By Karen Marroquin
Signal staff writer
WM of Santa Clarita partnered up with local Santa Clarita pattern designer, Julianne Haness, as a part of a new outreach initiative to prepare residents to divert their organic waste from landfills. The collaboration will apply Haness’ designs on reusable household items such as kitchen towels and tote bags.
“I hope residents enjoy the designs as much as I enjoyed creating them,” said Haness. “Every project is a learning opportunity, and I am excited my work can help others learn about sustainability.”
This comes after California Senate Bill 1383 was passed, a law that requires every jurisdiction in California to offer organic collection recycling services. It focuses on reducing the most damaging climate pollutants, primarily methane and black carbon, and converting organic waste that would otherwise go to a landfill or be burned, and instead using it for energy, according to the Bioenergy Association of California.
“By finally being able to recycle the food waste, we are keeping so much waste out of the landfills, and it’s beneficial to everyone that does it, but it’s also beneficial to animals and the environment,” said Haness.
There are currently no immediate changes to residential services in Santa Clarita at the moment, as the law’s new provisions will take effect gradually, through local outreach and education, before state-mandated enforcement and penalties take effect Jan. 1, 2024.
WM wants to remind residents to recycle right — keeping trash, plastic bags, and plastic wrap out of the recycling and yard waste containers.
“We’ve been helping Santa Clarita residents recycle for more than 20 years,” said Ashely Cortes, public sector manager for WM of Santa Clarita. “By working together, we can make this new organic waste law an easy and positive transition for the community.”
The patterned kitchen towels and tote bags will be distributed by WM at local events held throughout the community.
“They’re going to have the kitchen towels with the design on it. They’re going to be distributing them free of charge for everyone who wants to bring it home and cheer up their kitchen because it’s a bright and cheery design,” said Haness. “But it’s also educational because every time you look at it, you’re going to be reminded that you need to recycle that banana peel or that piece of pizza that your 5-year-old didn’t finish eating.”
