Senate Bill 1383: Edible Food Recovery Requirements for Businesses

Recovering surplus edible food to feed people is not only a great idea, but also a California law, starting January 1, 2022.

What does my business need to do to comply?

• Have a written agreement with a food recovery organization or service to pick-up or receive surplus edible food that would otherwise be disposed (e.g. in landfill or compost).
• Save the maximum amount of surplus edible food that would otherwise be thrown away, and donate it to food recovery organizations, services, and/or staff.
• Maintain records of all written agreements with each food recovery organization or service and track the type, frequency, and total pounds of food donated to those organizations or staff monthly.

Why recover edible food?

• Save Food: Californians send over 6 million tons of food scraps or food waste to landfills each year, of which almost 1 million tons are potentially donatable, edible food.
• Feed People: Over 9 million Californians (23%) don’t know where their next meal will come from.
• Fight Climate Change: Food that ends up in landfills emits greenhouse gases, contributing to climate change.

When do I need to have my contract in place, and begin recovering food and keeping records?

Tier 1 Businesses: January 1, 2022

• Supermarkets
• Grocery stores (10,000+ sq. ft.)
• Food service providers
• Food distributors
• Wholesale food vendors

Tier 2 Businesses: January 1, 2024

• Restaurants (≥ 5,000 sq. ft. or 250+ seats)
• Hotels with on-site food facility and 200+ rooms
• Health facilities with on-site food facility and 100+ beds
• Large venues and events
• State agencies with cafeteria (≥ 5,000 sq. ft. or 250+ seats)
• Local education agencies with an on-site food facility

Food that ends up in landfills emits greenhouse gases, contributing to climate change.

How do I get started?

City staff are here to help facilitate efforts to comply in a manner that supports you and your business!

• Make sure edible food recovery requirements apply to your business; if you are unsure, please email [email protected] for assistance.
• Review and understand food donor requirements. A model food recovery and donation agreement can be found on CalRecycle’s site here.
• Find a food recovery organization from the list below. A list of food recovery organizations in Vallejo can be found below. Visit the Food Bank of Contra
• Costa & Solano’s Get Food Vallejo page for a full list of the Food Bank’s partner distribution sites located in Vallejo.

Call to confirm the specific types of food accepted by each organization, collection method (i.e. drop-off or pick-up) and frequency.

PANTRY: Provides groceries to the public or specific clients and accepts fresh foods such as produce and/or shelf-stable items such as canned goods, dried beans, pasta, and rice.

SOUP KITCHEN: Provides meals to the public or specific clients and may accept ready-made foods.