The California Compost Coalition (CCC) is a registered Lobbying Coalition with the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC), created in 2002 by a group of compost operators in response to demands for increased recycling of organic materials and production of clean compost. The California Compost Coalition represents member organic material recyclers and compost operators with a unified statewide voice on many issues: product safety and standards, government regulations, environmental planning, trade, and marketing. The CCC works closely with state and national organizations, such as the California Department of Resources Recovery and Recycling (CalRecycle), the California Air Resources Board, the California Water Resources Control Board, The California Department of Food and Agriculture, the California Resource Recovery Association, and the US Composting Council, to promote and encourage recycling of organic materials. Additionally, CCC coordinates with other state composting organizations, including as a Board Member with the California Organics Recycling Council. What are CCC’s current priorities?

• Participate in Air Board Cap and Trade Auction Proceeds stakeholder process to secure funding for composting and organics processing facility development.

• Monitor and participate (when necessary) in potential legislation or ARB rulemaking efforts, under AB 32 authority, to effect landfill ban of organics/ADC diversion credit phase out.

• Participate in continuing stakeholder processes regarding CalRecycle’s 75% Plan to assure additional organics diversion opportunities are maximized.

• Represent the compost industry at the Water Board, Air Board, and other agencies on cross-media issues. o    Prevent carbon credits for landfill sequestering o    Ensure that bio-gas from anaerobic digestion qualifies for RPS

• Promote anaerobic digestion in regulations and policies to maximize renewable energy, landfill diversion, and greenhouse gas reduction benefits.

• Promote addition of organic material as feedstock to produce low carbon fuel using lingo-cellulosic technologies, including the development of bio-based CNG.

• Protect the organic composting label by not allowing biosolids or other additives to unfairly compete with green material and food material composting.

What are CCC’s Mission Objectives?

• To be a leading statewide voice – as a direct lobbying coalition – of permitted organic materials recyclers and compost operators.

• Support organic materials recycling, create jobs, and provide long-term environmentally safe alternatives to conventional or outmoded waste-handling practices, such as land filling and outdoor burning.

• Promote composting, wood sorting and grinding, and other methods of producing value-added recycled products.

• Support market development to increase sales of compost, mulch, and wood products.

• Foster cooperation among public and private organizations involved in organic materials recycling, and work for sound and reasonable standards and regulations.

What has CCC already accomplished?

• CCC was successful in 2002 in passing AB 2356 to limit the use of Clopyralid and other persistent herbicides in order to enhance the production of clean compost.

• CCC was active in 2003 and 2004, working with CDFA to address Sudden Oak Death rulemaking and provide practical quarantine restrictions allowing the movement of wood chips and organic materials out of the Bay Area to Central Valley biomass plants, composting facilities, and end markets. The policies established during this effort have since been applicable to a succession of other invasive pest quarantine actions.

• CCC has participated on a CDFA advisory committee which informed rulemaking efforts, under AB 856, which regulate the sale of compost and other organic input materials.

• CCC provided advocacy during development of compost emissions regulations – as well as technical review of study information – in two California air districts.

• CCC has pursued and clarified a permitting pathway for anaerobic digestion facilities under CalRecycle’s regulatory authority and process.

For information on membership and member services, see our Guidelines and Membership page, or contact us at [email protected].