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'Trash cops looking through your trash' | New recycling law to lower greenhouse gasses by making it illegal to throw food in trash

Most residents currently have the blue and black bins, but eventually they'll get a green one too.

SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — What do you do with greasy pizza boxes? They’re not supposed to go in recycling bins, so most of us throw them in the trash. 

But did you know that food scraps, yard trimmings, paper, and cardboard make up half of what Californians dump in landfills? And as they decompose, they create methane gas.

“Methane gas is one of the most toxic greenhouse gases,” said Ian Monahan, with I Love A Clean San Diego County. 

This is why he’s excited about a state law that will be starting on January 1, 2022.

It will put California on track to reduce organic waste disposal by 75% in 3 years. “The new organics recycling program in California is a big deal.”

Most residents currently have the blue and black bins, but eventually they'll get a green one too. It will be for food scraps, food soiled paper, yard trimmings, and non-hazardous wood waste.

“It's taking all of this really good stuff that otherwise would go into the landfill and cause methane gas and turning it into really great nutrients that we're going to return to our soil right here in the county,” Monahan said.

Some cities across the county are ahead of others when it comes to launching the new program. Chula Vista is among the leaders with most single-family homes already having a green bin.

“People in apartment complexes and townhomes and businesses will be phased in slowly as we visit sites because we have to assess whether they have the space available and they're actually producing a lot of this material,” said Manuel Medrano, Environmental Services Manager with the City of Chula Vista.

The city of San Diego hopes to start its program next summer, but regardless of when each individual city or community gets the ball rolling, they know there will be a steep learning curve.

As a result, most jurisdictions say their plan for the first two years is education, making sure residents are putting the right things in the right bins. After that, you could face fines that will vary by jurisdiction.

“There will be quote trash cops looking through your trash, making sure that you're doing the right thing. You're putting the right items in there,” Medrano said.

Environmental leaders say the most common concerns they hear from homeowners include the fear of strong odors and attracting rodents, but areas that have already put the program in place say, so far, those concerns have not been an issue.

WATCH RELATED: Storm damage clean up continues throughout San Diego County (December 2021)

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