Recover Edible Food: Help Families in Need While Reducing Waste

Edible Food Recovery (EFR) is part of the implementation of California's Senate Bill 1383 (SB 1383) addressing climate pollutants and wasted food. Each year, Californians send 2.5 billion meals worth of still-fresh, unsold food to landfills while 1 in 5 California residents do not have enough to eat. In the Monterey County Health Needs Collaborative 2022 report, more than 40% of Monterey County community members were determined to be food insecure. To reduce food waste and address food insecurity, SB 1383 requires California to recover 20% of edible food that would otherwise be discarded by 2025 and redistribute it to people in need. This goal is supported through edible food recovery, which redirects surplus, safe-to-eat food from businesses to local Food Recovery Organizations (FROs).

 Which businesses are required to donate edible food?

CalRecycle requires Tier I and Tier II commercial edible food generators to donate edible food to food recovery organizations. 

Edible Food Recovery Organizations Available to Receive Donations from Pebble Beach Commercial Food Generators

• Al & Friends
  • 301 Cypress Ave., Pacific Grove, CA 93950  
  • (831) 402-0820
  • alvinsiekert@gmail.com
• Meals on Wheels of the Monterey Peninsula
  • 700 Jewell Ave., Pacific Grove, CA 93950
  • (831) 375-4454
  • ehobbs@mowmp.org
• Shoreline Church Food Pantry
  • 2500 Garden Road, Monterey, CA 93940
  • (831) 277-9661
  • sharon@shoreline.church.org
• Salvation Army Sand City
  • 800 Scott St., Sand City, CA 93955
  • (831) 899-4911
  • Jenifer.Miller@usw.salvationarmy.org

How to Donate Food

• 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 generators can donate surplus food through the Careit app or website. Creating an account is free and allows donors to connect with local food recovery organizations. The platform also helps track donations by food type and amount, making compliance and reporting easier.

For more information on this topic, please visit the CalRecycle Website or review the CalRecycle Edible Food Recovery FAQS.