What Is SB 1383?

California SB 1383 is intended to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and slow the effects of climate change by reducing the amount of organic materials headed to landfills.

To accomplish this, communities accross California are sorting materials like: food scraps and yard trimmings. These materials are sent for recycling and composting.

What Is the New SB 1383 Regulation?

aSB 1383 is the most significant landfill waste reduction mandate adopted in California in the last 30 years. Its goal is to reduce organics waste landfill disposal by 75% (from 2014 levels) by 2025. This means diverting more than 20 million tons from landfills. The legislation aims to slow climate change by diverting organic materials from landfills, recovering 20% of edible food and redirecting it to food-insecure Californians.

Beginning January 1, 2022, residences and businesses will separate organics from trash and recycling. Communities in South Lake Tahoe received a “high elevation waiver” from CalRecycle for the required collection of separated food waste, but we still are required to separate our yard waste. In addition, we have optional free food waste drop-off for customers that want to compost their food scraps.

To learn more, visit the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) website.

Why Is It Important?

Every year, Californians dump organic waste like food scraps and yard trimmings into landfills. This waste makes up half of the materials put into landfills.

Disposing of organic waste rather than composting it creates 20% of California’s methane emissions. Methane is a climate super pollutant and is 84 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

Businesses

California’s AB 1826 and SB 1383 require all businesses that generate more than 2 yards of waste to separate “organic” waste from their other trash. Organic waste includes yard waste as well as food waste. Businesses that qualify must participate in the local jurisdiction’s organic waste recycling program.

South Tahoe Refuse can provide assistance to determine if your business is eligible. We can also help to determine the appropriate container size and collection frequency for organics, trash and recycling.

Commercial businesses that self-haul yard waste, or contract with a landscape company, are required to submit a self-haul waiver and to maintain certain records. South Tahoe Refuse developed the Recordkeeping Tool to assist self-haulers in meeting the recordkeeping requirements.

Click here for more resources

Residents

All California residential customers, under the law, are required participate in yard waste and recycling services provided by South Tahoe Refuse. South Tahoe Refuse customers will not be required to separate food waste from their solid waste stream, but can voluntarily participate in food waste separation and drop off food scraps for composting.

We also provide educational materials for waste reduction and signage to help sort materials correctly.

Click here for more resources

Jurisdictions

Local jurisdictions are required to have a program or ordinance in place when SB 1383 takes effect on January 1, 2022.

The focus during the first 2 years of SB 1383 is to educate citizens and help them comply with the new regulations and prepare Tier 1 and 2 commercial edible food generators for inspections that will verify whether their edible food recovery arrangements are compliant.

To learn more about these tiers and edible food recovery, go to El Dorado County – Edible Food Recovery Program.

Public schools and government facilities fall under the same regulation.

Contact South Tahoe Refuse & Recycling Services

Have more questions or want to request an organic bin, schedule an in-person or virtual assessment?

Email chowells@southtahoerefuse.com with your name, address, phone number and a detailed message. Submit your full address, including your city or service area so we can route your request properly.