Guidance for Elected Officials
SB 1383 (Lara, 2016) is part of California’s work to cut waste sent to landfills and pollution from landfills that heats our planet. This is the most prescriptive change to waste management legislation in California since AB 939.
Recycling Organics Helps Fight Climate Change in California
Half of what Californians dump in landfills is organics, such as food scraps, yard trimmings, paper, and cardboard.
Organic waste in landfills releases:
- 20% of the state’s methane, a climate super pollutant, 84 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
- Air pollutants like PM 2.5 which contribute to health conditions like asthma.
Recycling organic waste and recovering edible food is a fast track to fighting climate change and improving public health and the environment.
How organics recycling and food recovery help communities:
- Cut climate pollution from landfills
- Less recyclable material in landfills
- Millions of meals directed to Californians without enough to eat
- 15,000 new permanent green jobs
- New recycled products, like compost
Jurisdictions Lead the Implementation of SB 1383
Jurisdictions are responsible for the following requirements:
- Providing mandatory organics collection services to all residents and businesses
- Conducting education and outreach to the community
- Procuring recycled organics products
- Establishing food recovery programs
- Securing access to recycling and food recovery capacity
- monitoring compliance and conducting enforcement
Beyond Waste Management and Recycling Operations
Jurisdictions may need to increase funding and staffing resources across multiple departments and divisions to support their respective roles in implementing and maintaining SB 1383 compliant programs. Jurisdictions are responsible for coordinating with city and county planners, waste haulers, waste processing facilities, recyclers, commercial businesses, residents, and edible food recovery organizations.
- City Councils and Boards of Supervisors will need to pass local ordinances to require all residents and businesses to subscribe to services.
- City Managers and Chief Administration Officers will be involved in capacity planning, directing procurement, and establishing edible food recovery programs.
- Purchasing staff will be central to procuring recycled organic waste products and recycled-content paper and paper products.
- Finance and Legal staff will be involved in local enforcement ordinances, new collection fees, and ensuring programs are adequately resourced.
- Public Works staff are involved with hauler agreements, local waste management processing facilities, organic waste recycling facilities, and civil engineering activities where compost may be utilized.
- Public Parks staff may be involved with assessing the need for local compost application to parks and city landscaped areas.
- Environmental Health staff may be tasked with enforcement duties, including inspecting commercial food generators for compliance with edible food recovery requirements.
- Public Transportation and Fleet departments could be involved in procuring renewable natural gas for city and county-owned vehicles.
Detailed SB 1383 Implementation Guidance: Understanding Jurisdiction Responsibilities
Jurisdictions, organic waste and edible food generators, facilities, and haulers are all subject to penalties for non-compliance.
Each jurisdiction is responsible for conducting appropriate oversight of hauler collection and processing contractors, consultants, and other third-party entities, as applicable.
Ultimately, each jurisdiction is accountable for generators’ compliance, and CalRecycle may fine or penalize the jurisdiction for non-compliant programs.
Detailed Guidance Document: SB 1383 Compliance Process
For more information contact: Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCP), Organic Waste Methane Emissions Reductions, SLCP.organics@calrecycle.ca.gov