The City of Ventura’s Environmental Sustainability Division in partnership with Agromin, launched a new compost and mulch giveaway program. The program, the first of its kind in California, supports the city’s compliance with state requirements for organics recycling by providing free, high-quality compost and mulch to City of Ventura residents to use for gardening and landscaping.
The Free Compost and Mulch Program aligns with California state law, Senate Bill (SB) 1383, a climate pollution reduction act. The law sets a goal of diverting 75% of organic waste from landfills (a major producer of greenhouse gases) by 2025 and requires jurisdictions to procure recovered organic material such as mulch and compost for their own use or to give away.
“What makes this program unique is that City of Ventura residents can order compost and mulch for pick up or delivery through an Agromin online portal, https://shop.agromin.com,” says Bill Camarillo, Agromin’s CEO. “Agromin compiles ordering tracking data and provides regular reports to the city, which in turn, can report the compliance numbers to the state. Ventura is a leader in complying with SB 1383 procurement requirements, and in the big picture, it’s part of the solution to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases that enter the atmosphere.”
Agromin is California’s largest organics recycler and works with jurisdictions throughout the state to support the fulfillment of SB 1383 procurement needs. Once the organic waste is turned into compost and mulch, the material is used on public and private landscapes and farms enhancing soil health, supporting plant growth, controlling weeds, retaining moisture and regulating soil temperature.
To learn more about the City of Ventura program, visit the Environmental Sustainability Division of the Public Works Department. For more information about Agromin’s efforts to help California jurisdictions assess, source and procure organic waste tonnage to comply with California SB 1383, go to www.CaliforniaCompost.net.