Business COMMERCIAL WASTE
MIXED RECYCLING AND ORGANICS RECYCLING REQUIREMENTS
Businesses must meet state mandates for diverting recyclables and organic content from landfill disposal in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. All businesses must separate their recycling, garbage, and organic waste (food scraps and green waste) into three separate containers. This means property managers must provide a separate organics container to tenants in addition to trash and recycling containers. Your trash hauler will provide you with outdoor organics containers in the same place as your garbage and recycling containers. Use this indoor bin guide and worksheet to help your tenants understand the different sorting types.
What Are The Requirements for the New Law SB1383?
All businesses and commercial properties must divert their organic waste (food scraps, food-soiled paper, and green waste) from out of their garbage bin. This means businesses and property managers must provide a separate organics container to employees/staff/tenants in addition to garbage and recycling containers. This three-bin system will allow everyone to properly dispose of organic materials separately from garbage and mixed recyclables. State law SB1383 applies to all business types, even if they don't serve or sell food.
Click here for resources, recorded informational webinars, education, and outreach materials.
What are Organic Materials?
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Food Waste
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Uncoated (not shiny) Food-
Soiled Paper
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Green Waste / Landscaping
Trimmings
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Cooked and raw food waste, such as uneaten vegetables, fruits, meats,* dairy, bones, baked goods, etc.
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Grass clippings, small branches, leaves, cut flowers, garden trimmings, wood chips, and clean wood (no paint, no stain, etc.)
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Used napkins, paper cups, coffee filters, greasy pizza boxes, used paper plates, etc.
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*Note: There are additional California Department of Food & Agriculture (CDFA) requirements regarding Packinghouse Waste. Click here for more information.
Who Needs To Comply?
Organics recycling services are mandatory for all businesses and multi-family properties with five units or more in the State of California. Before proceeding with the compliance instructions below, please verify your multi-family property is within the City of Sacramento with our address lookup tool.
How Do I Comply?
Organics recycling services are mandatory. If you have not complied, your waste hauler will provide advance notice before delivering an organic recycling bin and starting the state mandated collection services. Your property may also be subject to fines and fees for non-compliance issue by the City of Sacramento. There are three ways which you can be considered in compliance with the law.
ALL COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES MUST HAVE ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING OPTIONS IN PLACE:
1) Sign-Up for Organic Service with your waste hauler - Call your waste hauler today to sign up for organics pickup services for your commercial property. You may also choose a different Franchised Hauler from the one you use for trash and/or recycling to collect organic material.
- Organic Material Recycling Minimum Service: Organic material must be collected or removed from the property at least once every seven (7) days.
2) Alternative Organic Service - If your commercial property uses one or more alternative organic material recycling services, complete and submit the Alternative Service Verification section of the Organic Material Recycling Compliance Form. You will need to provide proof of alternative services such as copies of contracts and weight tickets from disposal sites. Your business will be subject to a city inspection to verify the information you provide. Options for Alternative Services include:
1. Third-Party Recycler: The business contracts with an organics recycler, who is not a franchised hauler, who collects and recycles all generated organic material. Required: All valid contracts between the property and each alternative service recycler must be submitted with your organic material recycling compliance form and retained on-site for verification during inspection.
2. Self-Haul: The business self-haul all organic materials generated to a local licensed organics recycling facility. Required: Copies of weigh ticket or receipts from a licensed organics recycling facility must be submitted with your organic material recycling compliance form and retained on-site for verification during inspection. Note: If you are only self-hauling green waste, all other organic materials must also be collected and properly recycled through a franchised hauler, or another option listed on this page.
3. Shared Container: The business has a written agreement to place all organic material in another commercial property's organic material recycling container to be recycled. Commercial properties may not share containers with residential properties. Required: Evidence that all parties agree to sharing the container and a copy of the recycling collection services contract must be submitted with your organic material recycling compliance form and retained on-site for verification during inspection.
4. Backhaul: The business hauls its organic materials back to a central or corporate location to be collected for recycling. Required: Contracts or other proof of evidence must be submitted with your organic material recycling compliance form and retained on-site for verification during inspection.
5. On-site Composting (rare): The business utilizes an on-site compost process to recycle all organic material that is generated on-site. Required: Photos of the on-site composting operation verifying all organic material (including food-soiled paper) is composted on-site.
3) Waivers:
1. Physical Space Waiver (rare) - If the commercial property does not have adequate space for the minimum sized 64-gallon organics collection cart (approximately 25” wide x 32” deep x 42” high), please apply for a Physical Space Waiver. Supporting documents, such as photographs of the property, are required as evidence that your property does not have space for the smallest cart available. The City will also conduct an inspection for verification purposes.
