OrgANICs rECYCLING

California requires businesses and multi-family housing complexes to recycle organic waste!

The City partners with our franchised waste hauler, Athens Services, to ensure that we are compliant with state mandates.

For more information about California's Organics Recycling Mandates, please contact:

Athens Services – (888) 336-6100 Athens Services

CalRecycle - Visit CalRecycle

California Mandates

AB 1826 - In October of 2014, Governor Brown signed AB 1826, requiring businesses to recycle their organic waste on and after April 1, 2016, depending on the amount of waste they generate per week. This law also requires that on and after January 1, 2016, local jurisdictions across the state implement an organic waste recycling program to divert organic waste generated by businesses, including multifamily residential dwellings that consist of five or more units (please note, however, that multifamily dwellings are not required to have a food waste diversion program).

AB 1383 - In September 2016, Governor Brown signed into law SB 1383, establishing methane emissions reduction targets in a statewide effort to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCP) in various sectors of California's economy. SB 1383 establishes targets to achieve a 50 percent reduction in the level of the statewide disposal of organic waste from the 2014 level by 2020 and a 75 percent reduction by 2025. On January 1, 2022, CalRecycle's regulations to meet the organic waste reduction targets for 2020 and 2025 will take effect and are enforceable on this date.

As of April 1, 2022, to comply with Senate Bill 1383 which was established and mandated by the State of California, all multi-family complexes, which includes condominiums, townhomes, apartments and duplexes regardless of size now have an organics (green) cart that will be used for food scraps and yard trimmings. Athens' American Organics compost facility will convert food scraps into nutrient-rich soil amendment. The resulting compost is used by residents, farmers, city projects, garden shops and landscapers.

Single-family dwellings will continue to use their existing green cart, which can now be used for food scraps and yard trimmings.

Read on to find out what should go into the green cart/bin/container, or visit Athens Services.

What Goes Into The Green Cart/Bin?

In addition to green waste and yard trimming, food scraps and food-spoiled paper products should go into the green organics bin/cart.

Plastic and bioplastic "compostable" bags are accepted too, but must be clear or translucent-green - bag contents must be visible.

GREEN WASTE	FOOD SCRAPS	FOOD-SOILED PAPER
- Flower & hedge trimmings - Grass clippings - Leaves & branches - Lumber, scrap wood & plywood (not painted or treated) - Weeds	- Bread, rice and pasta - Cheese & dairy - Coffee grounds & filters - Fruits & vegetables - Flowers & herbs - Meat, bones and poultry - Seafood and soft shells - Pet food (non-medicated)	- Food-stained paper - Paper egg cartons - Paper napkins & kitchen towels - Pizza boxes - Plates - To-go boxes (no coatings) - Wooden & fiber-based utensils

NOT ACCEPTABLE IN GREEN CART/BIN/CONTAINER
- All plastics - Coffee cups and pods - Fats, oils and grease - Food stickers - Gloves - Glass - Hard shells (clams, mussels, oysters, lobsters etc.) - Hazardous waste - Medication - Liquids	- Tea Bags - Plastic containers - Styrofoam - Textiles - Tissue and wet wipes - Paper napkins and towels with cleaning chemicals - Parchment and wax paper - Pet waste - Rocks and soil - Rubber bands and twist ties

To meet the mandated statewide goal, the law requires each jurisdiction in California to establish and monitor a robust food recovery program, which will strengthen the relationships between commercial edible food generators and food recovery organizations within their communities, requiring certain food businesses to send the maximum amount of edible food they would otherwise dispose to food recovery organizations.

Certain types of businesses (labeled as edible food generators) will be required to donate all of their excess edible food to food recovery organizations and services. Tier 1 Businesses are required to donate starting in 2022, and Tier 2 Businesses are required to donate starting in 2024.

All food donations must meet the food safety requirements of the California Retail Food Code. Donations are protected by The Good Samaritan Act and can be used as a tax write-off.

Establishing Contracts and Written Agreements with Food Recovery Organizations and Services

To ensure that the maximum amount of edible food is recovered, the regulations require that mandated food donors establish contracts or written agreements with food recovery organizations and services.

Food recovery organizations and services vary in the amount and types of food they can receive, so mandated food donors may need to establish contracts or written agreements with multiple food recovery organizations and services to be in compliance.

CalRecycle has released a Model Food Recovery Agreement.

Recordkeeping

SB 1383 requires mandated food donors to maintain records of their food donation activities. The City of San Gabriel will monitor compliance of edible food generators by requesting the following types of records during inspections:

Contract or written agreement for food recovery organizations and services.
Schedules for food donation deliveries or collections.
Quantity of food donated in pounds per month.
Types of food each food recovery organization will receive or collect.

Food Recovery Organizations and Services that have a contract or written agreement with a mandated food donor are required to maintain records of the food they receive from each mandated food donor. This includes:

The name, address, and contact information for each edible food generator that the organization received edible food from.
The quantity in pounds of edible food collected from each edible food generator per month.
The name, address, and contact information for each food recovery service that the organization receives edible food from for food recovery.