Food waste recycling has emerged as a critical strategy for diverting food from landfills, conserving natural resources, and creating a healthier planet for future generations. While each state has a unique approach to food waste reduction, California has stood out for its innovative strategies, setting an example for the entire nation on how to improve waste management.
Positioning itself as one of the most progressive states in the fight against food waste, California’s recently passed laws and regulations have gained widespread attention, especially regarding its efforts towards addressing food waste in Los Angeles. From California’s Compost Law to the Los Angeles Sanitation Organics Program, multiple initiatives have surfaced to reduce the environmental, economic, and social consequences of food waste.
Dive into this topic with us, where we’ll explore how Californians are tackling Los Angeles food waste, covering everything from local regulations to tax incentives for food donations.
Key Takeaways
- The California Compost Law requires all residents, multi-family properties and complexes, businesses, schools, and public agencies to divert recyclable and organic materials from landfills.
- Los Angeles businesses must comply with local regulations that mandate the separation and recycling of organic waste. This includes using designated green bins for food waste and ensuring that all organic materials are properly sorted.
- There are multiple city services and programs to help reduce Los Angeles food waste. The Los Angeles Sanitation (LASAN) Organics Program encourages residents and businesses to separate organic waste from other trash and recyclables, while curbside pickup services facilitate composting efforts for businesses and individuals by collecting organic waste weekly and processing it.
- California has tax benefits to encourage food donation efforts. The Farm to Family program allows some growers to claim a 15 percent state tax credit on the qualified wholesale value of donated fruits, vegetables, proteins, starches, and other food items.
Food Waste Laws and Regulations in Los Angeles, California
Food waste laws in the U.S. play an important role in raising awareness and obligating businesses to comply. Keep reading to learn how laws and regulations are addressing food waste in Los Angeles.
The California Compost Law (SB 1383)
The California Compost Law requires all residents, multi-family properties and complexes, businesses, schools, and public agencies to divert recyclable and organic materials from landfills. To ensure participation, this law obligates every jurisdiction to provide organic waste collection services to all residents and businesses. This effort includes established waste reduction targets, including a 50% reduction of organic waste disposal in landfills by 2020, a 75% reduction of organic waste disposal in landfills by 2025, and a 20% rescue of currently wasted surplus food by 2025.
Since being established in 2022, 75% of California communities reported having residential organic waste collection in place, and 242 million meals worth of unsold food have been sent to people in need.
Local Regulations in Los Angeles
To address food waste in Los Angeles, there are local regulations that businesses must follow, including:
- Specific rules and guidelines: Los Angeles businesses must comply with local regulations that mandate the separation and recycling of organic waste. This includes using designated green bins for food waste and ensuring that all organic materials are properly sorted.
- Green bin usage: Los Angeles food waste green bins are essential for collecting organic waste, and both residents and businesses are increasingly required to utilize them. Los Angeles, home to one of the largest residential curbside recycling programs in the United States, relies on green bins to help meet SB 1383 requirements for collecting food waste, food-soiled paper (such as used paper napkins and soiled pizza boxes), yard trimmings, flowers, and clean untreated wood.
- Reporting and documentation: Businesses are required to maintain accurate records of their waste management practices, detailing the volume of food waste generated and recycled. These records must be thorough and up-to-date, and regular reports may need to be submitted to city authorities to ensure compliance with local regulations.
- Training and education: The SB 1383 regulations require that jurisdictions conduct education and outreach on organic recycling to all residents, businesses, haulers, solid waste facilities, local food banks, and other food recovery organizations. In addition, businesses are encouraged to provide training for employees on proper food waste management practices, including sorting and disposal procedures.
- Penalties for non-compliance: Businesses that do not adhere to local regulations may be subject to penalties for non-compliance. For instance, if an organic waste generator, hauler, or regulated entity cannot achieve compliance before the designated date, they may have the following penalties:
- The first violation: $50-$100 per violation
- Second violation: $100-$200 per violation
- Third or subsequent violation: $250-$500 per violation
Los Angeles Food Waste Recycling and Composting for Businesses
Food waste recycling in Los Angeles has proven to be a great strategy for reducing the environmental effects of food waste, therefore contributing to the U.S.’ goal of cutting food loss and waste in half by the year 2030. Keep reading to learn more about how to get involved.
