Attachment_C_Admin_Memo_B-33.pdf

This is an Administrative Memorandum from the County of San Mateo, specifically from the Office of Sustainability, detailing state-mandated procurement requirements under California Senate Bill 1383. The policy applies to all county departments and requires compliance with new regulations for recycled organic-material procurement established in September 2016. The mandate compels the county to: 1) procure recycled-content paper products that can be recycled, 2) procure a specified quantity of compost, mulch, and renewable natural gas annually, and 3) maintain detailed procurement records.

The administrative memo outlines specific procurement guidelines, including requirements that paper products must contain at least 30 percent postconsumer fiber, with encouragement to use 100 percent postconsumer fiber when possible. County departments must also require contractors and vendors to provide paper products meeting these recycled content standards and complete detailed reporting forms. The policy is part of a broader climate action strategy, aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, particularly methane from landfilled organic waste, with the goal of reducing organic waste disposal by 75 percent from 2014 levels by 2025. The provisions of this policy took effect on March 1, 2022, and align with the county's Climate Emergency Declaration passed in 2019.