Mandatory Organics Recycling
All businesses as well as multifamily properties that generate four cubic yards or more of trash are reminded that January 1, 2019 is the state-mandated deadline to arrange for organics recycling service.
Mandatory Commercial Organics Recycling, also known as Assembly Bill (AB) 1826, was signed into law in 2014. It phased in the requirements for businesses to start recycling their organic waste based on the amount and type of waste it produced.
Large businesses – those that generated eight or more cubic yards of organic waste per week– were the first to be required to recycle organics recycling, followed by medium-sized businesses that generated half this amount of organic waste. In Phase three of this law, which goes into effect January 1, the organics recycling law now applies to generators of four or more cubic yards of solid waste per week.
Organic waste includes food and food-soiled paper, nonhazardous wood, and green waste that includes grass clippings, weeds and leaves. According to CalRecycle, organic waste accounts for approximately 40 percent of the material Californians dispose in landfills annually.
The mandate to recycle organic waste can be met through one or several measures that include subscribing for collection service, self-hauling to an approved recycling facility, or selling or donating the waste.
Additional information and help with identifying the most suitable organics recycling solution for your business or multifamily residential property is available by contacting the City's Environmental Services Division at (909) 839-7015 or greendb@diamondbarca.gov.
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