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Diverting Organic Waste and Recyclables Mandatory Under State Law SB 1383
Effective January 1, 2024, state department, CalRecycle, can issue notice of violations and fines for schools that are not compliant with SB 1383.
Effective January 1, 2022, California state law Senate Bill (SB) 1383 Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy, requires all solid waste generators (including schools), to separate organic materials (such as plant debris, food waste, food soiled papers, untreated wood waste) and recyclable materials from trash, and either subscribe to the required collection services or self-haul to an appropriate facility for diversion.
The Goal of SB 1383
- Reduce organic waste disposal 75% by 2025.
- Rescue 20% of surplus edible food for those that need it by 2025.
WHO: Who Does This Affect?
- Single-Family homes/Condos/Townhomes
- Multifamily properties with 5+ more units
- Commercial Businesses
- Commercial Edible Food Generators
- Commercial Self-Haulers
- Public/Private Schools
WHAT: What Does This Mean?
The SB 1383 law has expanded on the requirements of AB 341 – Mandatory Commercial Recycling and AB 1826 – Mandatory Commercial Organics.
The Changes:
- In addition to residents and businesses, this also impacts public and private schools – sorting of organics and recyclables is now mandatory.
- Schools are also required to contract with an edible food recovery organization to donate excess edible food to help feed neighbors in need.
HOW: How Can my School Participate?
- Subscribe to Collection Service
Subscribe to curbside organics and recycling service from your waste collection company. Depending on your city, these diversion services can usually be added at no additional cost. - Provide Containers for Organic and Recycling Waste
Businesses are also required to make organics and recycling collection containers available to customers for the waste materials generated in self-serve areas.
The containers must be green, blue, and black, or be labeled with “organics”, “recyclables”, and “garbage”.
Who to contact for collection service:
For businesses located in El Cerrito (for organics collection) contact East Bay Sanitary at (510) 237-4321.
For businesses located in El Cerrito (for recycling collection) contact City of El Cerrito at (510) 215-4350.
For businesses located in all other cities of West Contra Costa County, contact Republic Services. - Sort Waste Materials: Require employees to place organic waste only in organics containers
Effectively separate all waste materials your business generates. Building effective waste management into your standard operating procedures can help with staff satisfaction, sustainability marketing, and also possibly save you money. - Provide yearly information to employees about proper sorting of organic waste
Employee training, instructional resources, and free interior containers are available from your waste collection service company to help you to implement these programs. - Periodically inspect organic waste containers for contamination
- Allow access to the property for inspections from state representatives
- Implement Surplus Edible Food Recovery Program
Schools with on-site food facilities are required to implement SB 1383 Commercial Edible Food Recovery.
WHY: Why is This Important?
Complying with this state law helps combat climate change by recycling organic waste correctly. Organic waste is the largest waste stream in California and items like food scraps, yard trimmings, paper, and cardboard make up half of what Californian’s dump in landfills. When these organic materials are sent to a landfill, they generate methane, a powerful climate pollutant. Landfills are the third largest source of methane in the state and are contributing to the drought, wildfires, and flooding that we are seeing around the state and nation. In addition, air pollutants contribute to health conditions and breathing issues like asthma.
Landfills are the Third Largest Source of Methane Gas in California
Source: CalRecycle
By diverting organic material to compost facilities, we are directly reducing the amount of climate pollutants generated by our waste materials.
Fighting Climate Change by Recycling Organic Waste
Source: CalRecycle
ENFORCEMENT: Compliance Monitoring, Sorting, and Violations
VIOLATIONS
As of January 1, 2024, CalRecycle can issue notice of violations and fines for schools that are not compliant with SB 1383.