The California Integrated Waste Management Board recently announced the state has reached an unprecedented 58 percent waste diversion rate by diverting 54 million tons of trash for reuse and recycling.

California produces about 93 million tons of solid waste per year, which fills up limited landfill space and emits methane gas, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming.

Fiftyfour million tons of diverted waste is equivalent to filling more than 100 football fields to a height equal to the Empire State Building.

California now finds uses for that trash, a result of increased recycling programs, a stronger infrastructure and an overall shift in consumer behavior.

By diverting this material away from landfills, Californians are also significantly reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions.

"We are proud to be the nation's recycling leader," said Margo Reid, board chair. "This great accomplishment is testimony to the hard work and very successful partnership between state and local government, the solid waste industry, businesses and everyday citizens."

By recycling, California has created a mainstream industry that accounts for 85,000 jobs, generates $4 billion in salaries and wages, and produces $10 billion worth of goods and services annually.

Each year recycling saves enough energy to power 1.4 million homes and reduces water pollution by 27,047 tons. Recycling also saves 14 million trees and helps to reduce air pollution by 165,142 tons.

All of these efforts are working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an amount equal to taking 3.8 million passenger cars off the highway.

The diversion rate surpasses a legislatively imposed mandate of 50 percent waste diversion and places the state at the forefront of national efforts to reduce and recycle trash. The Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989 required individual cities and counties in the state to cut their disposal rates in half.

Nearly 500 cities, counties, and regional waste management compacts across the state contribute to the nation's infrastructure of waste-handling options for residents and businesses alike.

The California Integrated Waste Management Board is the state's leading authority on recycling and waste reduction. The board is one of six boards, departments and offices within the California Environmental Protection Agency.