City of Piedmont

FREE COMPOST PROGRAM

Piedmont Compost Hub: Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The City of Piedmont is piloting a self-haul compost program that offers free compost for residents to pick up on Monday through Friday, from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., as weather and availability allow. The compost is first-come, first-served, and City staff cannot guarantee or confirm availability of compost. To pick up compost, you should bring your own shovel, container, and gloves to load the materials yourself. Pick-up trucks must tarp their loads. The compost is available in a dumpster box located to the right of the entrance to the City's Corporation Yard located at 898 Red Rock Road, Piedmont, CA. The site will be open, weather and conditions permitting, every weekday from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The site will close during periods of rain or when the site is at all muddy. Can't make it during these hours? Check out other local compost hubs here.

The compost provided originally comes from the green waste (yard trimmings and food waste) that is collected in Republic Services communities participating in curbside organics collection services, which includes the City of Piedmont. The green waste is brought to a processing plant in Richmond where it is converted into a highly aerobic, microbial compost. The compost making process involves the careful mixing of the waste and monitoring of the carbon to nitrogen ratio, CO₂, temperature, and moisture. As the compost is locally based and free, it models the concept of a circular economy, where a resource is used and reused in a cycle that turns waste back into new products or materials than can reenter the supply chain. This process helps to keep organic materials from emitting greenhouse gasses in the landfill and creates opportunities to use these nutrient-rich resources to regenerate our soils. Mixing compost with your soil also aids in water retention and pest control and helps plants thrive. Learn more about the benefits and uses of compost here. Senate Bill 1383, a state law that went into effect January 1, 2022, requires all municipalities to collect organic waste from residents and businesses to be composted.

Visit the City's news and notifications page for postings of future compost giveaway events. For more information, contact [email protected].

CALIFORNIA'S SHORT-LIVED CLIMATE POLLUTANT REDUCTION STRATEGY (SB 1383)

California is now experiencing the effects of a climate crisis: hotter summers with world record-breaking temperatures, even more devastating fire seasons, more extreme droughts, and rising sea levels that erode our coastlines. Scientists tell us that greenhouse gases released by human activities, like landfilling food and yard waste, cause climate change. To respond to this climate crisis, California is implementing a statewide organic waste recycling and surplus food recovery. These regulations are known as the Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy, commonly referred to by the Senate Bill reference number (SB 1383). Piedmont is collectively working on reducing organic waste sent to the landfill. Learn more about the role you play in helping us achieve our reduction goals and SB 1383 below. 

What is SB 1383?

In September 2016, Governor Brown signed Senate Bill 1383 into law. SB 1383 establishes methane reduction targets as part of a larger strategy to combat climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The law establishes a mandated target to achieve a 75% reduction in statewide disposal of organic waste by 2025 and requires the state to increase edible food recovery by 20% for human consumption by 2025. To achieve these targets, the California Department of Resources, Recycling, and Recovery (CalRecycle) developed a series of rules for all cities and counties throughout California to implement. The regulations were finalized by CalRecycle in November 2020 and take effect on January 1, 2022.

Why is SB 1383 important?

The state is experiencing the effects of a climate crisis � extreme droughts, increasing number of wildfires, warmer temperatures, and rising sea levels. As a response to the crisis, California has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, particularly those most potent and are short-lived. Methane is such an example. Methane gas is a potent climate pollutant that is released when organic waste, which includes surplus edible food, food scraps, food soiled paper and yard waste, decomposes in a landfill. It is 84 times more potent than carbon dioxide and degrades in the atmosphere in approximately 12 years. About 20 percent of statewide methane emissions comes from landfills. In an effort to cut methane emissions, SB 1383 sets targets to reduce organic waste.

What does SB 1383 mean for me?

SB 1383 requires everyone in California to recycle organic waste, including paper, cardboard, yard materials, food scraps, and food-soiled paper.

