SB 1383: Recycling organic Waste at home
The City of Sacramento is implementing its new organic waste recycling programs in 2022, in accordance with the statewide mandate, Senate Bill 1383. This law will affect all residents of Sacramento, but how and when they will receive organic waste recycling service depends on the nature of their property. More information on SB 1383 and the organic waste recycling program can be found at SacOrganics.org.
The answers to some questions will depend on where the resident lives and their waste hauler. To determine if you are a residential or commercial customer please see below.
Residential customers live at properties of up to four units (including single-family homes, duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes). Condominiums and mobile homes are also City of Sacramento residential customers. Trash containers will say “City of Sacramento.”
Commercial customers live in multi-family apartments of five units or more. Trash containers will have a hauler name such as Atlas, Republic, or Waste Management.
Frequently asked questions for residents and Tenants
|
Residential: Organic waste recycling (food scraps, food-soiled paper, and yard waste) will begin July 1, 2022 for residential customers. After July 1, customers should recyce all food scraps, food-soiled paper and yard trimmings in your organic waste container (currently your yard/green waste container).
Commercial: Apartment buildings of five units or more are already required to receive organics recycling service as of January 2022.
|
|
Residential: Residents will be informed of the new program through a variety of outreach methods, including a mailed notice, social media, TV, radio, and billboard spots, Sacramento City Express blog, neighborhood association presentations and newsletters, and regular updates to our website.
Commercial: Property managers were notified about the new requirements and how to comply in fall of 2021. Your property management should notify tenants of how to comply with the new organic waste recycling requirement.
|
|
Residential: If you receive trash service from the City, please do not mix in your food waste with your yard waste until notified by the City. When the program starts, we will be using a more intensive process to break down our organic waste into compost.
Commercial: If food waste recycling is available at your apartment building, you must start separating your food waste and place it in the organic waste container provided by the hauler who services your building.
|
|
Residential: Customers who don’t currently have a yard waste container will be issued an organic waste container, which will be delivered to their residence in late June. More information on these customers can be found here.
Commercial: An organic waste container will be provided by the commercial hauler who services your building.
|
|
Residential: Organic recycling service is mandatory and the City is not offering exemptions at this time. Customers who do not currently receive yard/green waste service from the City will receive a smaller ~32 gallon container for food waste and other organic waste. Homeowner’s Associations (“HOAs”) that require waste containers be placed in the garage will NOT be exempted from the program due to space concerns. For more information, please check here.
Commercial: The new organic service is required for all residents, including those in apartment buildings serviced by commercial haulers. Your building’s property manager and hauler are responsible for implementing the new organics recycling program and providing a new container for organic waste. The new law does allow, in limited cases, exemptions for commercial properties; more information is available here.
|
|
Residential: Information on the rate adjustment approved by City Council on January 25, 2022 can be found here. New rates will take effect on the May bill for solid waste customers. Those customers who do not currently have City yard/green waste service will see a monthly charge of $10.02 starting in July (pro-rated from when the container is delivered). More information is being sent directly to impacted customers and can be found here.
Commercial: Contact your property manager to determine how your bill may be affected.
|
|
Residential: Residential customers meeting eligibility requirements can apply for a reduced rate through the Sacramento Utility Rate Assistance (SURA) program here. The SURA program is administered by the City’s Department of Utilities, but all aspects of the program are approved by City Council. While it is unknown at this time what Council will approve, it is anticipated that some portion of the proposed rate adjustment for the food waste recycling program would be offset by the SURA program.
