California’s schools produce over half a million tons of waste each year, with much of this waste coming from the cafeteria. While the majority of the waste stream in schools is comprised of organics, the rest is primarily from the single-use trays, disposable plastic utensils, and condiment packets. This trash often escapes campuses and ends up in storm drains and as litter in neighborhoods.

From uneaten leftovers to discarded wrapping paper, the holidays come with a lot of waste. In fact, from Thanksgiving to New Year’s, Americans produce 25 percent more waste than average. But with a little planning and intention, we can reduce our footprint while still experiencing the joy of coming together with family and friends.

Over the last two decades, severe drought in California has increasingly threatened the state’s water sources. Outdoor landscapes are one of the biggest urban water users, and sustainable approaches can sharply reduce water demand while improving water quality, conserving energy, reducing emissions, and sequestering carbon.

California has increasingly been setting ambitious targets to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and slow climate change. To help the state meet its goals, local jurisdictions have outlined their own commitments to climate action locally in the form of Climate Action Plans (CAPs). Alameda County was one of the first California counties in which all jurisdictions have developed CAPs.

A new State law, SB 54, known as the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act, sets new goals to reduce plastic packaging and requires that all forms of single-use products be recyclable or compostable by 2032. The law is the nation’s most comprehensive legislation to date to cut dependence on single-use products, while shifting plastic pollution responsibility to producers and manufacturers.

After over a decade of gathering backyard fruit in Alameda and donating it to the Alameda Food Bank (over 23 tons to date!), Alameda Backyard Growers decided it was time to begin nurturing and collaborating with other gleaning groups in the East Bay and beyond. The Bay Area is blessed with an abundance of backyard fruit, and, working in collaboration with StopWaste, we hope every community has the knowledge and opportunity to collect this fresh produce and help feed the hungry in their area.

StopWaste’s RE:Source Guide is Alameda County’s one-stop shop for answers on what to do with an unwanted item. The Guide provides easy access to information on proper disposal with the goal of maximizing the benefits of compost, reuse, repair and recycling, while minimizing contamination from items going in the wrong bin. 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the state temporarily prohibited self-service which led to all food share table programs around the state being paused. Given the very low risk of transmission from surfaces and shared objects, self-service food bars and food share tables are now allowed by the California Department of Education and the Alameda County Department of Environmental Health. StopWaste encourages the use of food share tables to reduce food waste and encourage the consumption of food served to students.

A new California State law, SB 1383, aims to keep food and other compostable materials out of landfills to reduce methane emissions that contribute to climate change. An important requirement of the law is that food generating businesses must recover surplus edible food that would otherwise be disposed of and donate it to feed people.