California Mandatory Commercial Recycling Law
Mandatory Commercial Recycling was one of the measures adopted by the California Air Resources Board (ARB) in the Assembly Bill 32 Scoping Plan that was prepared pursuant to the California Global Warming Solutions Act (Chapter 488, Statutes of 2006). The California Mandatory Commercial Recycling Measure focuses on increased commercial waste recycling as a method to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
The California Mandatory Commercial Recycling Law was adopted by CalRecycle and applies to:
• Businesses, including non-profit organizations; schools; and, local, state and federal agencies that dispose of four cubic yards or more of commercial solid waste per week; and,
• Multi-family residential dwellings and mobile home parks of five units or more with shared refuse bin service regardless of the amount of waste disposed per week.
By July 1, 2012, each of the entities in the above categories is required to recycle recyclable materials such as paper, cardboard, plastics, glass, metals, food and yard waste. The recycling of these materials can be accomplished through the cardboard and commercial curbside recycling programs offered by Recology Yuba-Sutter or through each entities' own efforts. Call or email the Recology Yuba-Sutter Waste Zero Specialist at (530) 749-4220 and [email protected] to schedule a free waste audit. The local jurisdictions are required to provide public education and outreach and to monitor compliance of applicable Yuba-Sutter business and multi-family entities with the California Mandatory Commercial Recycling Law. This will be done through working with Recology Yuba-Sutter to identify entities that are required to comply with the California Mandatory Commercial Recycling Law and that are not known to be participating in a recycling program. These entities will be surveyed regarding participation in other recycling efforts and to provide advice regarding the requirements of the Law.
California Mandatory Commercial Organics Recycling Law
The California Mandatory Commercial Organics Recycling Law (AB 1826) established by the State of California in 2014 as of September 15, 2020 applies as follows:
• Businesses, including non-profit organizations; schools; and, local, state and federal agencies that generate two (2) or more cubic yards of commercial solid waste (i.e., refuse, recycling and recycled organic waste, including landscape and pruning wastes that are removed by a landscape service) per week are required to recycle food, food-soiled paper, garden and landscape waste; and,
• Multi-family housing complexes and mobile home parks with shared refuse bin service that generate two (2) or more cubic yards of commercial solid waste (i.e., refuse, recycling and recycled organic waste, including landscape and pruning wastes that are removed by a landscape service) per week are required to recycle garden and landscape waste.
Pursuant to this law, the local jurisdictions are required to inform potentially covered entities of the law; to inform potentially covered entities of available organic waste collection services; and, to monitor compliance with the law. To assist with meeting these requirements, Recology Yuba-Sutter is offering an organic waste recycling service. There is a charge for this service. Free waste audits are available to determine what part of your waste stream is actually recyclable and how to participate in the organic waste recycling service. Call or email the Recology Yuba-Sutter Waste Zero Specialist at (530) 749-4220 and [email protected] to schedule a free waste audit. Provision of Recycling Containers for Customer Use Effective July 1, 2020, California Assembly Bill 827 requires businesses, organizations and multi-family dwellings that are subject to AB 1826 and AB 341 to provide customers with solid waste recycling and/ or organics containers to collect material gener¬ated from products purchased on the premises. The containers must be visible and easily accessible to customers and clearly marked with labeling indicat¬ing which materials are appropriate for each con-tainer. The containers must be adjacent to each trash can (restroom waste bins are excluded). Full-service restaurants are exempted from providing containers for customers if containers are provided wherever trash containers are located for employees to recycle solid waste and organics.