More than 11.7 Million Pounds of Surplus Food Donated During First Year of New Food Recovery Regulations
In partnership with food recovery organizations, grocery stores and other businesses donated the equivalent of more than 9.7 million meals in 2022, the first full year of implementation of SB 1383, a new state law designed to address food insecurity and combat climate change
SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIF. — Santa Clara County food businesses donated more than 11.7 million pounds of surplus food in 2022, the first full year of implementation of a new state law that is meant to ease hunger and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The total amount of food recovered jumps to more than 12.8 million pounds when counting donations that Santa Clara County food recovery organizations gathered from businesses outside the county.
Grocery stores and other businesses are required to donate the maximum possible amount of their surplus food to those in need under SB 1383, which took effect on Jan. 1, 2022. The new regulations expand on Jan. 1, 2024, to include compliance from additional regulated businesses and organizations, including certain large restaurants, hotels, health care facilities, schools and more. Decreasing the amount of edible food that is thrown into landfills helps ensure that all Santa Clara County residents have enough to eat. Last year’s donations provided the equivalent of more than 9.7 million meals to people experiencing food insecurity.
The Santa Clara County Food Recovery Program also helps the climate. Food that winds up in landfills generates methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. Last year, the collective recovery efforts of businesses and nonprofits prevented nearly 15,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions from entering the atmosphere, creating the same net benefit of taking more than 3,000 passenger cars off the road for a year.
“Businesses throughout Santa Clara County and community partners are helping to solve hunger in our region while also fighting climate change,” said Santa Clara County Supervisor Otto Lee, who represents the Board of Supervisors on the County’s Recycling and Waste Reduction Commission, a 10-member advisory body regarding countywide solid waste issues. “The Santa Clara County Food Recovery Program makes our county more sustainable not only environmentally but also socially and economically.”
The Santa Clara County Food Recovery Program is managed by the Food Recovery Initiative of Joint Venture Silicon Valley, which administers the program on behalf of the County of Santa Clara and all 15 cities in the county.
“The Santa Clara County Food Recovery Program is a wonderful collaboration between the County, our partner cities, the Food Recovery Initiative of Joint Venture Silicon Valley, and countless businesses and food recovery organizations,” said Supervisor Cindy Chavez. “This public-private partnership will ease hunger in Silicon Valley and make our region more equitable and sustainable for many years to come.”
“It's great to see so many businesses in our county responding to the new regulations by working to recover their surplus food, as well as reducing the amount of surplus food they generate in the first place,” said Ciara Low, who manages the Santa Clara County Food Recovery Program on behalf of the Food Recovery Initiative. “We're very fortunate in Santa Clara County to have many food recovery organizations dedicated to ensuring that surplus food isn't wasted but is instead distributed to members of our community.”
The expansion of the program next month comes at a time when food recovery organizations are grappling with capacity limitations, as pandemic-related funding sources run dry. The Food Recovery Initiative of Joint Venture Silicon Valley is working to identify sustainable funding models, test innovative approaches to food recovery, and support businesses in efforts to reduce the amount of surplus they generate. This focus on efficient use of surplus food is part of the County’s larger climate strategies and an explicit goal of the County of Santa Clara Food System Workplan.
ABOUT THE COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA
The County of Santa Clara government serves a diverse, multicultural population of 1.9 million residents in Santa Clara County, Calif., making it more populous than 14 states in the U.S. The County provides essential services to its residents, including public health protection, environmental stewardship, medical services through the County of Santa Clara Health System, child and adult protection services, homelessness prevention and solutions, roads, park services, libraries, emergency response to disasters, protection of minority communities and those under threat, access to a fair criminal justice system, and many other public benefits.
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ABOUT THE FOOD RECOVERY INITIATIVE AT JOINT VENTURE SILICON VALLEY The Initiative strengthens the local food recovery ecosystem by spurring funding and innovation; propagating food waste prevention and recovery strategies; and supporting government programs focused on the food sector. By convening the Food Recovery Council and Steering Committee and managing the Santa Clara County Food Recovery Program, the initiative amplifies the efforts of food recovery organizations, local jurisdictions, and businesses in the fight against food waste. For more information, visit jointventure.org/initiatives/silicon-valley-food-recovery.
ABOUT JOINT VENTURE SILICON VALLEY
Established in 1993, Joint Venture Silicon Valley is a platform for analysis created and supported by the major sectors (business, government, labor, academia). For more information, visit www.jointventure.org.
Media Contact: Quan Vu / Aaron Kinney, Office of Communications and Public Affairs, (408) 299-5119, [email protected]