SB 1383 Mandatory Organic Waste Disposal Reduction

Senate Bill (SB) 1383, the Short-lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Act of 2016, required CalRecycle to develop regulations to reduce organics in landfills as a source of methane. The regulations place requirements on multiple entities including Cities, residential households, Commercial Businesses and business owners, Commercial Edible Food Generators, haulers, Self-Haulers, Food Recovery Organizations, and Food Recovery Services to support achievement of Statewide Organic Waste disposal reduction targets.

SB 1383 establishes targets to achieve 50% reduction in the statewide disposal of organic waste from 2014 levels by 2020, and a 75% reduction by 2025. There is also a requirement to rescue at least 20% of edible food to feed those in need by 2025.

By January 1, 2022, local jurisdictions are required to implement a suite of programs and adopt an ordinance to comply with specific requirements to achieve SB 1383’s statewide mandates. 

SB 1383 Programs and Requirements

Organics Collection Services

SB 1383 requires jurisdictions to provide automatic organic waste collection services to all residents and businesses. The City already has a three-bin collection system for residential and commercial properties.

Edible Food Recovery

Edible food recovery (EFR) is the act of diverting surplus edible food from businesses, organizations, or events that otherwise would have been disposed of for consumption by members of our community. If you are a large, food-generating business or organization you have new edible food recovery requirements under SB 1383.

The good news is that Daly City has joined with San Mateo County’s 22 other jurisdictions to create one countywide edible food recovery program to help all affected businesses and organizations meet their new mandatory requirements. This program is managed by the County of San Mateo Office of Sustainability (OOS) and has recovered millions of pounds of food to date!

Visit OOS’s EFR webpage to learn if your business has new edible food recovery requirements, the countywide program, and resources available to help you comply.

Procure Recovered Organic Products

Beginning January 1, 2022, the City must annually procure a certain quantity of recovered organic waste products. Jurisdictions can fulfill their target by procuring any combination of eligible products such as compost, mulch, and renewable energy. The City is also required to purchase recycled-content paper. The City's newly adopted Recovered Organic Waste Product and Recycled-Content Paper Procurement Policy can be viewed here.

Education and Outreach

SB 1383 regulations will require education and outreach to residents, schools, businesses, and edible food generators. The outreach must be translated into multiple languages, based on the most recent census results. The City is partnering with Republic Services to provide education and outreach. For more information, visit Republic Services' website here.

Compliance and Enforcement

SB 1383 regulations require the adoption and enforcement of various ordinances. The City Council adopted Ordinance 1452 on November 22, 2021 to meet the requirements, as well as working with with Republic Services on the enforcement and record-keeping requirements. 

The full regulations can be found here.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is Organic Waste?

The State defines organic waste as food, landscape trimmings, lumber, wood, manure, cardboard, paper products, and other plant and animal-based products.

What does SB 1383 mean for Residents?

Residents must recycle all organic waste, including paper, cardboard, yard materials, food scraps, and food-soiled paper in your organics (green) bin. Contact Republic Services if you need a replacement organics bin at (650) 756-1130.

What does SB 1383 mean for Businesses?

Everyone will be required to divert all organic waste from the landfill. Businesses will need to place labeled bins for recycling and organics recycling next to all trash cans. Labels must be compliant with State regulations. Some businesses will need to recover edible food and redirect it to those in need (The County of San Mateo will coordinate with affected businesses on the edible food recovery program). Contact Republic Services for assistance with your Organics subscription at (650) 756-1130.

For More Information

More information on SB 1383 is available on CalRecycle’s webpage: https://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/organics/slcp 

Republic Services Compost Infographic 2
Republic Services Compost Infographic 1