Commercial: The Sacramento Utility Rate Assistance program is only for customers who receive their waste collection from the City of Sacramento.
|
| Organic waste includes grass clippings, leaves and yard waste, fruit and vegetable scraps, grains, coffee grounds, dairy, eggs, meat, bones, seafood, leftover food, and food-soiled paper such as coffee filters, pizza boxes, and paper napkins. There is information here on what will be accepted in the organic waste container and you can download an informational brochure. You an also check the Waste Wizard. State law prohibits putting organic waste in the trash or mixed recycling container. |
| Pet waste, diapers, Styrofoam, treated wood, broken ceramics, toys, worn out clothing, plastics that can't be recycled, garden hoses, single-use utensils made of compostable plastic (these are not compostable in our facilities at this time), disposable face masks, cooking oil or grease (FOG), etc. "When in doubt, throw it out." |
| Many issues with odor or pests can be reduced or eliminated by using a compostable bag, or layering the food waste with yard trimmings or food-soiled paper. You can also store food scraps in the freezer or refrigerator and wait to put them in the yard waste container until the night before collection. We do not anticipate this program creating more issues with pests and odor, as this same food waste is currently placed in the garbage container. For more information and tips on collecting food waste at home, check here. |
|
Residential: City residents can register for a free kitchen pail while supplies last. Pails are not required to recycle organics but intended to help our customers start collecting food scraps at home. Customers can register here to choose a pickup date and location.
Commercial: Commercial customers can also register to receive a pail by using the link above, or check with your property manager.
|
|
Residential customers are not required to use a bag for your food waste, but if you do it must meet the ASTM D6400 standard for compostability. You can find some examples of what is available here: https://nymag.com/strategist/article/best-biodegradable-trash-bags.html
Commercial customers should ask their property manager and/or commercial hauler as different haulers have different requirements on compostable bags. All haulers accept paper bags.
|
| Food scraps should go in the organic waste container after we start our organics recycling program July 1. Your food waste will be turned into a beneficial compost instead of going to waste in the water stream. In addition, water-saving resources recommend reducing the use of your garbage disposal as a potential water-saving measure. |
| When our food ends up in landfills, it emits methane (a greenhouse gas about 80 times more harmful than carbon dioxide) as it rots. By diverting organic waste away from landfills, we can minimize harmful emissions and in turn, make black gold--compost. Compost is nutrient-rich, helps retain soil moisture and composition, reduces our need for fertilizer, and increases crop output. Compost has even been found to draw carbon into our soils, reducing atmospheric CO2. |
| You can submit a request with Customer Service here. |
Download a copy of the FAQs here: SB 1383 FAQs Single and Multi Family. For more information on SB 1383, please see below and download these additional FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS.
The City of Sacramento is currently developing its residential organics recycling program to be in compliance with the new statewide organics recycling mandate and some details may change. Information on food waste for businesses and commercial compliance can be found here.
What is SB 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.
Methane emissions resulting from the decomposition of organic waste in landfills are a significant source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions contributing to global climate change. Food waste alone accounts for approximately 17-18 percent of total landfill disposal. Increasing food waste prevention, encouraging edible food rescue, and expanding the composting and diversion of organic waste throughout the state will help reduce methane emissions from California's landfills.
Statewide Timeline
July 1, 2020 - CalRecycle begins analyzing the progress that the waste sector, state governments, and local governments have made in regards to achieving organic waste reduction targets for 2020 and 2025. Upon conclusion of this analysis, CalRecycle may include incentives or additional requirements in the regulations to facilitate progress toward achieving the organic disposal reduction targets.
July 1, 2021 - Businesses in Sacramento must meet state mandates for diverting recyclables and organic material.
January 1, 2022 - CalRecycle’s regulations to meet the organic waste reduction targets for 2020 and 2025 take effect and are enforceable on this date.
January 1, 2024 - CalRecycle may require local jurisdictions to impose penalties for non-compliance on regulated entities subject to their authority.
January 1, 2025 - By this date, the state must achieve a 75% reduction in the level of statewide disposal of organic waste from the 2014 level. In addition, not less than 20 percent of currently disposed edible food must be recovered for human consumption.
Who is Affected?
The new organic waste law affects all Californians, including single- and multi-family homes, commercial entities, and schools. The City of Sacramento is expecting to launch its organics recycling program for residents in summer 2022. If you would like more information, you can watch this short video or visit this website.