Kern County, CA Trash & Recycling: Mandatory Organics Recycling (2026)

064 implements the state's SB 1383 edible food recovery mandate for the unincorporated county. Tier one commercial edible food generators, including supermarkets, grocery stores, food distributors and wholesalers, had to comply starting January 1, 2022, and tier two generators, including restaurants and food service providers above the thresholds set by 14 CCR Section 18982, had to comply by January 1, 2024. Covered generators must arrange to recover the maximum amount of edible food that would otherwise be disposed of, and must contract with or sign a written agreement with a food recovery organization or food recovery service either to collect edible food for recovery or to accept food the generator self-hauls.

Generators may not intentionally spoil food capable of being recovered. They must let the county's designated enforcement entity access the premises and review records, and must keep the name, address and contact information for each food recovery organization or service they use, copies of every contract, the types of food collected, the collection frequency, and the pounds of food recovered each month. Large venue and large event operators that do not provide food service themselves must require the food facilities operating there to comply starting January 1, 2024. Nothing in the section limits protections under the California and federal Good Samaritan Food Donation Acts.