

The original YCCL composting facility, opened in 2022, reached its capacity of 182,000 tons per year within its first year of operation, according to the agency. The funded expansion project will increase the facility's capacity by 50,000 to 60,000 tons per year.

“Yolo County continues to demonstrate a strong commitment to our sustainability goals,” says Lucas Frerichs, chair of the Yolo County Board of Supervisors. “Innovation in our operations at our publicly owned landfill is consistently one of the bright spots in reducing Yolo County’s overall greenhouse gas emissions.”

The grant is part of California's Organics Grant Program under the California Climate Investments initiative, an overall $130 million program that is projected to divert an additional 600,000 or so tons of organic waste from landfills during the next 10 years.

“We are grateful for the strong support from the board of supervisors, which has led to the county’s Sustainability and Climate Action policies being embedded within our landfill operations, resulting in more recycling options for residents and an increase in the useful life of the landfill by an additional 43 years," says Gerardo Pinedo, chief administrative officer for Yolo County.

Once complete, the expansion project in Yolo County will expand its capacity to manage organic waste sustainably, supporting the circular economic model promoted by CalRecycle. The increased composting capacity allows for further diversion of green waste by Yolo County, regional businesses and residents.

State-mandated programs require that food waste such as coffee grounds, melon rinds, table scraps and food-soiled paper napkins and towels be placed in compost bins. “This not only diverts substantial amounts of organic waste from landfills but also produces valuable compost, a vital resource for soil health and carbon sequestration in agriculture,” the YCCL says.

Northern Recycling, in partnership with YCCL, intends to expand Yolo County’s covered aerated static pile composting facility, using grant funds to implement enhanced composting infrastructure, to include composting aeration systems, working pads and equipment for screening and sorting food and green material.

“This grant reflects our ongoing commitment to creating green jobs and reducing climate pollution through innovative waste management solutions,” says Leslie Lindbo, director of the Yolo County Department of Community Services. “The expansion of our composting facility will not only benefit our environment but also contribute to the creation of new, permanent jobs in our community.”