Did you know that almost 40% of food is wasted in America? Wasted food buried in landfills contributes to the generation of harmful greenhouse gases. California Senate Bill 1383 (SB 1383) is looking to address this by requiring cities and counties in California to divert organic material from landfills by recycling food waste and recovering edible food for rescue.

Last month, the Your City at Work newsletter discussed Pyrolysis, one approach the City’s Wastewater Team is taking to address SB 1383 in Redding. The City of Redding’s Solid Waste Division is approaching the state requirement from a different angle, one that involves a detailed Organics and Composting Operation.

SB 1383 doesn’t just impact organic food waste and edible food recovery/food rescue. It comes with requirements to purchase green or recycled products, mandates the use of a specific amount of renewable products, and changes collection processes at residences, multi-family dwelling units, and commercial businesses.

While failure to comply with SB 1383 could mean fines and penalties for the larger jurisdiction and customers alike, for City of Redding Solid Waste customers, compliance with SB 1383 primarily means a shift in personal habits regarding the disposal of organic waste. The biggest part is putting the proper items into organic carts and containers to keep processing costs down. If you’re already careful about sorting your organic waste or have begun composting at home, chances are you’re already off to a great start!

“Across California, cities and counties are working to comply with SB 1383, and many of them are doing so by shipping out their organics to 3rd party collection agencies for processing,” says Clemens. “We are looking to handle most of the organic processing right here in Redding, both through Pyrolysis at the Wastewater Treatment Plant and through organics composting at the Transfer Station. The goal is to keep our costs as low as possible for our community by managing the waste ourselves.”

So, how does it work? The Solid Waste Utility will collect materials from homes and businesses and process them into compost and mulch. These products can then be sold to local customers for use in their gardens and landscaping at a cost significantly lower than other products of its kind in big box stores. The product can also be sold to buyers out of the area. Eventually, some of the organic material collected from homes and businesses may be processed through the Pyrolysis program at the Wastewater Treatment plant to be turned into Biochar for resale or renewable natural gas to fuel trucks and equipment or generators to create power.

The Solid Waste Division is currently working on a revision to their Shasta County permit that would allow food waste to be used in the process of generating compost at the facility. Today, the team consists of 89 staff members, including collection drivers, transfer station crew, landfill crew, and office staff. To meet the requirements of SB 1383, the Solid Waste Utility will need to add eight staff members, two trucks, and four routes. These additions are currently underway. Staffing levels are being increased over the next two budget years. Meanwhile, the Solid Waste Utility is awaiting delivery of the trucks and making plans to create new routes over the next year.

While residential customers are not expected to make any changes immediately, changes are coming soon. The Organics and Composting Operation is expected to be fully operational by October 2023.

You can learn more about SB 1383 by visiting the City of Redding Solid Waste website or clicking the button below.