WHAT 

Organic waste broadly refers to food scraps, yard waste, non-hazardous wood waste, and food-soiled paper. In September 2016, Senate Bill (SB) 1383 (Lara, Chapter 395, Statutes of 2016) set methane emissions reduction targets for California in a statewide effort to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCP). To get more education on this information, check out the following link by clicking the SB 1383 Education and Outreach.  This requires jurisdictions to implement mandatory organic waste collection and recycling in a statewide effort to divert organic waste from landfills with goals to: ​ 

• Reduce organic waste disposal by 50% by 2020 and 75% by 2025  

• Recover at least 20% of currently disposed surplus edible food by 2025  

WHY 

• Organics like food scraps, yard trimmings, paper, and cardboard make up half of what is disposed in California landfills. 
• Organic waste in landfills emit methane, a climate super pollutant 84 times more potent than carbon. 
• Organic waste can be recycled through various methods of composting to create nutrient rich soil. 

WHEN

SB1383 went into effect on January 1, 2022 

WHO 

California’s newest organic legislation will affect every city and county in CA, most residences and businesses (commercial generators), facility operators, schools, food recovery organizations and solid waste & recycling collectors.

Ventura County Ordinance NO. 4590 – The Board of Supervisors approved Ordinance 4590 on December 7, 2021.

This amended County ordinance code regulates solid waste collection, disposal, and recycling within the unincorporated areas of the County, as required by state Assembly Bills 939, 341, and 1826, and Senate Bill 1383.

 

Capacity Studies 

Capacity planning is vital to help the County of Ventura meet SB 1383 mandates, Infrastructure takes time to develop. SB 1383 requires the County to work in partnership with the cities and special districts to prepare two studies, an Edible Food Waste Capacity Study and an Organic Waste Recycling Capacity Study.

County of Ventura Edible Food Recovery Capacity Study – Completed in May 2022.

The study was completed by Abound Food Care under contract with the County of Ventura and in partnership with the ten (10) cities and regional food recovery organizations.

Green Procurement Policy

County of Ventura’s Green Procurement Policy – Approved by the Board of Supervisors December 14, 2021.

The County’s Administrative Policy Manual was updated to be fully compliant with SB1383 requirements.

Please visit our Business Recycling, and Assistance Program page.

Self Hauler Registration

Registration is required for all businesses in Unincorporated Ventura County who intend to self haul organic waste (i.e. green materials, yard waste, and food scraps). Businesses currently subscribing to service from a Contract Collector or a business who has received an approved Organic Waste & Recycling Collection Service Waiver do not need to register.

Eligibility Criteria and Requirements:

• Business or property is located in unincorporated Ventura County.
• New state regulations effective January 1, 2022 require commercial organic waste generators, including landscapers, to maintain certain records if they comply with the organic waste collection service requirement by self-hauling their generated organic waste. (CCR Title 14, Chapter 12, Article 3, Section 18984.9)
• The records commercial businesses that self-haul must keep are delivery receipts and weight tickets from each entity receiving organic materials, including the amount of organic material in cubic yards or tons.  Records must be available upon request from the County.
• If the organic waste is transported to a site that does not have scales or that employs scales incapable of weighing the waste received, the self-hauler is not required to record the weight of material. However, the self-hauler must maintain a record of the entity that received the organic waste.

Click here for the Organic Waste Self Hauler Registration Form.

Edible Food Recovery 

SB 1383 places mandated food donors into two tiers. This tier system allows businesses and jurisdictions more time to prepare to expand or build new food recovery infrastructure and capacity to donate foods that are harder to safely store and distribute.  

Image Source: CalRecycle 

Resources for County of Ventura Commercial Edible Food Generators

• • Ventura County is a member of Waste Free VC, a regional food recovery collaboration. For more information please visit Waste Free VC
  • Ventura County Pantry List – 2022 The Pantry List
    These pantries and food recovery organizations were identified in Abound Food Care’s Edible Food Recovery Capacity Report prepared for the County of Ventura in May 2022.
  • Ventura County Food Safe Donation Guidelines
  • Tier 1 Notification Letter
  • State Resources for Edible Food Donors

All Unincorporated Ventura County residents have access to curbside organics collection.

