(originally published on Replate.org)
A look at California’s new organic waste law: SB 1383
If you haven’t already heard about California’s new bill to reduce organic waste, you will soon.
The statewide effort, known as SB 1383, was enacted to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCP’s), which contribute to global warming and affect human health. SLCPs remain in the atmosphere for less time than carbon dioxide, but potentially cause more damage. These pollutants, which include black carbon, methane, tropospheric ozone, and hydrofluorocarbons, are responsible for up to 45% of greenhouse gases that impact global warming.
Starting January 1, 2022, food service providers, distributors and those in any industry falling under the Tier 1 category will be responsible for reducing organic material disposal as outlined by the law. By January 1, 2024, Tier 2 businesses will also be accountable.
Those who don’t meet set standards will be subject to fines.
Who’s on the hook?
Tier 1
Tier 2
Timeline for rollout
75% reduction of organic waste
20% increase in edible food recovery
So… what does this mean, exactly?
Food Donors must:
- Recover the maximum amount of edible food by donating surplus rather than composting or waste disposal
- Arrange for food recovery through a contract or written agreement with either or both of the following:
- Food Rescue Service (such as FarmToMe.org!) who will collect food for food recovery
- Food Recovery Organizations that will accept food the generator self-hauls
- Maintain records of:
- Each food recovery organization they work with
- Contracts and agreements available for review
- Types of food collected or self-hauled
- Established frequency of donations
- Pounds per month
Jurisdictions must:
- Establish an edible food recovery program by consulting with food recovery organizations and services to implement programs, and ensure adequate capacity exists to recover that food.
- Conduct outreach & education
- Plan and implement SB 1383 and keep records
- Inspect and enforce compliance with SB 1383
How can FarmToMe.org support your business?
FarmToMe.org is here to serve the needs of businesses that fall into either tier of this legislation.
For businesses in Tier 1, we can help set up infrastructure and donation scheduling now; for those in Tier 2, we can ensure your organization is operationally and contractually compliant prior to enforcement.
FarmToMe.org‘s goal is to eliminate any pain points with food donations and build a seamless system with your company where we do all the heavy lifting.
Our services include:
- Providing written agreements necessary for compliance;
- Enabling access to real-time metrics for reporting, including type of food collected, total pounds collected and frequency of donations;
- Assuring donations are going where they’re most needed and impactful through our matching algorithms.
For more information on partnerships with FarmToMe.org or to address your SB 1383 compliance needs, please visit our homepage or reach out to accounts@farm2.me.