Northern California compost facility to process 147,000 tons of material annually with Republic Services’ support

Republic Services opened its expanded compost facility at Forward Landfill in San Joaquin County, California — turning more organic material into compost used throughout California's agricultural heartland. 

With additional processing space and upgraded infrastructure, the facility can now recycle food scraps and yard waste from homes and businesses. The project is part of Republic Services' growing network of organics facilities in California, helping support the state's robust climate goals.

"Each truckload of food and yard waste that arrives at Forward Landfill is transformed into nutrient-rich compost that supports local farmers, landscapers and even community projects," said Chris Seney, director of Sustainability Innovation in Organics at Republic Services. "This facility represents composting on a whole different scale, with the technology and capacity to process thousands of tons of material per year."

For nearly eight decades, Forward Landfill has served communities in California's Central Valley with reliable and responsible environmental services. The site continues to evolve, with a renewable energy plant, a renewable natural gas facility under development, and a compost site that has served customers for years.

Keeping organic waste out of landfills

Forward Landfill increases its capacity to accommodate the following: 

• Serves thousands of homes and businesses across Northern California.
• Recycles up to 147,000 tons of material annually.
• Utilizes the latest technology to speed up the composting process and keep up with greater customer demand.
• Supports a local circular economy by recycling yard and food waste into compost that's returned to farmers and residents.

Today, 48 percent of what people dispose of in California landfills is organic waste. That includes 2.5 billion meals worth of unspoiled food a year. When organic materials break down in landfills, the process creates methane emissions that can contribute to climate change.

To help protect air quality and communities, Republic Services is building an innovative portfolio of organics facilities throughout California.

This includes:

• 17 organics facilities, including green waste processing facilities, compost sites, and commercial food waste operations.
• In 2025, 884,000 tons of food and yard waste were processed.

Later this year, Republic Services will open the San Bernardino Sustainability Park, one of the nation's largest organics facilities, in San Bernardino County, Calif. The facility will have enough capacity to recycle 300,000 tons of food and green waste per year at the start, with room to double.

Focusing on a circular economy and sustainable future 

Republic Services began planning Forward Landfill's compost site expansion in 2019. In 2023, Republic Services received $5.1 million through CalRecycle's Organics Grant Program, which helped support construction, equipment, and administrative costs. The grant program is part of CalRecycle's effort to promote industry investments in clean technologies and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the state.

"The composting facility upgrade at Republic Services' Forward Landfill is a powerful example of how local partnerships help California cut pollution, expand organics recycling infrastructure, and support a climate-safe future with technology that puts communities first," CalRecycle Director Zoe Heller said. "A local circular economy in action, this site takes in food and green waste from homes and businesses and returns finished compost back to the community to support soil health, drought resilience, and local food production."

"This $5 million investment is an important step forward for San Joaquin County. By expanding our composting capacity, we're strengthening essential services, supporting local businesses, and investing in a cleaner, more sustainable future for the communities we serve," said San Joaquin County Supervisor Mario Gardea.