Conducting a Waste Audit
Businesses that want to improve their sustainability efforts should start by conducting a food waste audit. Food waste audits help companies identify how much waste is being generated, where, and what type, therefore helping them create a waste management strategy that addresses their unique needs. There are multiple data collection methods that you can use, including manual tracking, digital tools, and a combination of both to ensure accurate data.
On-Site vs. Off-Site Composting
Composting food waste has become increasingly popular due to its ability to divert food from landfills and create a nutrient-rich soil amendment. Composting for businesses is a great way to address large-scale waste, creating a flexible solution that can be performed on-site or off-site.
On-site composting helps businesses comply with regulations and keep all processes internal; however, this often comes with high initial investments in space, infrastructure, and training. Off-site composting, on the other hand, helps businesses comply with LA County food waste laws without needing to interrupt everyday operations. Companies like Shapiro help businesses create tailored waste management solutions to help them reduce their environmental footprint, comply with local regulations, and potentially take advantage of tax incentives.
Developing a Composting Plan
To develop a composting plan, your business should:
- Assess your waste: The first thing your company should do is perform a food waste audit to gain a comprehensive understanding of how much food waste is being generated throughout the supply chain.
- Set waste reduction goals: What does your company want to accomplish by implementing a new composting initiative? Some businesses may want to divert 50% of waste from landfills, others may want to create high-quality compost for sale, and the rest may want to be recognized as zero-waste companies. Whatever the goal, ensure your plan includes clear objectives and timelines to monitor progress.
- Create a strategy to sort waste: Companies must create a waste sorting system that enables everyone in the business to sort waste easily. This often includes providing clearly labeled bins or containers in key areas of the office, such as the kitchen and break rooms.
- Choose a composting strategy: As mentioned, businesses must choose between on-site and off-site composting. If you choose to keep composting efforts on-site, then you must consider factors such as space, technology, and health and safety requirements. If you opt to work with a third-party waste management company, then you should collaborate with them to create a tailored strategy that includes details such as pick-up schedules, volume estimates, and compliance.
- Train staff: Businesses must train their staff on new responsibilities, objectives, and anything else they may need to know, depending on the specific requirements of the company.
- Monitor progress: Based on your unique objectives, make sure to monitor your program’s progress. If you do not achieve your waste reduction targets, then you should make adjustments to improve your sustainability efforts.
LA City Services and Programs for Businesses
To address Los Angeles food waste, multiple programs and services have been implemented to facilitate waste management efforts. As we’ll see below, the LASAN program and curbside pickup services are two strategies that play a critical role in diverting food from landfills.
Los Angeles Sanitation (LASAN) Organics Program
The Los Angeles Sanitation (LASAN) Organics Program encourages residents and businesses to separate organic waste from other trash and recyclables to facilitate composting. To encourage participation, the city provides 2-gallon kitchen pails, advising all 750,000 LASAN residential customers to compost their food scraps together with yard trimmings, including sticks and leaves.
LASAN Executive Director and General Manager Barbara Romero says, “LASAN is committed to diverting food waste from the landfill in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create better air quality throughout Los Angeles.”
Curbside Pickup Services for Businesses
Curbside pickup services facilitate composting efforts for businesses and individuals, allowing them to easily achieve sustainability goals. The curbside organics recycling program requires residents serviced by LASAN to place food scraps and food-soiled paper in their green bin, which are collected weekly. The collected waste is then processed into compost for farmers.
There are also private companies, such as Shapiro, that offer personalized services tailored to a business’ unique needs. Whether businesses opt to participate in citywide initiatives or hire a third-party service, curbside pickup services ensure that organic waste is efficiently collected and processed.
