SB1383: Organic Waste and Edible Food Recovery

New Recycling Law (SB 1383) – Effective January 1, 2022

Effective January 1, 2022, State law requires all businesses and residents to separate organics and recyclable materials from trash and either subscribe to the required collection services or self-haul organics to an appropriate facility for diversion. It also requires some businesses to donate excess edible food to feed people in addition to starting an organics collection service. 

Contra Costa County will impose penalties for non-compliance on regulated entities subject to County authority starting January 1, 2024. For more information about how you can comply, see below:

An individual places an orange and banana peel into a compost bin

HOW TO COMPLY

Businesses:

  1. Effectively separate all organic and recyclable materials from trash
  2. Subscribe to collection service from your waste hauler or self-haul material to an appropriate facility for diversion**. To find the hauler servicing your community, see our Business Assistance Links and Contacts list.
  3. Implement an edible food recovery program
    • Applies to large food generating businesses only (supermarkets & grocery stores)
    • Some large food-generating businesses will be required to contract with an edible food recovery organization or service to track the recovery of otherwise disposed of edible food. See our Food Recovery Organizations page for a list of edible food recovery vendors in Contra Costa County.
    • A contract or written agreement must be maintained with the Food Recovery organization(s) or Service(s) to pick up or receive edible food.
    • Businesses will also be required to keep a record of all types of food donated, the quantity (pounds) donated, frequency of donations, and contact information for the Food Recovery Organization(s) you partner with. These records are subject to review.

**If you self-haul your material you will need to maintain documentation that shows the facility(s) you transport your organic waste to, the quantity (cubic yards or tons) of organic waste delivered to each facility, receipts and weight tickets from each facility accepting your material. This documentation is subject to inspection.**

Businesses are also required to provide containers for the collection of organic waste and other recyclables in all areas where disposal containers are provided for customers, except for restrooms.

Waivers are eligible for businesses that can demonstrate they generate less than 20 gallons of organic waste per week. Please complete the County’s SB 1383 Exemption Form if you believe your business is eligible for a waiver.

Multifamily Complexes:

As of January 1, 2022, all multifamily properties (5+ units), under state law, are now required to provide an organics cart for tenant food waste as well as manage all landscaping debris generated at the site. If you have a landscaper, you must verify that they are delivering all removed landscaping debris to a compost facility or utilizing your on-site green cart.

Multifamily property owners are required under the law to provide information on recycling and composting to tenants annually and upon move-in and upon notice of move out. Your hauler may be able to provide you recycling and composting outreach to provide to your tenants. To find the hauler servicing your community, see our Business Assistance Links and Contacts list.

If you are a Multifamily property owner or manager, please call your hauler to request the required containers or to request a site visit to discuss service options. 

Waivers are eligible for businesses that can demonstrate they generate less than 20 gallons of organic waste per week. Please complete the County’s SB 1383 Exemption Form if you believe your business is eligible for a waiver.

Residents:

  1. Effectively separate all organic and recyclable materials from trash
  2. Subscribe to collection service from your waste hauler or self-haul material to an appropriate facility for diversion**. To find the hauler servicing your community, see our Business Assistance Links and Contacts list.

Residents can also compost some of their organic waste at home. To learn more about backyard composting, visit our Composting and Gardening page.

For more info contact the recycling hotline (800-750-4096).

**Non-compostable or non-recyclable materials placed into your curbside carts is contamination and may cause your cart to be left un-serviced. An additional call-back fee may apply. To find out what goes in each cart, find your waste hauler using the link above or use Re:Source.