2. 20-Gallons / 10-Gallons or Less Waiver: If an eligible business generates less than 20-gallons of organic material per week for businesses with 2 cubic yards or more of total waste collection service per week, or generates less than 10-gallons of organic material per week for businesses with less than 2 cubic yards of total waste collection per week; apply for a 20-gallon/10-gallon or Less Waiver in the Organic Material Recycling Compliance Form. Waivers are granted infrequently and applicants must certify that they generate less than 20-gallons/10-gallons of organics per week and are subject to an on-site inspection. IMPORTANT: Prior to submitting a waiver, separate your organic material from your garbage into a bucket for at least a week and measure how much material is collected. Your findings will need to be submitted in the waiver request and you will need to produce records of the measurements are part of the on-site inspection.
The following types of businesses are ineligible to receive a 20-Gallon/10-Gallon or Less Waiver:
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1) All businesses that require a permit from Sacramento County Environmental Management Department (EMD) under their Retail Food Protection Program.
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2) Businesses that make food, examples include, but are not limited to:
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3) Businesses that serve food, examples include, but are not limited to:
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Gas stations serving coffee or selling food (even if pre-packaged)
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Office campus with cafe
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Hotel/motel providing food service
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Child or Senior Care facility
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Hospital
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School
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Cinema or theater
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Event venue
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4) Other businesses include, which include, but are not limited to:
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Click here for resources, recorded informational webinars, education, and outreach materials.
Which materials should be Recycled? Paper, cardboard, hard plastics (numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7), aluminum/metal containers, and all colors of glass bottles and jars. Contact your hauler to learn more about what is acceptable/unacceptable, and how acceptable items must be prepared.
Who Needs To Comply?
Materials recycling services are mandatory for all businesses and multi-family properties with five units or more in the state of California. Before proceeding with the compliance instructions below, please ensure your commercial property is within the City of Sacramento with our address lookup tool.
How Do I Comply?
Recycling services that meet State Mandates and Sacramento City Code are mandatory. If you are required to have mixed recycling service and have not complied, your waste hauler will provide advance notice before delivering a mixed recycling bin and starting the state mandated collection services. Your property may also be subject to fines and fees for non-compliance issued by the City of Sacramento. There are three ways which you can be considered in compliance with the law.
Businesses must select one or more of the following options:
1) Sign-Up for Recycling Service with Waste Hauler - Call your waste hauler today to sign up for recycling service. You may also choose a different Franchised Hauler to collect and haul your recyclables.
2) Alternative Recycling Service - Complete and submit the Alternative Service Verification portion in the Recycling Compliance Form if your property uses one or more of these alternative recycling services:
1. Third-Party Recycler: The business contracts with a recycler, who is not a franchised hauler, who collects and recycles all generated mixed recyclable material. Required: All valid contracts between the property and each alternative service recycler must be submitted with your Recycling Compliance Form and retained on-site for verification during inspection.
2. Self-Haul: The business self-hauls all mixed recycling materials generated to a local licensed recycling facility. Required: Copies of weigh ticket or receipts from a licensed recycling facility must be submitted with your Recycling Compliance Form and retained on-site for verification during inspection.
3. Shared Container: The business has a written agreement to place all mixed recyclable material in another commercial property's recycling container to be recycled. Commercial properties may not share containers with residential properties. Required: Evidence that all parties agree to sharing the container and a copy of the recycling collection services contract must be submitted with your Recycling Compliance Form and retained on-site for verification during inspection.
4. Backhaul: The business hauls its mixed recyclable materials back to a central or corporate location to be collected for recycling. Required: Contracts or other proof of evidence must be submitted with your Recycling Compliance Form and retained on-site for verification during inspection.
3) Physical Space Waiver (rare) - If the business does not have adequate space for the smallest recycling container, complete the Physical Space Waiver portion on the Recycling Compliance Form. Note: Supporting documents are required as evidence that the business does not have space for a 90-gallon cart, one of the smallest carts available. 90-gallon carts are approximately 27" wide x 36" deep x 45" high.
Click here for resources, recorded informational webinars, education, and outreach materials.
City of Sacramento Commercial Waste Compliance Email: wastecompliance@cityofsacramento.org.
Phone: (916) 808-4846. Note: Callers must leave a voicemail with their business name, caller name, and phone number. Callers will receive a response within three (3) business days.