New Organics Collection Requirement for Businesses on the Horizon

May 7, 2018 9:18 AM
by Delana Gbenekama

If you operate a commercial business (e.g., restaurant, shop, hotel, industrial facility, office) and you generate four or more cubic yards of solid waste per week, starting January 1, 2019 you will be required to sign up for an organics collection program. This requirement is mandated by Assembly Bill (AB) 1826, signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown in October 2014, to reduce the 30 million tons of waste that end up in California’s landfills each year. Organic waste includes food, food-soiled paper and grass clippings.

The City’s Resource Recovery and Recycling Division of the Public Works Department is here to help you comply with AB 1826. If you are a City of Santa Monica solid waste customer, you can join our Organics Collection Program to properly divert your organic waste from the landfill at no additional charge. We will collect your organics and transfer it to a commercial composting facility. We can provide you with complimentary training, educational posters and outdoor collection containers.

To sign up for Santa Monica’s Organics Collection Program and learn more about AB 1826, visit smgov.net/ab1826. You can also email the Resource Recovery and Recycling Division at recycling@smgov.net or call (310) 458-2223 and press “0.”

Authored By

Delana Gbenekama
Equity and Communications Program Manager