Republic Services operator George Maya removes painted woods from a mountain of yard, garden and landscape waste at the Otay Landfill in Chula Vista, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024. Two years after California launched an effort to keep organic waste out of landfills, the state is so far behind on getting food recycling programs up and running that it's widely accepted next year's ambitious waste-reduction targets won't be met.(AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Republic Services' Otay Compost facility, California's first fully solar-powered compost operation is remotely monitored to help communities meet the requirements of a new state law mandating diversion of food and yard waste from landfills at the Otay Landfill in Chula Vista, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024. Two years after California launched an effort to keep organic waste out of landfills, the state is so far behind on getting food recycling programs up and running that it's widely accepted next year's ambitious waste-reduction targets won't be met. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Trucks dump trash at the Otay Landfill in Chula Vista, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024. Two years after California launched an effort to keep organic waste out of landfills, the state is so far behind on getting food recycling programs up and running that it's widely accepted next year's ambitious waste-reduction targets won't be met. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Compost piles are cured at the Otay Landfill in Chula Vista, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024. Two years after California launched an effort to keep organic waste out of landfills, the state is so far behind on getting food recycling programs up and running that it's widely accepted next year's ambitious waste-reduction targets won't be met. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Heavy machinery is used to process trash at the Otay Landfill in Chula Vista, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024. Two years after California launched an effort to keep organic waste out of landfills, the state is so far behind on getting food recycling programs up and running that it's widely accepted next year's ambitious waste-reduction targets won't be met. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Trash trucks move past solar panels at the Otay Landfill in Chula Vista, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024. Two years after California launched an effort to keep organic waste out of landfills, the state is so far behind on getting food recycling programs up and running that it's widely accepted next year's ambitious waste-reduction targets won't be met. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
California Food Waste by AP reporter Amy Taxin ** Wild birds flight over compost piles being cured at the Otay Landfill in Chula Vista, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024. Two years after California launched an effort to keep organic waste out of landfills, the state is so far behind on getting food recycling programs up and running that it's widely accepted next year's ambitious waste-reduction targets won't be met. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Republic Services Operations manager Gabe Gonzalez shows compost mounds being cured at the Otay Landfill in Chula Vista, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024. Two years after California launched an effort to keep organic waste out of landfills, the state is so far behind on getting food recycling programs up and running that it's widely accepted next year's ambitious waste-reduction targets won't be met.(AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
A remote sensor is set on top of a compost pile being cured at the Otay Landfill in Chula Vista, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024. Two years after California launched an effort to keep organic waste out of landfills, the state is so far behind on getting food recycling programs up and running that it's widely accepted next year's ambitious waste-reduction targets won't be met. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Manuel Medrano, Enviromental Services Manager shows a pile of mulch stored at a park in Chula Vista, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024. Two years after California launched an effort to keep organic waste out of landfills, the state is so far behind on getting food recycling programs up and running that it's widely accepted next year's ambitious waste-reduction targets won't be met.(AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Republic Services operators keep wild birds off the Otay Compost facility at the Otay Landfill in Chula Vista, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024. Two years after California launched an effort to keep organic waste out of landfills, the state is so far behind on getting food recycling programs up and running that it's widely accepted next year's ambitious waste-reduction targets won't be met. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Trash is unloaded at the Otay Landfill in Chula Vista, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024. Two years after California launched an effort to keep organic waste out of landfills, the state is so far behind on getting food recycling programs up and running that it's widely accepted next year's ambitious waste-reduction targets won't be met. Over time, food scraps and other organic materials like yard waste emit methane, a gas more potent and damaging in the short-term than carbon emissions from fossil fuels. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Republic Services' Otay Compost facility operations supervisor Dana Armstrong looks out at compost mounds being cured under tarps at the Otay Compost facility, California's first fully solar-powered compost operation in Chula Vista, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024. Two years after California launched an effort to keep organic waste out of landfills, the state is so far behind on getting food recycling programs up and running that it's widely accepted next year's ambitious waste-reduction targets won't be met. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Tons of compost piles are aireated and monitored while they are cured at the Otay Landfill in Chula Vista, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024. Two years after California launched an effort to keep organic waste out of landfills, the state is so far behind on getting food recycling programs up and running that it's widely accepted next year's ambitious waste-reduction targets won't be met.(AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Republic Services operator George Maya removes painted woods from a mountain of yard, garden and landscape waste at the Otay Landfill in Chula Vista, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024. Two years after California launched an effort to keep organic waste out of landfills, the state is so far behind on getting food recycling programs up and running that it's widely accepted next year's ambitious waste-reduction targets won't be met. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Republic Services operator George Maya removes plastic debris from a mountain of yard, garden and landscape waste at the Otay Landfill in Chula Vista, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024. Two years after California launched an effort to keep organic waste out of landfills, the state is so far behind on getting food recycling programs up and running that it's widely accepted next year's ambitious waste-reduction targets won't be met. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
A Republic Services operator shots a blank into the air to keep wild birds off trash as Otay Compost mounds are being cured at the Otay Landfill in Chula Vista, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024. Otay facility operates completely off the grid. A total of 144 solar panels generate power to the fans, sensors and other equipment utilized to operate the compost facility. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Tons of compost piles are monitored while they are cured at the Otay Landfill in Chula Vista, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024. Two years after California launched an effort to keep organic waste out of landfills, the state is so far behind on getting food recycling programs up and running that it's widely accepted next year's ambitious waste-reduction targets won't be met. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Republic Services' Otay Compost facility operation supervisor Dana Armstrong checks remote data of active heaps being processed at the Otay Compost facility in Chula Vista, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024. Two years after California launched an effort to keep organic waste out of landfills, the state is so far behind on getting food recycling programs up and running that it's widely accepted next year's ambitious waste-reduction targets won't be met. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)