Mandatory Organic Commercial Recycling

Organic Waste (Food Scraps and Green Waste)

California's climate reduction effort is to reduce organic waste disposal by 75% by 2025. Recover at least 20% of currently disposed-of edible food by 2025.

How does this affect me?

Starting in January 2022, all residents and businesses must recycle organic materials, such as food waste, soiled paper, and yard debris.

Starting in January 2022, certain businesses must donate edible food to food recovery organizations. Learn more about business requirements to comply at our Imperial County Edible Food Recovery Initiative page

Beginning in 2022, SB 1383 requires every jurisdiction to provide organic waste collection services to all businesses. Businesses must provide collection containers for organic waste and recyclables in all areas where disposal containers are provided for customers, except in restrooms. To reduce contamination, businesses must provide education to employees, contractors, tenants, and customers regarding how to properly sort organic material into the correct containers. Businesses must provide organic waste collection services for their companies.

Organic wastes are recyclable through composting, mulching, and anaerobic digestion, which can produce renewable energy. In an effort to achieve California's recycling and greenhouse gas emission goals, the state has enacted Mandatory Commercial Organics Recycling regulations.

Organic waste includes the following materials: green waste (landscape and pruning waste), food waste (including fats, oils, grease, and food-soiled paper waste that is mixed in with food waste), and nonhazardous wood waste.

Green waste refers to waste resulting from the maintenance or removal of vegetation, including but not limited to: grass, brush, branches, leaves, flowers, shrubs, and small trees.

Wood waste refers to nonhazardous wood waste such as untreated and non-laminated lumber.

Food waste for business purposes includes food products that are off-specification, outdated, or recalled commercial products, including food, beverages, and food products in original individual consumer packaging. These items may include canned foods, beer, wine, soft drinks, fruit juices, milk, yogurt, ice cream, etc. Food waste also includes food-soiled paper that is typically mixed in with uncoated products such as napkins, towels, and tissues, paper plates, paper cups, fast food wrappers, egg cartons, used pizza boxes, wax-coated cardboard, and other similar paper or compostable packaging.

Learn more about the guidelines for businesses public schools and school districts, state agencies, special districts, and federal facilities

Businesses are required to either:

  1. Subscribe to and participate in their jurisdiction’s organics curbside collection service OR

  2. Self-haul organic waste to a specified composting facility, community composting program, or other collection activity or program.

Also, companies are free to sell or donate their recyclables (Public Resources Code Section 41952).

Except in restrooms, businesses are required to provide collecting containers for recyclables and organic garbage in any area where consumers are given disposal containers.

  • However, if a business does not generate any of the materials that would be collected in a specific container, then it does not have to provide that particular container.

Internal containers must conform to the proper color requirements or labeling requirements.

  • Suppose a business chooses to use containers that are the correct color. In that case, internal containers do not need to be replaced until they are no longer functional or until January 1, 2036, whichever comes first.

Businesses need to educate staff members, subcontractors, tenants, and consumers on how to correctly sort organic material into the appropriate containers to minimize contamination. Businesses must periodically:

  • Inspect organic waste containers for contamination

  •  Inform employees if containers are contaminated

  • Instruct employees about how to properly sort material into the correct containers.

Businesses must provide organic waste collection services for:

  1. Employees

  2. Tenants

  3. Contractors

  4. Customers

A sufficient quantity, size, and placement of containers with the appropriate labels or container colors must be provided, and access must be granted.

In addition, they have to give new tenants information within 14 days of taking up residence on the property and annually train staff members, subcontractors, clients, and tenants on how to appropriately sort organic waste into the appropriate bins.

In commercial buildings, renters, customers, employees, and contractors must all appropriately sort organic materials into the appropriate receptacles.

Public schools and school districts, state agencies, special districts, and federal facilities do not fall under a jurisdiction’s authority and must either:

  1. Self-haul organic waste to a designated composting facility, community composting program or other collection activity or program 

  2. Contract for collection service independently; or

  3. Subscribe to a collection service that the jurisdiction provides.


Jurisdictions will provide information to these entities regarding their requirements for recycling organic waste. Employees need to be trained by property managers or other administrators on how to correctly sort materials into the appropriate containers and how to avoid producing organic waste. Administrators and property managers need to occasionally:

  • Inspect organic waste containers for contamination

  • Inform employees if containers are contaminated 

  • Instruct employees on how to properly sort material into the correct containers.

Except for bathrooms, property managers and administrators are required to supply containers for recyclables and organic waste in all locations where disposal containers are available. Nonetheless, the property manager or administrator is not required to supply a particular kind of internal container if an entity does not produce any of the kind of stuff gathered in that particular container.

Containers must conform to the proper color or labeling requirements.

  • Suppose a property manager or administrator chooses to use containers that are the correct color. In that case, internal containers do not need to be replaced until they are no longer functional or until January 1, 2036, whichever comes first. They can adhere correct labels to existing internal containers to comply with SB 1383.

  • Employees of these entities must properly sort their organic waste into the correct containers.

Check out our Organics Recycling Guide for Businesses to learn more about properly disposing of organic waste.