NORTHSTATE, Calif. — Senate Bill 1383 is changing how organic waste is handled in California.
City of Redding Assistant Project Coordinator Leo Coleman told the Northstate’s News that businesses now have to keep organic waste separate from their regular trash drain, and the city then collects it for them.
The goal is to limit the amount of organic waste disposal by 75% by 2025. The city has two waste recycling routes businesses can sign up for to comply with the law, one of which is a whole new route.
Coleman said participation has been off to a good start, but there’s room for improvement.
“It’s implementing something completely new,” Coleman said. “Based on the amount of organic material that we’re receiving now versus when we ran our pilot program, we were doing about 14 tons a month, and just last December we were right at about 60 tons per month, so we’re up about 400% based on where we started.”
He added, “It has been a huge undertaking, just for the city of Redding itself. But when you look at the big picture, I think it’s pretty beneficial.”
Kaleidoscope Coffee Company owner Dan Burton told KRCR he believes his business doesn’t have to comply with the law, saying they produce less than 20 gallons of organic waste each week.
According to CalRecycle, less than 20 gallons a week could qualify a business for a waiver.
Burton said they’ve received letters from the city asking them to sign up, but he told us he plans to offer more data to back his claim.
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“For us, I don’t feel we qualify,” Burton said. “Our Anderson location and our Lake Boulevard location are both drive-thru, so everything leaves, and then at Athens [Avenue], we do such a small amount of food that we really don’t generate any food waste.”
Burton said he’s not sure how effective SB 1383 will be overall, while Coleman said he feels optimistic about the law, and city staff will continue trying to get the word out.