Food Recovery Organizations and Services

A large smiling group of volunteers stands behind a table of food donations waiting to be distributed to Californians in need

In Los Angeles, this troop of Girl Scouts and their parents help donated food get to people in need.

SB 1383 requires mandated food donors to:

  • Donate their excess edible food to a local food recovery organization or service, which includes, but is not limited to:
    • Food banks
    • Food pantries
    • Soup kitchens
    • Other non-profits that distribute food to people in need
    • Food runners
    • For-profit food recovery services
  • Establish contracts or written agreements with food recovery organizations, which can include:
    • Establishing a regular food donation or collection schedule
    • Identifying allowable foods for donation
    • Cost-sharing options

Funding to Start New or Expand Existing Food Recovery Organizations and Services

Since 2016, CalRecycle has awarded $52.4  to over 100 edible food recovery and food waste prevention-related projects resulting in nearly 154 million pounds of edible food prevented from being landfilled, equivalent to more than 128 million meals (data as of June 2022).

Requirements

Although SB 1383 requires mandated food donors to donate the maximum amount of their edible food that would otherwise be disposed, SB 1383 does not require food recovery organizations and services to participate. It is at the discretion of individual food recovery organizations and services to decide if they would like to participate. If a food recovery organization or service does choose to establish contracts or written agreements with mandated food donors, then SB 1383 requires them to keep records of the total pounds they collect from the mandated food donors.

Recordkeeping Requirements
Food recovery organizations and services that have a contract or written agreement with a mandated food donor will be required to maintain records of the food they receive from each mandated food donor. CalRecycle has developed a model recordkeeping tool that food recovery organizations and services can use to ensure compliance with the recordkeeping requirements. The use of this specific tools is optional.

Total Pounds Collected
Food recovery organizations and services that participate in SB 1383 must also report the total pounds collected in the previous calendar year to the jurisdiction where their primary address is physically located.

For more information contact: Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCP), Organic Waste Methane Emissions Reductions, SLCP.organics@calrecycle.ca.gov