Commercial Waste Laws
As part of a statewide goal to reduce disposal by 75% by the year 2020, State law (Chapter 476, Statutes of 2011 [Chesbro, AB 341]) requires all businesses that regularly generate four (4) or more cubic yards of solid waste per week and all multi-family dwellings with five or more (5+) units to recycle (Torrance is three or more [3+]). This can be accomplished through a few ways:
- Self-haul to a recycling facility.
- Subscribe to a hauler’s recycling service.
- Sell or donate recyclables.
- Subscribe to recycling service that includes mixed waste processing (the recycling is done for you).
WR offers recycling (blue bin) service. Having a stand-alone recycling program sends a clear message to your staff and customers that your organization is committed to reducing your business’s environmental impact. In addition, you may be able to save money every month, as recycling services are less than equivalent trash service (depending on your location). It is up to each jurisdiction to monitor and enforce compliance with this law and report progress to the state each year. For information on your city’s efforts to meet the requirements of AB 341, click below.
Franchise Cities
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As your city’s partner, Waste Resources is here to help you increase recycling and minimize waste generated at your facility. Not sure where or how to start? Contact us today for a FREE on-site evaluation so that we can customize the most cost-effective program to fit your needs.
Did you know organic waste makes up 40% of the waste stream? With a California law (AB 1826) in effect as of April 1, 2016, large quantities of organic waste (food, yard trimmings, etc.) must be diverted from trash bins. In response, Waste Resources has developed a food scrap collection program for our commercial customers. An organics (yard trimmings, grass clippings, food scraps, food-soiled paper) collection program is already available to our commercial customers. Diverting food scraps from local landfills reduces carbon emissions and creates fuels for alternative forms of energy or a nutrient-rich soil amendment. As sustainability becomes more important to all of us, taking the pledge to “go green” can help grow your business as community members see that you care. Share our goal of greater sustainability by going green with organics collection today!
This law, which went into effect July 1, 2020, mandates businesses that are already required to subscribe to recycling services under AB 341 (Chesbro, 2011) or composting services under AB 1826 (Chesbro, 2014), and are accessed by the public, to offer access to recycling and composting containers to their customers. Under this law, the recycling and composting containers provided to the public will be visible, easily accessible, adjacent to each trash container (except in restrooms), and clearly marked with educational signage indicating what is accepted in the container.
This law is focused on restaurants, food courts, and other food service providers. Full-service restaurants are exempt from this requirement, but must still comply with either or both other laws.
Gardena’s letter to restaurants can be found here.
Model signage is being developed by CalRecycle, so stay tuned. You can read more about this law here.
Starting January 1, 2022, organic waste recycling kicked into high gear, thanks to the implementation of Senate Bill 1383. One element of SB 1383 is a requirement that by 2025, California will recover 20 percent of edible food that would otherwise be sent to landfills, to feed people in need. The law directs the following:
- Jurisdictions must establish food recovery programs and strengthen their existing food recovery networks
- Food donors must arrange to recover the maximum amount of their edible food that would otherwise go to landfills
- Food recovery organizations and services that participate in SB 1383 must maintain records
Waste Resources is working with its partner cities to develop new and expanded programs to help the cities and commercial accounts meet these requirements.
Aside from this requirement, SB 1383 puts new mandatory recycling requirements statewide for everyone within a jurisdiction that generates trash, encompassing more organics and strengthening recycling. Check out our SB 1383 page for more information on this part of the law.
In 2016, the State of California passed Senate Bill (SB) 1383 – the Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy. These wide-reaching regulations set statewide targets to reduce organic waste disposal and increase edible food recovery to serve the food insecure. Organics like food scraps, yard trimmings, paper, and cardboard make up half of what Californians dump in landfills, despite current efforts. Click here to visit our SB1383 page.
