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Senate Bill 1383 (SB 1383)
About SB 1383
Many of you are already recycling plastic and paper by placing these items in your blue cart and making sure grass clippings and tree branches are placed in your green cart, but did you know you should also recycle your kitchen scraps in your green cart?
SB 1383 is a state law focused on reducing green house gas emissions, and one way businesses and residents can help is by diverting all organic material (food waste, yard waste, and food-soiled paper) from our landfill.
Senate Bill (SB) 1383 is a California statewide effort to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCP). When compostable materials, such as food scraps, are sent to the landfill, they create greenhouse gas emissions like methane, a pollutant over 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Emissions of methane are responsible for about 20 percent of the global warming now driving climate change, and about 20 percent of methane emissions in California come from landfills. Specifically, the law sets the following statewide targets:
- Reduce disposal of organic waste by 75% by January 1, 2025 (based on 2014 levels)
- Recover a minimum of 20% edible food for human consumption that would otherwise be disposed by 2025
CalRecycle is the state agency responsible for creating the regulatory standards for SB 1383. The regulations took effect January 1, 2022, and effective January 1, 2024, jurisdictions may be required to impose penalties for non-compliance on entities subject to their authority.
All residents, businesses, and multifamily complexes are affected. Some businesses and/or multifamily complexes may qualify for a waiver from some aspect of SB 1383.
Information for Residents
Residents are required to participate in curbside organics recycling (compost/green cart) programs. This includes recycling of household food scraps. Residential curbside organic recycling is crucial to our City’s success in meeting organic material diversion targets and one of the easiest things residents can do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Residents living in single-family homes in the City of Clovis must subscribe to trash, recycling, and organic collection service. If you do not have green cart service, please contact your solid waste hauler to set up your service. All organic material should be placed in your green cart. This includes:
- Food scraps: fruit, vegetables, bread, pasta, meat, poultry, and cheese.
- Coffee grounds
- Animal bones
- Food soiled paper products (like paper towels, napkins & pizza boxes)
- Yard trimmings
- … and more!
Please don’t use any plastic bags in organics collection, including compostable bags. They breakdown much slower than organic material and can jam up equipment at our local composting operations. Curious about where your organics end up? Click here.
Reducing organic waste at home is not only beneficial for the environment but also helps save money and resources. Here are some pro tips to effectively manage and minimize organic waste:
- Meal planning: Plan your meals for the week ahead. This reduces the likelihood of overbuying food that may end up unused and spoiled.
- Smart shopping: Make a shopping list and stick to it. Buy only what you need and avoid impulse purchases that could lead to food waste.
- Proper storage: Store fruits and vegetables properly to prolong their freshness. Use the crisper drawer in your fridge or store items like potatoes and onions in cool, dark places.
- First in, first out: Practice FIFO (first in, first out) when organizing your fridge and pantry. Use older items before newer ones to prevent them from spoiling.
- Understand expiration dates: Learn the difference between “sell by,” “use by,” and “best by” dates. Many foods are still safe to eat past these dates if stored correctly.
- Creative cooking: Repurpose leftovers into new meals or use them as ingredients in other dishes. This reduces waste and saves you from having to cook something new.
- Freezing: Freeze excess fruits, vegetables, and even bread before they spoil. Many foods can be frozen and used later in smoothies, soups, or baked goods.
- Share extras: If you have excess produce from your garden or leftovers from a meal, consider sharing them with neighbors, friends, or local food-sharing groups.
- Awareness and mindfulness: Be mindful of portion sizes when cooking and serving meals. Encourage family members to take only what they can finish to reduce leftovers.
- Use every part: Get creative with food scraps. For example, vegetable peels can be used to make vegetable broth, and citrus peels can be used to make zest or infused water.
- Educate others: Share your knowledge and tips with friends and family to spread awareness about reducing organic waste.
By incorporating these pro tips into your daily routines, you can significantly reduce organic waste at home, contributing to a more sustainable lifestyle while saving money and resources. If you still end up with organic waste, make sure you divert it to the green cart and/or start a compost bin or pile for food scraps and yard waste. Composting turns organic waste into nutrient-rich soil for gardening.
To learn more on how to best implement SB 1383 in your household, please watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZoiQVylW3M
Tips for Proper Food Waste Disposal
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Tips for Keeping Carts Clean & Reducing Odor
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Information for Businesses
Businesses (including multi-family residential complexes) are required to divert organic materials from landfills by participating in organic recycling programs. This includes:
- Subscribing to and participating in three container collection (trash, recycling, organic) services via your hauler or via approved back-hauling or self-hauling materials to CalRecycle certified facilities.
- Providing containers for the collection of organic waste and recyclables to employees, contractors, tenants, and customers. Collection containers must be arranged so that users have access to an adequate number, size, and location of containers with correct labels.
- Providing properly labeled indoor containers for organic waste and recyclables in all areas where disposal containers are provided for customers, except for restrooms.
- Prohibiting employees from placing organic waste in a container not designated for organic waste, and periodically inspecting organic waste containers for contamination.
- Annually providing information to employees, contractors, tenants, and customers about organic waste recovery requirements and proper sorting.
Businesses that are Commercial Edible Food Generators (CEFGs) must donate all edible leftover or unsold food that would otherwise be disposed to a food recovery organization. To find out if your business is a CEFG, and learn what the requirements are, click here. If you’re looking for a place to donate your edible food, see the “Edible Food Recovery Resources in Clovis” tab below.
- Optimize menu planning: Design menus that use ingredients across multiple dishes to reduce surplus items.
- Monitor inventory: Regularly track ingredient usage to better estimate demand and reduce overordering.
- Utilize surplus creatively: Develop daily specials or staff meals using surplus ingredients to minimize unused inventory.
- Use technology: Utilize apps or software to track inventory and predict demand more accurately.
Central California Food Bank
- ccfoodbank.org
- info@ccfoodbank.org, (559) 237-3663
- Monday – Friday, 7:30 AM – 4:00 PM
Clovis Salvation Army Food Pantry
- 210 Barstow Ave., Clovis CA 93612
- salvationarmy.org, (559) 298-6797
- Tuesday – Thursday 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Holy Ground Fellowship of America
- 980 Gettysburg Ave., Clovis, CA 93612
- hgffa.org, (559) 347-9678
- December through March: 1st Saturday, 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM
- April through November: 1st Saturday, 7:30 AM – 10:30 AM