SB 1383 is climate legislation that requires cities and counties to annually procure a specified quantity of recovered organic waste products- such as compost, mulch, and renewable natural gas (RNG)- to meet their annual procurement targets.

To ensure compliance, the County of San Mateo adopted Admin Memo B-33, an internal county policy that requires all County departments, contractors, and vendors to only purchase recovered organic waste products that qualify toward the County’s SB 1383 procurement target.

To streamline purchasing, the Sustainability Department has compiled a list of compost suppliers and approved mulch suppliers within the County.

If you identify a product that meets the compliance requirements but is not on the list, please email SUST_SB1383Compliance@smcgov.org The Sustainability Department will review and update the list on an ongoing basis.

SB 1383 is climate legislation that requires cities and counties to annually procure a specified quantity of recovered organic waste products- such as compost, mulch, and renewable natural gas (RNG)- to meet their annual procurement targets.

To ensure compliance, the County of San Mateo adopted Admin Memo B-33, an internal county policy that requires all County departments, contractors, and vendors to only purchase recovered organic waste products that qualify toward the County’s SB 1383 procurement target.

To streamline purchasing, the Sustainability Department has compiled a list of compost suppliers and approved mulch suppliers within the County.

If you identify a product that meets the compliance requirements but is not on the list, please email SUST_SB1383Compliance@smcgov.org The Sustainability Department will review and update the list on an ongoing basis.

Compost

As of September 27, 2024, AB 2346 has expanded the range of eligible compost products, allowing more options for compliance. SB 1383 compliant compost now includes:

• Compost from small compost operations (<100 cy and 750 sq ft)
• Vermicomposting (compost from worms)
• Mushroom compost
• Compost from permitted composting facility produced from materials diverted from landfill

Soil blends, including those containing manure, are eligible for compliance. However, only the compost portion of the blend that includes the materials listed above counts toward compliance. Manure itself is not considered eligible compost.

The following are options for purchasing compost in San Mateo County.

Mulch

As of September 27, 2024, AB 2346 has expanded the range of eligible mulch products, allowing more options for compliance. SB 1383 compliant mulch now includes:

• Mulch from permitted composting facility using materials diverted from landfill
• Mulch produced from tree trimming operations conducted by the jurisdiction or its contracted service provider, when applied to landscape areas owned or managed by the jurisdiction or given away to residents

The following are SB 1383 compliant mulch products produced from permitted composting facilities:

Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) & Biomass Electricity

SB 1383 compliant renewable natural gas (RNG) and biomass electricity are both highly limited in availability. At this time, there are no SB 1383 compliant options available in San Mateo County.

To qualify as SB 1383 compliant, RNG must be produced from organic waste that has been diverted from landfills and processed at a permitted in-vessel digestion facility. This excludes landfill gas, wastewater-derived gas, natural gas, dairy methane, and renewable diesel.

Similarly, SB 1383-compliant biomass electricity must be generated at a facility that receives feedstock directly from a transfer station, landfill, or composting facility. Biomass from forestry or agricultural sources does not meet these requirements.

If you are aware of any qualifying RNG or biomass electricity sources that should be considered, please email us at SUST_SB1383Compliance@smcgov.org