Banana peels, chicken bones, and leftover veggies won’t have a place in California trashcans anymore. A new rule starts in January. People will have to turn their food waste into compost . . . or energy.

New laws say Californians have to toss extra food into green waste bins. It shouldn’t go in the trash. Cities and towns will recycle the food waste. They will turn it into compost or use it to create biogas. Composting means allowing kitchen scraps to break down into soil. Biogas is a fuel. It’s similar to natural gas. People use it for electricity and heat.

 “This is the biggest change to trash since recycling started in the 1980s,” says Rachel Wagoner. She’s the director of California’s recycling department. The new rules are designed to keep California landfills from filling up too fast. Vermont is the only state with similar laws.

Do your parents remind you not to waste your food? As much as 40% of food is wasted in the United States. That’s according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. A LOT of people aren’t cleaning their plates! Food and yard waste makes up half of everything in California landfills.

Do you compost? Do you chuck coffee grounds, veggie peels, and egg shells in a bin in the backyard? Officials hope composting will soon feel second-nature to Californians.