Worldwide, a staggering 2 billion tons of municipal solid waste are produced annually. As this waste decomposes in landfills, it emits methane, a potent greenhouse gas responsible for roughly one-third of global temperature increases. The urgency of this crisis is magnified by projections that annual global waste will rise to 3.4 billion tons by 2050.

In California, the stakes are especially high. The state must divert 27 million tons of waste from landfills by 2025, a goal it’s unlikely to meet. In 2020, California’s total organic waste processing capacity was just 10 million tons, leaving a 17 million-ton shortfall. This gap highlights the urgent need for scalable, innovative solutions.

But municipal waste is only part of the story.

Other difficult-to-manage waste streams—construction debris and woody biomass—pose equally urgent environmental threats:

• Construction and demolition waste is projected to reach 2.2 billion tons globally by 2025, with much of it ending up in landfills or illegal dumpsites despite being a potential energy resource.
• Woody biomass, such as material from forest clearings and wildfire mitigation efforts, can build up in unmanaged landscapes, increasing the risk of catastrophic fires and releasing carbon when burned or left to decay.

California SB 1383

Senate Bill 1383 (SB 1383) is the most significant landfill waste-reduction legislation enacted in California in 30 years. The bill requires that all jurisdictions divert organic waste to decrease its content in landfills to help the state reach methane emission reduction targets. SB 1383 aims to reduce organic waste in landfills by 75% in 2025 and reduce GHG emissions by 40% below 1990 levels.

SB 1383 is a fast track to fight climate change. In landfills, organic waste releases high levels of methane, negatively impacting California communities. Reducing this gas now, through actions like organic waste recycling, will significantly reduce emissions and the impacts of climate change.

Organic waste is defined as green waste, food waste, and fibers such as paper and cardboard. This includes packaged, edible food. According to CalRecycle, California disposes of approximately 28 million tons of edible food annually. Another component of SB 1383’s disposal reduction efforts is to increase edible food recovery by 20%. Through municipal partnerships with businesses and nonprofits, food can be redirected to food-insecure Californians. For every 2 tons of food recovered from landfills, emissions are reduced at a level equal to the gas a car uses in one year.

H Cycle diverts non-compostable and non-recyclable organic waste after it is sent to recycling facilities, which supports local jurisdictions by helping them reach the targets set by SB 1383. Once consumers recycle and compost their waste, municipalities send it to materials recovery facilities (MRFs) that sort it. These facilities then send non-recyclable organic-rich waste to H Cycle’s facilities, where it is converted into hydrogen energy.

H Cycle is committed to continuous engagement with community stakeholders and residents throughout the SB 1383 implementation process, ensuring success for California’s emission goals and Californians.

The Carbon Lifecycle

H Cycle’s waste diversion process reduces methane emissions by harnessing the potential energy of non-recyclable, non-compostable waste to generate clean electricity, hydrogen, and low-carbon synthesis gas.

AIR EMISSIONS

Organic waste is a readily available energy source, but when left untreated, it emits methane—a potent greenhouse gas that contributes significantly to climate change. When managed properly, organic waste can be transformed into a climate solution driving clean energy production and cutting emissions.

H Cycle’s process diverts organic-rich waste from landfills and the environment—including food-soiled packaging, construction debris, and woody biomass—and converts it into clean energy. By mitigating these hard-to-manage waste streams, H Cycle cuts methane emissions at the source and supports the transition to a cleaner, circular energy economy.

H Cycle’s process will divert organic waste from landfills, waterways and forests, reducing methane and other harmful pollutants by using the energy from organic waste to create clean energy. A one-unit H Cycle facility will process enough waste in a given year to reduce methane emissions by up to 40,000 tonnes (CO₂ equivalent), and will simultaneously generate 5,500 tonnes of clean hydrogen annually.