Commercial Businesses & Multi-Family Complexes

Mandatory Organics Recycling (SB 1383 & AB 1826)

Senate Bill 1383 (SB 1383) and Assembly Bill 1826 (AB 1826) require all businesses that generate organic waste to subscribe to and/or participate in a program to recycle that waste. Organic waste includes food scraps, vegetable trimmings, plate scrapings, spoiled food, and landscaping waste. 

How do businesses or property managers comply?

1. Recycle your organic material.
   • Self-haul organics to a permitted facility, such as a composting or anaerobic digestion facility. A record must be kept shown the amount of organic material delivered to each facility. 
2. Provide organics and recycling service to employees, contractors, tenants, and customers through Waste Management. 

• • Collection service must be arranged so that access to an adequate number, size, and location of carts is available.
  • For all outdoor and indoor carts, the cart bodies or lids shall have labels with graphic images to indicate primary materials accepted and prohibited, in addition to conforming to the following color scheme:
    • Trash - Gray/Black
    • Recycling - Blue* 
    • Organics - Green
  • Annually provide educational information about the legal requirements to compost and recycle. Education must be provided on how to properly sort the three waste streams into correct carts as well. Please note, for new tenants, this information must be provided before or within 14 days of move-in.
  • Periodically inspect recycling and organics carts and inform employees if contamination is found.

*Blue carts will be phased in by Waste Management over time.

For more information, refer to this flyer.

Getting Started

Self-Hauling 

Commercial businesses or multi-family complexes that choose not to subscribe to Waste Management services for organics hauling must fill out a waiver request to self-haul. Quarterly third-party reporting of tonnages will be required. An example would include a business center having their landscaper take material to a certified disposal facility. Green waste/organics cannot be disposed of in the trash. See forms at the bottom of the page for self-hauling.

Waiver Requests

Some businesses do not generate enough organic waste to need to subscribe to organics collection service. If you think your business or property will qualify, fill out the Waiver Request and send to publicworks@sandimasca.gov. Staff will review and contact you with any questions. Approved and issued waivers are valid for 5 years unless the waste threshold exceeds the allowable limits during the time period. Example: an office is converted into a restaurant. 

Employee Training

Within 14 days of first being on the premises and at least once a year, employees must be trained on recycling and sorting. City staff, CalRecycle, or a designee will routinely conduct inspection to assess compliance. Employees are required to allow for inspectors on-site to examine relevant locations and records. Click here to learn more about mandatory employee training.

Forms for Commercial Businesses and Multi-Family Complexes

Access forms for commercial businesses and multi-family complexes in the drop-down list below.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Browse through a list of frequently asked questions, here.