Slide presentation from Leslie Lukacs, Zero Waste Specialist for SCS Engineers and an organizing member of the Sonoma County Compost Coalition. Delivered at the Petaluma Community Guild's public forum — "Compost in the North Bay: A Public Forum & Solution Showcase" — April 27, 2016 at the Petaluma Historical Museum.

1. Organic Material Collection in
Sonoma County
Leslie Lukacs
Petaluma Grange
April 27, 2015

2. Sonoma County Organics
Collection History
• Opened from 1993 to October, 2015
• Contracted by the Sonoma County Waste Management
Agency (SCWMA) to accept all organics (green bin,
businesses, self hauls)
• Processed 100,000 tons of organics made into 90,000 cubic
yards of affordable high quality compost
• Renewed Efforts of Neighbors Against the Landfill (RENAL)
sued Republic who operated landfill starting April 2015
• RENAL sued Sonoma Compost for permit issue
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3. Sonoma County Organics
Collection History
SCWMA was ready with construction crew and plan to
address run off problem and the plan was approved by
Regional Water Quality Board
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4. Sonoma County Organics
Collection History
• EIR for new compost site at landfill
• Tiger Salamander
• RENAL sued SCWMA over EIR
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5. Closure of Sonoma Compost
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As of Monday, SCWMA settled lawsuit with RENAL

6. Organics Generation
Sonoma County generates 180,000 tons
Of Organic Waste per Year
Total Waste: 362,000 tons
Organics is Waste: 80,6000 tons
Green Organics Bin: 100,000
Paper: 72,500 tons
Other Waste: 129,400 tons

8. Why Do We Need A
Local Compost Facility?
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9. Why Do We Need A
Local Compost Facility?
• Agricultural community needs quality, affordable
compost
– Farm to table marketing and organic agriculture
• Out-hauling to Solano, Marin and Mendocino Counties
is adding to Sonoma County carbon footprint
• Cost to residents for out hauling is at least $2 million
• Carbon farming
• Local compost produces jobs, provides valuable fertility
for food production and landscaping and helps the
county meet its climate mitigation goals.
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10. Compost Coalition of
Sonoma County Mission
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Return Organics Waste to SoCo

11. Change from “organics waste” to “organic food scraps,
landscape debris, and organic materials”
Food Waste vs. Wasted Food
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12. Strategic Plan
Participate in Sonoma County Waste Management
Agency’s decisions about plans for organic green bin waste
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13. Strategies continued
• Source reduction and education of residents on how to
manage organic materials
• Composting education (farms, commercial, etc.)
• Collaborate with like minded organizations (UC Extension,
Master Gardeners, etc.)
• Support local sites for compost production
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14. CCSC Endorsements

15. CCSC Supports
California Legislation
AB 1826 – Mandatory Commercial Organics Recycling
April 1st,2016– Mandatory organics
recycling if business generates
8-CY of organic material per week
January 1st,, 2017– Mandatory
organics recycling if business
generates 4-CY of organic material
per week

16. Thank You!
Leslie Lukacs
Zero Waste Specialist
(707) 484-0441
Llukacs@scsengineers.com