Legislation

& Legislative Progress

Ensuring jurisdictional compliance of Senate Bill (SB) 1383 remained a top priority in 2023. With SB 1383 enforcement commencing January 1, 2024, OCWR continued working together with the County’s 34 cities, jurisdictions, and waste haulers, to complete Tier 1 Food Generator Inspections, finalize any remaining organic services rollouts, and meet recovered organic waste procurement targets.

Shaping Tomorrow:

Legislation Driving Change in 2023

OC Waste & Recycling is advocating for legislative and regulatory changes on several fronts to support the regional and statewide success of SB 1383. Designating public-owned and operated organic processing facilities as essential public facilities is paramount to reducing the financial demand of construction and permitting, resulting in increased organic processing capabilities statewide.

Many jurisdictions also face procurement and distribution challenges for the required Recovered Organic Waste Product (ROWP) targets for products such as compost, mulch and Renewable Natural Gas (RNG). Legislative backing is needed to assist jurisdictions in meeting procurement needs and securing markets for end products, such as approved renewable energy facilities.

For edible food recovery generators, support is needed to assist with the mandated increase in collection and outflow of recovered food. Funding is necessary to expand facilities and improve operations, as well as incentives for generators to fund non-profits for edible food, countering the SB 1383 impacts from streamlining over-purchasing and over production.

Legislative activity continued to unfold throughout 2023, with potential impacts to solid waste and recycling. OCWR tracked 61 bills, of which 17 were signed into law. Key legislative highlights include:

Assembly Bill (AB) 1201: Prohibits the sale of plastic products labeled as compostable or home compostable unless product meets ASTM composability standards by Jan. 1, 2026.
AB 1548: Provides financial assistance for in-state projects to sorting and aggregating organic and recyclable materials. Includes financial assistance for opportunities for reuse of materials diverted from landfill and projects undertaken by facilities to improve the recovery, sorting of recyclable materials to get those materials into the marketplace, the purchase of equipment and construction of facilities to help develop, implement, or expand edible food waste recovery operations, and establish programs.
Assembly Concurrent Resolution (ACR) 36: Designated the week of May 7, 2023, through May 13, 2023, as Compost Awareness Week.
SB 244: Enacted the Right to Repair Act, requiring electronic or appliance product, sold to others outside of direct retail sales, to make available, on fair and reasonable terms, to product owners, service and repair facilities, and service dealers, the means, as described, to affect the diagnosis, maintenance, or repair of the product.