California Senate Bill 1383 (Lara, Chapter 395, Statutes of 2016) and the Senate Bill 1383 regulations adopted by the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (“CalRecycle”) require local governments to annually procure a quantity of recovered organic waste products that meets or exceeds a procurement target calculated by multiplying each local population as of January 1, 2021 (and every five years thereafter) by 0.08 tons of organic waste.
California Assembly Bill 1985 (Rivas, Chapter 344, Statutes of 2022) provided local governments with flexibility to phase in procurement efforts; however, full compliance was required as of January 1, 2025.
For the five-year period from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2026, CalRecycle has calculated the City of Laguna Woods’ procurement target as 1,283 tons, based on a population estimate of 16,036.
For the purpose of Senate Bill 1383, “recovered organic waste products” generally include compost, renewable gas, electricity from biomass conversion, and mulch, when made from California-landfill-diverted recovered organic waste processed at a permitted or otherwise authorized operation or facility.
To meet its procurement target, the City of Laguna Woods requires its solid waste handling services provider (CR&R Incorporated) to use renewable gas in collection vehicles. Renewable gas is derived from organic waste that has been diverted from a landfill and processed at an in-vessel digestion facility.
The City of Laguna Woods also meets its procurement target by providing financial assistance for the operation of the Golden Rain Foundation of Laguna Woods’ mulch production effort. The City of Laguna Woods’ agreement with the Golden Rain Foundation took effect in 2023 and was subsequently amended in 2024. The Golden Rain Foundation received $9,900 in 2024 and has received $10,890 every year since.
