Edible Food Recovery

Recover Edible Food: help families in need while Reducing ghg Impacts on Climate Change

Edible food recovery (EFR) is part of the implementation of California’s legislation (SB 1383) addressing climate pollutants and wasted food. To reduce food waste and help address food insecurity, SB 1383 requires that by 2025 California recovers 20% of edible food that would otherwise go to waste and redistribute it to feed people in need. U.S. food waste is estimated to be 30-40% of the food supply, with Californians throwing away approximately 6 million tons of food per year. In the Monterey County Health Needs Collaborative 2022 report, over 40% of community members in Monterey County were determined to be food insecure. As part of SB 1383, surplus food still safe for people to eat will instead go to local food recovery organizations and services to help feed those in need. Diverting edible food from the landfill also prevents additional greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions resulting from the organic waste decomposition process. More information is available on the CalRecycle website and in the CalRecycle Edible Food Recovery FAQs.

The Safe Surplus Food Donation Toolkit was created for use and distribution by Environmental Health Departments across California to educate food facilities about safe surplus food donation. The toolkit includes information on liability protections, state mandates, and safe surplus food donation practices.

Edible Food Recovery Grants
ReGen Monterey and Salinas Valley Recycles (SVR) have renewed their Edible Food Recovery Grant Program.

The FY 2023-2024 grant funding opportunity intends to award a total of up to $90,000 to non-profit organizations, businesses or public entities that collect, generate, and distribute food to those in need within the County of Monterey. The application period has closed, but stay posted for the next grant funding opportunity!

To support local food recovery organizations, in June 2022 ReGen Monterey and Salinas Valley Recycles distributed SB 1383 Edible Food Recovery Pilot Grants to increase edible food recovery capacity. The grants could help organizations make purchases including, but not limited to: additional shelving, refrigeration and freezer units, pallet jacks, and vehicle purchases for transportation. Grants were distributed to Dorothy's Place, Loaves and Fishes, Meals on Wheels, Shoreline Church, and Victory Mission.

Edible food generators (EFGs) can donate food through Careit! Careit is a food rescue app and website that makes it easy for businesses to donate surplus food

directly to local food recovery organizations (FROs). To get started, create a free account through the dashboard portal or app. Donations can then be posted as surplus food becomes available, or donations can be scheduled ahead of time.

Which businesses are required to donate edible food? CalRecycle requires Tier I and Tier II commercial EFGs to donate edible food to FROs.

To reduce food waste and help local food insecure families, edible food may be donated to the following organizations:

All In Monterey: 1650 Sonoma Avenue in Seaside
BACS Share Center: 845 E. Laurel Drive in Salinas
Calvary Chapel: 515 Junipero Avenue in Pacific Grove
Children Country & the Country Life: 2579 Bridle Path Drive, #B in Gilroy
City of Marina Parks & Recreation: 211 Hillcrest Avenue in Marina
Cypress Community Church: 681 Monterey-Salinas Highway in Salinas
Dorothy's Kitchen: 30 Soledad Street in Salinas
Food Bank for Monterey County: 353 W. Rossi Street in Salinas
Ford Ord Environmental Justice Network: 1106 Airport Road in Monterey
Interim, Inc.: 339 Pajaro Street, Suite A in Salinas
Learning for Life Charter School: 3180 Imjin Road, Suite 110 in Marina
Meals on Wheels - Pacific Grove: 700 Jewell Avenue in Pacific Grove
Meals on Wheels - Salinas: 40 Clark Street, Suite C in Salinas
Northside Assembly of God: 55 Natividad Road in Salinas
Pajaro Valley Loaves & Fishes: 150 Second Street in Watsonville
Peacock Acres: 830 Park Row in Salinas
Rancho Cielo Youth Campus: 710 Old Stage Road in Salinas
Salvation Army - Sand City: 800 Scott Street in Sand City
Salvation Army - Salinas: 2460 N. Main Street in Salinas
Shoreline Church Food Pantry: 2500 Garden Road in Monterey
St. Angela Merici Catholic Church: 362 Lighthouse Avenue in Pacific Grove
St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church: 1475 La Salle Avenue in Seaside
St. George's Episcopal Church: 98 Kip Drive in Salinas
St. Vincent de Paul: 26 Stone Street in Salinas
Thomas Carman Food Pantry: 425 Carmel Avenue in Marina (non-perishables only)
Veterans Transition Center: 220 Twelfth Street in Marina
Victory Mission: 43 Soledad Street in Salinas

Please refer to the organization's website, or contact them directly, for information on accepted donations and any specified collection days prior to drop off. Additional contact information and notes on accepted items.

For information on the City of Monterey's implementation of SB 1383's organic waste collection requirements, see the Organic Waste Recycling page.