Restaurants

AB 827: Mandatory Recycling and Organics Recycling Bins

Effective July 1, 2020, Assembly Bill 827 (AB 827) mandates food service establishments to provide customers with disposal carts for three types of materials -  trash, recyclables, and organics. 

Which businesses are subject to the law?

• Businesses covered in Mandatory Commercial Recycling (AB 341) and Mandatory Commercial Organics Recycling (AB 1826) laws.
• Any food-generating establishment where customers bus their own tables, such as fast-food restaurants.

What is required by this law?

Businesses must provide customers with recycling and organics carts adjacent to each in-house trash cart (restroom carts are excluded). Carts must be in clear view and easily accessible. Proper labels must be placed on carts to indicate which materials can be placed inside.

1. Common organic materials include plate scapings (leftover food) and food-soiled paper.
2. Common recyclable materials include clean and dry paper and cardboard, empty and dry aluminum cans and plastic beverage bottles.
3. Common trash materials include plastic single-use utensils, plastic straws, condiment packets, and soft drink cups.

Businesses may create their own signage for disposal carts or utilize examples from CalRecycle's website.

Edible Food Recovery

Businesses who produce food are required to donate the maximum amount of edible food they would otherwise throw away, to food recovery organizations under Senate Bill 1383 (SB 1383). For more information, click here.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Browse through a list of frequently asked questions, click here.

For Food Recovery FAQs, click here.