Food Donation
Food donation programs not only reduce landfill use but also increase food security, making them a valuable approach to reducing LA County food waste. If you’re interested in getting involved in a food donation initiative, consider the following:
- Food safety: The Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act encourages businesses to donate surplus food by protecting them from liability in the event that donated food causes harm to recipients. That said, there are certain food safety protocols that businesses should follow, such as following local health department guidelines and ensuring that all donated food is stored and transported safely to prevent contamination.
- Documentation: Keep accurate records of all donations, including the type and amount of food donated and recipient organizations. This is especially important for companies that want to qualify for tax deductions, as we’ll discuss below.
- Coordination: To streamline donation efforts, businesses should work with food recovery organizations to schedule regular pickups and ensure smooth logistics. This is especially important for perishable foods, such as dairy products and fresh produce.
Tax Incentives for Food Donation in LA
If you’re wondering, is food waste tax deductible?
The answer is yes! Food donations qualify for both federal and California state initiatives:
- Federal tax incentives: Businesses are increasingly motivated by tax deductions to donate surplus food. There are different federal tax incentives available, including general tax deductions and enhanced tax deductions, offering unique benefits to participating companies. To qualify for these tax deductions, businesses must meet specific requirements, such as ensuring that donations are used for charitable purposes and given to qualified organizations.
- California state incentives: California has its own program to address Los Angeles food waste, allowing some growers to claim a 15 percent state tax credit on the qualified wholesale value of donated fruits, vegetables, proteins, starches, and other food items. Since 2005, the Farm to Family program has delivered over 160 million pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables annually to food banks throughout the state, showcasing the value of this program.
- Documentation requirements: In order to claim tax deductions, businesses should keep accurate and detailed documentation of their food donations. This includes donation receipts and records of each donation, including the date, type, amount of food donated, the recipient organization, and the fair market value of the donated food.
Criteria for Food Waste in LA
Businesses and residents that participate in food waste recycling in Los Angeles should be aware of what items are and aren’t eligible for composting.
Acceptable materials include:
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Old lunch meat, steak and chicken bones, fish bones
- Dairy products
- Stale bread, cereal, grains, rice, pasta, beans
- Leftovers
- Eggshells
- Coffee grounds
- Food-soiled paper
- Yard trimmings and landscape materials
Items that are typically not accepted by composting programs include:
- Plastic, glass, or metal
- Pet waste and litter
- Synthetic materials like rubber bands and twist ties
- Diseased plants
The Bottom Line
With California leading the way in innovative food waste management, we expect to see even more strategies to enhance food waste recycling in Los Angeles. In addition to regulations and citywide programs, businesses can benefit from partnering with an organic waste management company in order to achieve sustainability goals.
At Shapiro, we provide commercial food waste management services that prioritize environmentally friendly practices. By working with us, your business can guarantee it complies with local regulations, takes advantage of tax deductions, and reduces its environmental footprint.
Contact us today to learn more about our organic waste management services.
Los Angeles Food Waste FAQ
Every day, 4,000 tons of food waste are generated in Los Angeles County.
The California Compost Law (SB 1383) requires all residents, multi-family properties and complexes, businesses, schools, and public agencies to divert recyclable and organic materials from landfills.
Los Angeles food waste green bins are used to collect organic waste from LA residents. Organic waste is then picked up weekly, where it is processed into compost for agricultural use.
Yes, green bins are used to separate organic materials from other waste, facilitating LA County food waste disposal and recycling efforts.
Food waste statistics show us that Californians send 11.2 billion pounds of food to landfills each year. That said, California has implemented various regulations and programs to reduce the effects of food waste.
Food waste diverted from landfills is often sent to composting facilities, waste-to-energy facilities, or upcycled into new products.
Under the California Compost Law, residents could be fined for failing to recycle food waste.
Yes, Los Angeles residents are now required to compost their food scraps to comply with local regulations.
Yes, meat (including bones) can be put into Los Angeles food waste green bins.
Californians are required to separate organic waste from other types of waste by placing it in green bins, which are collected and transported to treatment centers.
Baily Ramsey, an accomplished marketing specialist, brings a unique blend of anthropological insight and marketing finesse to the digital landscape. Specializing in educational content creation, she creates content for various industries, with a particular interest in environmental initiatives.
