In the Wild: Shivam Gandhi in El Dorado County with SacBreathe
Shivam’s Practicum at SacBreathe was to assist with launching SB 1383 compliance at Schools in El Dorado County, which classify as a tier 2 edible food waste generator. He also helped long-term resilience towards organics recycling in the region by developing educational materials for students to learn more about the law and launched classroom and schoolwide presentations to educate involved parties about their role in organic waste diversion.
SacBreathe is a non-profit operating in the greater Sacramento region working to keep community air clean. They are dedicated to advocating for clean air, tobacco free communities, and sustainable transportation. A primary mode that they spread this message is through outreach and education promoting these values. Law SB 1383 was passed in 2016 (with a start date of 2022) to divert organic waste from landfills, to appropriate compost facilities. Organic waste in landfills represent ~20% of California’s methane emissions, so diverting that waste at high edible food waste generators is a priority. That creates an opportunity for organizations like SacBreathe to come in at an educational standpoint (and not punitive) to help get food waste generators like schools compliant with these state laws and doing their part in a mission to maintain clean air for all.
Shivam began by evaluating the background of the regulation, working with his supervisor on reaching out to relevant schools in El Dorado County, and coordinating with school administration to adapt the Food Scraps & Recycling program to become SB 1383 compliant. SacBreathe offered the infrastructure necessary to assist the schools to be SB 1383 compliant by providing the correct food-waste bins, providing supplies to custodians, and connecting the school with their local waste-hauler to evaluate their needs for organic waste recycling. To support the students at the school to divert as much food waste as possible, Shivam and his supervisor provided lesson plans, school assemblies, classroom presentations, and appropriate signage to promote sustainable practices. At the end of their work in El Dorado County, they were able to help over 20 schools become SB 1383 compliant and promote sustainable practices for their students to continue and divert food waste.