California Senate Bill 1383 (State Organics Law) took effect on Jan. 1, 2022 for all residents (single-family homes and apartments/condos) and businesses. The new law aims to: 

• Reduce statewide disposal of organic waste by 75 percent by Jan. 1, 2025 (based on 2014 levels).
• Rescue at least 20 percent of currently disposed of edible food for human consumption by 2025.

What does SB 1383 mean for you?

The Cal Recycle SB 1383 Short-lived Climate Pollutants Organic Waste Regulations will require everyone in California to recycle all organic waste, including paper, cardboard, yard materials, food scraps, and food-soiled paper. Please see the specific requirements below, or visit RethinkWaste for details. 

For Residents:

Residential customers should have already received their curbside organics (compost/green cart). Didn’t get yours? Contact Recology to get your cart to your doorstep. Once it arrives, make composting a habit for your household. Take this fun carts game to learn more.

For Businesses:

If you own a business or apartment/condo complex (of five units or more), you are required to:

• Divert organic materials from the landfill by Subscribing to and participating in the organics collection service via Recology San Mateo County, or Self-haul organic waste to a specified composting facility, community composting program, or other collection activity or program.
• Provide collection containers for organic waste and recyclables to employees, contractors, tenants, and customers
• For all outdoor and indoor containers, the container bodies or lids shall conform to the following color scheme: gray/black for garbage, blue for recycling, and green for organics. In addition, containers shall have labels with graphic images to indicate primary materials accepted and prohibited. Recology San Mateo County may be able to provide these containers and labels at no additional cost.
• Annually provide educational information about the legal requirements to compost and recycle including how to properly sort between the three waste streams. RethinkWaste and Recology San Mateo County can provide educational materials for your employees and apartment/condo residents.