To reserve your free indoor kitchen food scrap pail, please visit your trash and recycling service provider’s website:

Athens Services

EJ Harrison & Sons

 

 

Commercial Generator Waivers

Commercial businesses, multi-family dwellings with 5+ units, and parcels of land specific County zoning designations (Agricultural Exclusive, Coastal Agricultural, Rural Agricultural, Coastal Rural, Rural Exclusive, Coastal Rural Exclusive, Open Space or Coastal Open Space and contains either zero, one or multiple Single-Family Dwellings) may be eligible for one of two organic waste and recycling collection service waivers.

Physical Space Constraints Waiver

Eligibility Criteria:

• Business or property is located in unincorporated Ventura County
• Business or property is a current subscriber to solid waste collection service
• Business or property has no physical space for additional Contract Collector-issued carts and/or bins for recycling and/or organic waste. New construction is not eligible.
• Photo documentation must include both interior and exterior images of all waste enclosures/areas on the property.

De Minimus Generation Waiver

Eligibility Criteria:

• Business or property is located in unincorporated Ventura County
• Business or property is a current subscriber to solid waste collection service
• Business or property’s total solid waste collection service (inclusive of trash, recycling, and organic waste) is more than two (2) cubic yards or more per week and organic waste subject to collection is less than twenty (2) gallons per week OR
• Total solid waste collection service (inclusive of trash, recycling, and organic waste) is less than two (2) cubic yards or more per week and organic waste subject to collection is less than ten (10) gallons per week OR
• Business or property’s total green waste generated is being managed by a landscaper who removes AND recycles all green waste
• Photo documentation must include the contents of all trash containers on site each day over a 5-day work week

Click here for the Organic Waste & Recycling Collection Service Waiver Application

What is a violation of SB 1383?

The State of California requires every city and county to enforce SB 1383-compliant ordinances. Noteworthy provisions of the Ventura County Code of Ordinances, defining violations that will be addressed through enforcement, are summarized below.

 

Violating Entity or Person	Summary of Violation (Ventura County Code of Ordinances, Division 4, Chapter 7, Article 3)
Commercial generator, including multi-family dwellings (5+ units)	If not granted a waiver per § 4770-5, or if not registered as a self-hauler per § 4770-6, it is a violation of § 4770-4 when a commercial generator fails to provide for organic waste collection services, including supplying adequate containers and signage for employees, contractors, tenants, and customers.
Single-family dwelling organic waste generator or multi-family dwellings (<5 units)	It is a violation of § 4770-3 when a single-family dwelling organic waste generator fails to comply with organic waste collection requirements. A single-family dwelling is defined as a residential building or a mobile home with fewer than five (5) principal dwelling units.
Self-hauler	It is a violation of § 4770-6 when an organic waste generator is also a self-hauler and fails to comply with the requirements of that section.
Tier One and Tier Two Commercial Edible Food Generators	It is a violation of § 4770-7 when any of the following occur:   Tier One Commercial Edible Food Generator fails to arrange to recover the maximum amount of Edible Food bound for disposal by establishing a contract or written agreement with a Food Recovery Organization or Food Recovery Service commencing Jan. 1, 2022; Tier Two Commercial Edible Food Generator fails to recover the maximum amount of Edible Food bound for disposal by establishing a contract or written agreement with a Food Recovery Organization or Food Recovery Service commencing Jan. 1, 2024; Tier One or Tier Two Commercial Edible Food Generator intentionally spoils Edible Food recoverable by a Food Recovery Organization or Food Recovery Service; or Tier One or Tier Two Commercial Edible Food Generator fails to keep records, as mandated.
Food Recovery Services and Food Recovery Organizations	It is a violation of § 4770-8 when a Food Recovery Organization or Food Recovery Service, that has established a contract or written agreement to collect or receive Edible Food directly from a Commercial Edible Food Generator pursuant to 14 CCR § 18991.3(b), fails to keep records, as mandated.

 

What should I do if I am aware of a potential violation?

If you are aware of a potential violation in unincorporated Ventura County, you can report a concern through VCPWA Connect or email us at VCRecycles@ventura.org. We will promptly investigate your concern and will take appropriate measures to have violations corrected.

 

“2024 Recycling & Organics Collection – What you need to know” Webinar

Please view our educational webinar for local businesses with information about state and local recycling requirements. Key topics include the three ways commercial generators may comply with Senate Bill 1383, a state law that mandates the recycling of organic waste; and local County ordinance, which requires commercial generators to subscribe to a level of collection service sufficient to handle the commercial generator’s volume of trash, organics, and recyclables. Please click here for a copy of the flyer for this event.