Morgan Hill Turns Food Waste Into Fertilizer
- Recology's organics program turns Morgan Hill food and yard waste into compost used by nearby farms. - Residents are encouraged to fill green carts; collected organics are processed into fertilizer that conserves water and soil. - Program aims to reduce landfill use and replace synthetic fertilizers, helping local agriculture adapt (morganhilltimes.com).
Morgan Hill residents’ food scraps and yard trimmings are being turned into compost for nearby farms instead of buried in landfills. (morganhilltimes.com) Recology South Valley collects food scraps, food-soiled paper and yard waste from Morgan Hill’s green carts every week. The city tells residents composting has been required by California law since Jan. 1, 2022. (recology.com) (morganhill.ca.gov) The material is processed into compost that farmers use as a soil amendment, a fertilizer-like product that adds organic matter and nutrients back to the ground. The Morgan Hill Times reported April 22 that the compost helps keep moisture in the soil and reduces reliance on synthetic fertilizers. (morganhilltimes.com) California pushed cities into organics collection under Senate Bill 1383, a statewide law aimed at cutting methane from landfills. CalRecycle says the law is part of the state’s short-lived climate pollutant strategy, and local governments had to offer organics service to residents and businesses starting in 2022. (calrecycle.ca.gov) (dpw.sbcounty.gov) That matters in Santa Clara County, where farming still competes with drought, soil depletion and fertilizer costs. Compost works like a sponge in the field, helping soil hold water longer while returning carbon-rich material that would otherwise rot in a dump. (morganhilltimes.com) (calrecycle.ca.gov) Recology runs multiple organics sites tied to this system. Its South Valley Organics site in Gilroy says it receives about 40,000 tons of yard trimmings from South Bay residents, while its Blossom Valley Organics site in Vernalis is a 216-acre composting facility. (recology.com 1) (recology.com 2) Morgan Hill’s instructions to residents are specific: food scraps, yard waste and food-soiled paper towels and napkins belong in the green cart, not the trash. Recology recommends collecting scraps indoors in paper bags or newspaper before transferring them outside. (morganhill.ca.gov) (recology.com) The pitch to residents is simple: fill the green cart, and the leftovers from kitchens and yards come back as compost used on working land nearby. That closes the loop Morgan Hill is trying to build between household waste and local agriculture. (morganhilltimes.com)