Requirements for Single-Family Residents:

•   Residents are required to subscribe to and participate in the City�s recycling and organic waste curbside collection services.
  • The City�s franchise waste hauler, Republic Services, provides trash, recycling, and organic containers to customers for weekly waste collection. Collection service for recyclables and organics is unlimited in volume and provided at no additional cost. Additional or larger carts for recyclables and organics can be ordered by contacting Republic Services at (800)320-8077.
• Residents are required to properly sort their organic waste into the correct containers. 
  • Organic waste/compost to be placed in your Green Organics Container include food scraps, compostable paper, and plant waste. Residents may request a free kitchen pail by contacting  [email protected]. 
  • Recyclable materials to be placed in your Blue Recycling Container include cardboard, paper, bottles, and cans.
  • Do not place landfill/garbage into the compost or recycling containers. 

Requirements for Multi-Family Residents/Complexes (3 units or more):
The following activities must be conducted by the multifamily complex property owner or the manager. 

• Multi-family complexes are required to subscribe to and participate in the City�s recycling and organic waste curbside collection services and make it available for tenants. They must supply and allow access to an adequate number, size, and location of containers with the correct labels or the correct colors. 
  • The City�s franchise waste hauler, Republic Services, provides trash, recycling, and organic containers to customers for weekly waste collection. Collection service for recyclables and organics is unlimited in volume and provided at no additional cost. Additional or larger carts for recyclables and organics can be ordered by contacting Republic Services at (800)320-8077.
• Annually educate tenants on how to properly sort organic waste into the correct bins.
• Provide information to new tenants within 14 days of occupation of the premises and at least 14 days prior to move-out about the rules.

• Residents are required to properly sort their organic waste into the correct containers. 
  • Organic waste/compost must be placed in the Green Organics Container. Residents may request a free kitchen pail by contacting [email protected].

Requirements for Businesses 

• Businesses must subscribe to and participate in the City�s recycling and organic waste curbside collection services.
  • The City�s franchise waste hauler, Republic Services, provides trash, recycling, and organic containers to customers for weekly waste collection. Additional or larger carts for recyclables and organics can be ordered by contacting Republic Services at (800)320-8077.  
  • Exemption: Businesses that meet the De Minimis or Physical Space criteria can be exempted from some of the SB 1383 requirements. Businesses will be able to apply for SB 1383 De Minimis and Physical Space waivers. Multi-family properties will only be able to apply for Physical Space waivers. Learn more here on StopWaste's website portal. 
• Businesses must provide collection containers for organic waste and recyclables in all areas where disposal containers are provided for employees and customers, except in restrooms. 
  • If a business does not generate any of the materials that would be collected in a specific container, then it does not have to provide that particular container. 
•  Businesses must ensure they provide adequate access to recycling and organics recycling services for their employees, contractors, customers, and tenants, including supplying and allowing access to an adequate number, size, and location of bins either clearly labeled or the appropriate color (i.e., green for organic waste, blue for recycling, and grey for solid waste). Any new waste bin purchased on or after January 1, 2022 must either have the correct colors or labeling.
• Businesses must periodically inspect recycling and organic waste bins for contamination and remind employees about proper sorting. Businesses must provide information to employees, contractors, tenants, and customers about waste diversion requirements and the proper sorting of waste annually.
• Businesses need to provide new tenants with information on how to properly sort waste within 2 weeks of occupation and thereafter on an annual basis. StopWaste provides annual outreach to all businesses and will create materials to satisfy some of the requirements.

How are the SB 1383 regulations enforced? 

State regulations require the City to monitor and audit the waste stream on an ongoing basis. Inspectors will be checking for contamination and proper bin sizing to help ensure the maximum amount of material is being recovered. Per the City's waste hauling Franchise Agreement with Republic Services, the City will be partnering with Republic to conduct the monitoring of the waste streams. State regulations require enforcement action to be taken for repeat offenders.


What is Edible Food Recovery?

