What is SB 1383?
Senate Bill 1383, signed into law in 2016, is California's most ambitious organic waste reduction mandate. It requires the state to reduce organic waste disposal by 75% by 2025 (compared to 2014 levels) and recover at least 20% of edible food that would otherwise go to waste.
The law targets methane emissions from landfills—organic waste decomposing in landfills is a major source of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs). By diverting food scraps, yard waste, paper, and cardboard from landfills, California aims to significantly reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.
CalRecycle has enforcement authority and can impose penalties on jurisdictions that fail to implement SB 1383 requirements. Compliance isn't optional.
Who Must Comply with SB 1383?
SB 1383 places requirements on multiple stakeholders across California's waste management ecosystem:
Local Jurisdictions (Cities & Counties)
- Provide organic waste collection to all residents and businesses
- Conduct outreach and education programs
- Monitor compliance and enforce violations
- Report annually to CalRecycle via the Electronic Annual Report (EAR)
Businesses & Multi-Family Properties
- Subscribe to organic waste collection services
- Properly sort organic waste from trash and recycling
- Tier 1 & 2 food generators must donate edible food
Haulers & Facility Operators
- Provide compliant collection containers
- Report contamination to jurisdictions
- Maintain records for inspection
Key SB 1383 Requirements
Collection Services
Jurisdictions must provide organic waste collection to all accounts, including single-family, multi-family, and commercial properties. This typically means a three-container system:
- Green container: Food scraps, yard waste, food-soiled paper
- Blue container: Recyclables (paper, cardboard, plastic, metal, glass)
- Gray/Black container: Landfill trash only
Education & Outreach
Jurisdictions must conduct annual outreach to inform residents and businesses about proper sorting, container contamination, and the availability of organic waste services. This includes:
- • Direct mailers or bill inserts
- • Website information
- • Targeted education for contaminated accounts
- • Information in multiple languages where required
Contamination Monitoring
Haulers must monitor containers for contamination and report violations to the jurisdiction. The jurisdiction must then follow up with education, warnings, and eventually penalties if contamination continues.
Waivers
Limited waivers are available for:
- De minimis: Businesses generating very small amounts of organic waste (less than ½ cubic yard per week)
- Physical space: Properties with insufficient space for additional containers
Jurisdictions must track all waivers and verify eligibility annually.
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Important SB 1383 Deadlines
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| Jan 1, 2022 | Full implementation required (collection, education, enforcement) |
| Jan 1, 2024 | Tier 2 edible food generators must comply with food recovery |
| Jan 1, 2025 | 75% organic waste reduction target deadline |
| Annual (Aug 1) | Electronic Annual Report (EAR) due to CalRecycle |
SB 1383 Enforcement & Penalties
Jurisdictions are required to establish an enforcement program that includes inspections, Notices of Violation (NOVs), and penalties for non-compliance.
Jurisdiction Enforcement
Local jurisdictions must:
- • Conduct compliance inspections
- • Issue Notices of Violation for non-compliant accounts
- • Assess penalties after reasonable notice and opportunity to correct
- • Maintain records of all enforcement actions
CalRecycle Oversight
CalRecycle can take enforcement action against jurisdictions that fail to implement SB 1383:
- $500/day for failure to provide collection services
- $500/day for failure to conduct education
- $10,000/day for failure to implement an enforcement program
CalRecycle EAR Reporting
Each year, jurisdictions must submit an Electronic Annual Report (EAR) to CalRecycle documenting their SB 1383 compliance activities. The report includes:
- • Number of accounts with organic waste service
- • Outreach activities conducted
- • Waivers granted (de minimis and physical space)
- • Enforcement actions taken (inspections, NOVs, penalties)
- • Edible food recovery program data
- • Procurement of recovered organic waste products
The EAR is typically due by August 1 each year for the previous calendar year's activities.
CityCycle generates EAR-ready exports with one click—no more scrambling to compile data from spreadsheets. Learn about our outreach tools →
Edible Food Recovery Requirements
SB 1383 requires large food generators to donate edible food to food recovery organizations rather than sending it to landfills. Generators are divided into two tiers:
Tier 1 (Jan 2022)
- • Supermarkets (10,000+ sq ft)
- • Grocery stores (10,000+ sq ft)
- • Food service providers
- • Food distributors
- • Wholesale food vendors
Tier 2 (Jan 2024)
- • Restaurants (5,000+ sq ft or 250+ seats)
- • Hotels (200+ rooms)
- • Health facilities (100+ beds)
- • Large venues & events
- • State agencies with cafeterias
- • Local education agencies
Jurisdictions must maintain an Edible Food Recovery Program that includes:
- • Registry of Tier 1 and Tier 2 generators
- • Registry of food recovery organizations and services
- • Tracking of food recovery capacity
- • Compliance monitoring and enforcement
SB 1383 Procurement Requirements
To create markets for recovered organic waste, SB 1383 requires jurisdictions to procure a minimum amount of recovered organic waste products (ROWP) each year. The procurement target is calculated based on population:
Qualifying products include:
- • Compost for parks, landscaping, and public works
- • Mulch for city landscaping
- • Renewable natural gas (RNG) for fleet vehicles
- • Electricity from biomass conversion
Jurisdictions must track procurement throughout the year and report totals in the EAR. Falling short of the target can result in CalRecycle enforcement action.
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