Let's make some worms happy!

The California Composting Law, SB-1383 set the ambitious targets of reducing organic waste disposal 50% by 2020 and 75% by 2025. Beginning Jan 1, 2022, the law requires all California residents to separate organic waste from other garbage. If we all get in on composting, we can keep millions of tons of municipal solid waste out of landfills and reduce methane gas emissions.

For those of us who already compost our kitchen scraps, this is no change, but for those who don't it's not a difficult transition to make. We already have green bins in the side yard, now we just get to use them more than just lawn clippings and leaves.

Food and paper products that can be placed in the green bin:

• Fruit and vegetable scraps

• Egg shells

• Coffee grounds, coffee filters and paper tea bags

• Used/dirty paper food containers and paper plates

• Paper towels and tissues

Meat, seafood, and dairy scraps are not generally a good option for composting, but some cities, like Santa Monica do accept them.

In the kitchen, it's just one more trash separation step. Use a small container to put your food scraps in, be it under the sink or on the countertop. And you can get cute with it. From standard mini-trash cans to super-stylish bamboo or wooden boxes, there’s a style to fit your kitchen and many are available with charcoal filters under the lid to absorb odor. We use an old apothecary jar and just empty and clean it every day. It’s not icky in the least.

Want to go high tech? There are a couple of machines that will do your composting in record time; the Vitamix Foodcycler and Pela's Lomi.

If you're going to go all in and begin composting yourself, the Environmental Protection Agency has the basics https://www.epa.gov/recycle/composting-home. If you want to get some worms (or supplies, or seeds), we like Uncle Jim’s Worm Farm.