New Food Date Labels Ahead

Confusion over the meaning of dozens of different date labels is one of the top causes of wasted food in the United States. In fact, estimates show that uncertainty over date labels alone causes consumers to discard more than 3.5 million tons of food each year, costing households and businesses more than $19 billion.

As of July 1, 2026, in California, there are now just two date labels: "Best By/Best If Used By," which is about quality, and "Use By," which is about safety.

In addition, consumer-facing "Sell By" dates are no longer allowed. As the first statewide policy to standardize consumer-facing food date labels, California's law is aimed at reducing confusion around labels and making it easier for consumers to know when food is still good to eat. A "Best By" date doesn't mean food is bad the next day. Milk, for example, is often still good 5-7 days past its date when stored properly.

And most importantly: before you toss food just because of the date, trust your senses: look, smell, and taste.

Find out more about new date labels

Free Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off Events

Collect all your household hazardous waste and bring them to one of our upcoming events:

San Lorenzo – Sunday, September 20
City of Alameda – Sunday, October 4

Safely dispose of your old batteries, medicines, old cooking oil, cleaners, and more. We highly encourage you to register early as space is limited. These events are open to all Alameda County residents. Event location and instructions will be provided after registration.

Make an appointment today!

Transitioning Your Garden from Summer to Fall

While our daytime temps might say otherwise, it’s a good time to start thinking ahead to fall gardening. Why? Because fall is a much slower time, gardening-wise. Days are shorter and cooler. This makes for the perfect time to do bigger projects without the heat—a win-win.
A few fall projects to consider:

Get some free mulch! Arborists will be out in the coming months, so now is a great time to request mulch. Getting ahead of weed season will be helpful for our soil and backs. Find and contact local arborists or look into Chip Drop.
Give your raised beds some attention. Add or repair beds, line them with gopher wire, or—if you’re not planting a fall garden—try a cover crop. Fava, vetch, rye, and oats can build healthy soil and outcompete weeds. Learn about compost, mulch, and cover crops.
Head to your local compost hub. Many hubs will be without compost over the winter months, so now is a great time to stock up. Find a compost hub near you.
Think ahead to winter planting. Drought-tolerant plants, California natives, and bare-root fruit trees will soon be showing up at local nurseries.
Save seeds from those spring/summer crops to use next season!
Adjust your irrigation as plants die back or if you are trying to save seeds from plants that flower.
Consider starting a compost pile of your own! Dried fall leaves are easy to come by and store for use throughout the year. Learn more about home composting.

What we're reading:

Oaklandside article "Don’t put green ‘compost’ bags in green Oakland compost bins," which focused on why “compostable” plastic bags aren’t accepted in the City of Oakland’s green carts.
Oaklandside followed up with “Green bags don't cut it. Here’s how to compost in Oakland instead,” which crowdsources eco-friendly alternatives.
This article covers how rising food costs are hitting food banks and their clients.