CR&R briefs council on SB 1383 rules and local organics program; residents urge more composting supports

Crystal Denning of CR&R briefed the City Council about state organics regulations (SB 1383) and the company’s local outreach and compliance work.

Denning said SB 1383’s principal goal is to divert 75% of organic waste from landfills and to recover edible food for redistribution. The presentation described program components: outreach and education, on-site visits for businesses and multifamily complexes, provision and rollout of carts and bins to generators, contamination monitoring, route reviews and reporting to CalRecycle. Denning said outreach has included a newsletter insert and site work to bring businesses and multifamily properties into compliance.

Speakers from the Orange Sustainability Group urged the city and CR&R to expand practical supports — specifically, to provide or subsidize small kitchen pails that make it easier for residents to separate food scraps before transferring them into green/organics carts. Jay Comer (Orange Sustainability Group) and Suzanne Taney highlighted composting benefits, including methane reduction, soil-health improvements and downstream water-quality gains.

During Q&A, a resident asked whether the city’s green-waste bin is the same as the organics cart; staff and the presenter confirmed they are the same and that food may be placed in organics carts. CR&R noted they have rolled out thousands of carts and reported high compliance rates among businesses in their service area, and they described enforcement and monitoring steps the state requires.

What happens next: CR&R and city sustainability staff said they will continue outreach and recommended more public workshops; residents asked staff to explore budgeting for individual kitchen pails or targeted pilot programs to increase convenience and participation.