Climate Center: SB 279 (McNerney) Expanding Composting Capacity for California Farms and Communities

Great news — The Climate Center’s co-sponsored legislation to expand composting has passed the California legislature unanimously and is headed to Governor Newsom’s desk! SB 279 (McNerney) will expand composting capacity on farms and in communities to provide California growers with a climate-friendly alternative to open burning and increase compost supply across the state. Currently, when California farms and vineyards have large amounts of green waste, they are forced to truck the material to a composting facility, often hundreds of miles away, instead of composting onsite. Coupled with a ban on agricultural burning that went into effect on January 1, 2025, growers needed an eco-friendly alternative that will build healthy soils and reduce landfill waste. And that’s where SB 279 comes in. Read ON.