Food recovery means collecting edible food that would otherwise go to waste and redistributing it to feed people in need. This is the highest and best use for food that would otherwise go to waste. Piedmont is working with StopWaste and other jurisdictions in Alameda County to develop resources to help you understand the food recovery requirements of the SB 1383 regulations. As part of the new law, certain food generating businesses* must donate surplus edible food to feed people instead of composting it. Click here for more information and to find a list of Food Recovery Partners available to pick up or receive surplus edible food from Alameda County businesses and institutions.

*Tier 1 sites that must start surplus food donation by 1/1/22: large supermarkets ($2M+ gross annual sales), grocery stores (>10,000 sq. ft.), food service providers, food distributors, and wholesale food vendors. Tier 2 sites that must start surplus food donation by 1/1/24: large health facilities (100+ beds), hotels (200+ rooms), large venues and special events (2,000+ individuals per day), restaurants (>5,000 sq. ft. or 250+ seats), state agency facilities, and public schools.

Besides local education agencies, Piedmont does not have any Tier 1 or Tier 2 sites. Learn more about food recovery and donation rules here. 


What are the City of Piedmont's SB 1383 requirements?

Fortunately for Piedmont, we are already well on our way toward compliance with SB 1383 since Piedmont has had mandatory organics waste collection service since 2008. Nonetheless, there are other requirements of SB 1383 that will be implemented. This includes procurement of recovered organic waste products and recycled-content paper. 

• Organics Procurement 
  • Beginning January 1, 2022, SB 1383 requires cities and counties to procure annually a quantity of recovered organic waste products to meet their annual procurement target. CalRecycle assigns an annual procurement target to each jurisdiction based on its population. Jurisdictions can fulfill their target by procuring any combination of the following recovered organic waste products: compost, mulch, renewable energy (transportation fuel, heat, and electricity) from anaerobic digestion and electricity from biomass conversion. In Piedmont, the annual procurement target is 904 tons of organic waste.
  • These procurement requirements will strengthen California's green, self-sustaining economy. Demand for these products will drive infrastructure investment and create new green collar jobs in the state. Recovered organic waste products can benefit local communities and space, improve soil and air quality, and support local environmental initiatives such as Climate Action Plans. 
• Paper Procurement
  • All Departments in the City of Piedmont that make paper purchases are required to purchase and keep purchase records for paper products that: 1) contain postconsumer recycled content; and 2) are recyclable. As there is so much paper present in the solid waste disposal stream, the procurement of recycled-content and recyclable paper will grow demand for these products and support recycling to help meet the organic waste diversion goals of SB 1383. 
  • Requirements include: all paper purchases must contain 30% postconsumer recycled content, when available at no greater cost than nonrecycled products; products must be recyclable as defined by Federal Trade Commission "Green Guides" (16 CFR 260.12); and vendors are required to certify postconsumer content and recyclability claims. 

Additional Information

• December 20, 2021 City Council Updated Piedmont Sustainable Procurement Policy Presentation Video
•  December 20, 2021 City Council Updated Piedmont Sustainable Procurement Policy Staff Report 
•  December 6, 2021 City Council Second Reading of SB 1383 Ordinance Presentation Video 
•  December 6, 2021 City Council Second Reading of SB 1383 Ordinance Staff Report
•  November 15, 2021 City Council Introduction and First Reading of SB 1383 Ordinance Presentation Video 
•  November 15, 2021 City Council Introduction and First Reading of SB 1383 Ordinance Staff Report
•  August 2, 2021 City Council SB 1383 Informational Staff Presentation Video
•  August 2, 2021 City Council SB 1383 Informational Staff Report

CalRecycle

SB 1383 General Information: https://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/Climate/SLCP/

SB 1383 Regulatory Text: https://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/laws/rulemaking/slcp

StopWaste

State and Local Organics & Recycling Law: https://www.stopwaste.org/rules/

Online guide for recycling disposal: https://resource.stopwaste.org/

Republic Services

Contact: 800-320-8077

https://www.republicservices.com/municipality/piedmont-ca