SB 1383 and Edible Food Recovery Requirements

The San Mateo County Sustainability Department is responsible for enforcing SB 1383 in San Mateo County. SB 1383 is a state mandate that aims to combat climate change by reducing organic waste disposal and recovering surplus edible food for human consumption. For information on SB 1383 and how to be in adherence with it, visit the Sustainability Department’s website

Edible Food Recovery Program Assistance Overview

In partnership with the Sustainability Department, Environmental Health Services offers a program to help businesses and organizations comply with SB 1383 edible food recovery requirements with free hands -on assistance. 

Edible Food Recovery Program Assistance Services Offered

Free Services Provided by San Mateo County’s Edible Food Recovery Program ​include: 

1. Identifying, Aggregating, and Staging of Surplus Edible Food: Determine which food items can be donated, identify intervals for food donations, and learn how to prepare food donations for pick up by a food recovery organization or drop off.
2. Food Preparation, Serving, and Sales Assistance: Find out more efficient ways to prepare, store, rotate, and donate food from the kitchen, dining room, or sales floor. 
3. Kitchen and Serving or Sales Floor Layout Assistance: Set up an efficient kitchen for waste sorting. Direct employee or customer traffic to proper waste sorting areas in a restaurant or on a sales floor.
4. Safe Donation Planning: Draft a food-safe transportation plan and donation schedule. 
5. Tracking Donated Items: Set up a waste and recovered edible food donation tracking system. 
6. Waste Audits: Figure out what you’ve been throwing away that can be donated instead.

Getting Started with Edible Food Recovery Program Assistance

We are here to help you every step of the way. To request free services from the Edible Food Recovery Program, fill out this form.*

*Form is still in development, please email the contact below for assistance in the interim.

Not seeing a service your business or organization needs? Need help with requesting a service? Contact the program coordinator, Emilie Dirck, at (650) 464-7079, edirck@smcgov.org, or by scheduling an appointment here.

Edible Food Recovery Assistance for Schools

Looking to divert edible food waste from the compost or trash at your school? Implement the School Share Table Program at your campus by visiting the School Share Table Program web page or contacting Emilie Dirck, the Share Table Program coordinator, at (650) 464-7079 or edirck@smcgov.org.