A Comprehensive County-wide Approach to Edible Food Recovery Capacity Planning
Track
Organics / Edible Food Recovery
Session Description
Edible food recovery capacity planning is a new territory for jurisdictions across the State. Hear about how Orange County and Santa Clara County chose to take a comprehensive county-wide look at edible food recovery capacity planning.
Orange County worked with its local jurisdictions to host meetings, send out a survey and provide support to quantify the county-wide edible food recovery capacity numbers. Part of this planning process included identifying resources needed to increase capacity at EFRO’s, such as more refrigerated storage, scales to weigh donated food, and more funding for permanent employees.
Santa Clara is one of the leading counties in the State for edible food recovery capacity planning, with an effort that started long before 2020 with the development of County-wide infrastructure investments in the A La Carte food collection and distribution system. The County’s Technical Advisory Committee utilizes Countywide funds under an MOA rather than a JPA, and is working collaboratively to implement a County-wide edible food program including management and monitoring by a third party consultant, and capacity analysis contracted on behalf of all 15 cities.
Attendees of the overall session will learn about:
- How to communicate effectively with jurisdictions in a County and provide tools for planning
- Communication and capacity analysis
- The best ways to talk to understaffed, overworked EFRO’s
- Tips and tricks for collecting accurate capacity estimates
- Benefits from a centrally planned ordinance
- Plans to jointly support expansion of capacity based on study gap analysis
Speakers
Michele Young, Consumer and Environmental Protection Agency
Title
Senior Management Analyst
Speaker Abstract
Santa Clara County will provide a case study outlining processes and methodologies for the development of a non JPA Countywide Food Recovery Program through coordination and Countywide funding. Successes include countywide contracting of services for program management, monitoring, and capacity analysis on behalf of all 15 cities. Attendees will learn about methodologies for coordinating County cities in the development of a Countywide food recovery program and capacity analysis, as well as refining capacity estimates through online coordination, interviews, and direct input from generators and members of the regional Food Recovery Council of food recovery organizations.
Robin Martin, Silicon Valley Food Recovery
Title
Executive Director
Speaker Abstract
See description above.
Danielle Osborne, CalRecycle
Title
Environmental Scientist
Speaker Abstract
CalRecycle will provide an overview of the edible food recovery capacity planning requirements, key dates for SB 1383 implementation, and a general statewide assessment of edible food recovery capacity plans submissions.
Lisa Robles, EcoNomics, Inc.
Title
Senior Project Manager
Speaker Abstract
Edible food recovery capacity planning is a new territory for jurisdictions across the State. Hear about how EcoNomics’ conducted the first edible food recovery capacity planning on behalf of their client cities in Orange County. The discussion will include how the planning was done, working with CalRecycle provided data and methodology for calculating generation tonnage, working with edible food recovery organizations to track and gather data. In addition, there will be ideas offered on how to improve accuracy and data collection for the next round of planning.