Food recovery means collecting edible food that would otherwise go to waste and redistributing it to feed people. Feeding the local community through food recovery is the best use of surplus food that would otherwise go to waste and a vital way for California to conserve resources and reduce waste thrown in landfills. While billions of meals go to waste, millions of Californians don’t have enough to eat. Californians send 11.2 billion pounds of food to landfills each year, some of which is still fresh and suitable for recovery and distribution to families across the state.

To reduce food waste and help address food insecurity, SB 1383 requires that by 2025 California will recover 20 percent of edible food that would otherwise be sent to landfills, to feed people. The law directs the following:

• Jurisdictions must establish food recovery programs and strengthen their existing food recovery networks.
• Food donors must arrange to recover the maximum amount of their edible food that would otherwise go to landfills.
• Food recovery organizations and services that participate in SB 1383 must maintain records.

The following organizations provide supplemental groceries to households and accept edible food donations.