Cities in California are scrambling to meet the mandates of yet another bureaucratic mandate to reduce what is ending up in landfills.

At last week’s Ceres City Council meeting, members received an update on how the city is dealing with SB 1383, which was passed in 2016 to mandate a 75 percent reduction in organic waste disposal statewide by 2025. The law also requires that at least 20 percent of surplus edible food that is currently being placed in the waste stream to be salvaged and directed to local organizations which feed the needy. To do that the city is required to assist connecting food generators with local organizations, track the donations and enforce those who aren’t complying.

“This law is the largest and most prescriptive waste management legislation that was been enacted since AB 939,” explained Toni Cordell, an administrative analyst with the Ceres Public Works Department.

CalRecycle has ordered cities to implement programs by 2022 and enforce noncompliance by 2024.

“Failure of cities to enact and undertake all of SB 1383’s responsibilities will result in being noncompliant and this subject to fines of up to $10,000 per day,” said Cordell.

She added that the years 2022 and 2023 are considered “non-adversarial years” and the state is providing guidance and technical assistance, cities could be subject to fines during the grace period.

The city has been working to meet the new law requirements and in 2020, the city enacted a garbage collection rate hike to fund the third waste-wheeler used for organics – such as food waste, paper, cardboard and garden and yard waste – which are composted instead of being placed in landfills.

Cordell outlined that the primary responsibilities of the city are in six areas:

• Provide a curbside organics collection services to all residents and businesses;

• Establish an edible food recovery program;

• Purchase recyclable and recovered organic compost materials. In Ceres’ case, the city will be required to buy 3,915 tons of compost material annually and find a use for it or give it away to residents or local farms;

• Educate the public about reducing organic wastes;

• Inspecting food-based businesses to determine if they are  complying and enforce conduct;

• Keep records.

For the food recovery program, the city has contracted with the Southern California based Recreate Waste Collaborative.

Natalie Lessa, co-founder of the Recreate Waste Collaborative, participated in the meeting via Zoom and explained what her company does.

As of Jan. 1, 2022, businesses like large grocery stores, supermarkets, food service providers and wholesale vendors have been required to donate surplus foods rather than throw them out. Beginning in 2024, other businesses will be affected, including large restaurants, hotels, hospitals, venues and event spaces and schools. Those businesses which choose to donate to a local food bank, they must maintain a contract and maintained on site for city inspections. The state is requiring those businesses to keep records, including the types of food, quantity and pounds and how often those donations are made.

Recreate Waste Collaborative is offering in-person technical help affected businesses set up a food donation program.

“We also meeting with the food recovery organizations located in the city to identify their current capacity to receive food and to learn of gaps in their current programs,” said Lessa.

The company is also training businesses on how to use a software program called Carrot to simplify compliance with the state requirement. She said the Carrot app connects food donors to food recovery organizations. 

Beginning in January 2024, the city expects to begin enforcement of the law. Violations could result in administrative fines.

Cordell said the city offers free mulch and compost to residents for self-pick-up at the Ceres River Bluff Regional Park.

Resident John Warren wanted to know if the city was conducting audits to see if residents are correctly depositing materials in the green waste can. Cordell told him that Bertolloti Disposal takes note of obvious contamination and a resident will receive a warning. She said the city has experienced very few repeat violations which make it to fines.