Edible Food Recovery Program

Old pile of food scraps

The Great Food Rescue

The Great Food Rescue highlights current City and Community Partners’ efforts in edible food recovery. By showcasing some of our recent efforts, we hope to inspire and encourage other commercial edible food generators to implement programs to recover the maxiThe Great Food Rescue 1080x1080mum amount of surplus edible food by working with our local community organizations to feed those in need.

Please join us November 9  at 5:30 p.m. at the Palmdale Playhouse 38334 10th St East at 5:30 p.m.

This event is open to the public, but seating is limited, and RSVP is required by November 6 via https://forms.office.com/g/xUSrRQjwqS. 

View Flyer

Gray Divider Line

California Senate Bill 1383 (SB 1383) sets requirements to divert organic waste from landfills and to increase edible food recovery by 20% by the year 2025. The law requires cities to establish edible food recovery outreach and inspection programs, help connect mandated edible food generators with food recovery organizations/services and ensure there is sufficient county-wide capacity for all the recovered edible food.

Edible Food Recovery Organizations

List of Local Edible Food Recovery Organizations and Services – COMING SOON

Reduce Food Waste

Did you know that 25% of food is thrown away and most of it is still edible? You can do your part by reducing the amount of organics going into our landfill. If you would like to donate leftover food or receive more information, contact South Antelope Valley Emergency Services (SAVES). 

View Guidelines for Safe Food Donations (PDF) to reduce food waste. 

SAVES is located at:
1002 E Avenue Q-12
Palmdale, CA 93550
Phone: 661-267-5191

Food Waste Challenge

Watch the Palmdale UAV Challenge.

SB 1383 requires businesses that are defined as either a “Tier 1” or “Tier 2” edible food generators to recover edible food. Please see the chart below for a description of the types of businesses that fall under the Tier 1 and Tier 2 categories and when they are required to start recovering edible food.

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Tier 1 Edible Food Generator

These entities are required to recover the maximum amount of edible food (that would otherwise be disposed of) starting January 1, 2022

Tier 2 Edible Food Generator

These entities are required to recover the maximum amount of edible food (that would otherwise be disposed of) starting January 1, 2024

  • Grocery store– a store that is 10,000 square feet or more in size that is primarily engaged in the retail sale of canned food, dry goods, fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh meats, fish, and poultry, and any area that is not separately owned within the store where the food is prepared and served, including a bakery, deli, and meat and seafood departments.
  • Supermarket- a full-line, self-service retail store with gross annual sales $2,000,000 or more that sells a line of dry grocery, canned goods, or nonfood items and some perishable items
  • Food service provider- an entity primarily engaged in providing food services to institutional, governmental, commercial, or industrial locations of others based on contractual arrangements with these types of organizations
  • Food distributor- a company that distributes food to entities including, but not limited to, supermarkets and grocery stores
  • Wholesale food vendor- a business engaged in the wholesale distribution of food, where food is received, shipped, stored, or prepared for distribution to a retailer, warehouse, distributor, or other destinations.
  • Restaurant with 250 or more seats, or a total facility size equal to or greater than 5,000 square feet
  • Hotel with an on-site food facility and 200 or more rooms
  • Health facility with an on-site food facility and 100 or more beds
  • Large venue- a permanent venue facility that annually seats or serves an average of more than 2,000 individuals within the grounds of the facility per day of operation of the venue facility. A venue facility includes, but is not limited to, a public, nonprofit, or privately owned or operated stadium, amphitheater, arena, hall, amusement park, conference or civic center, zoo, aquarium, airport, racetrack, horse track, performing arts center, fairground, museum, theater, or other public attraction facility. A site under common ownership or control that includes more than one large venue that is contiguous with other large venues in the site, is a single large venue
  • Large event- an event, including, but not limited to, a sporting event or a flea market, that charges an admission price, or is operated by a local agency, and serves an average of more than 2,000 individuals per day of operation of the event, at a location that includes, but is not limited to, a public, nonprofit, or privately owned park, parking lot, golf course, street system, or other open space when being used for an event
  • A state agency with a cafeteria with 250 or more seats or a total cafeteria facility size equal to or greater than 5,000 square feet
  • A local education agency with an on-site food facility