Organics Recycling for Commercial Property Owners and Business Tenants

Follow the steps below to achieve compliance with the new organics recycling ordinance.

1. Sign Up for a Green Bin

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   To request an organics container for your commercial property or building, email 311@santamonica.gov and provide your name, email address, contact phone number, and your City water, sewer, and trash services utility account number. The person needs to be a responsible party of the City utility bill of the property receiving the green bin, such as a property owner or management company representative.
   

   If you are a business tenant who is not responsible for the City utility bill, you will need to contact the property owner or management company to have them order a green organics recycling bin for the property.

2. A staff member will contact you.

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    We will contact the requester to determine container size, how many, where it can go, and which day(s) of week for pick-up. 
   

3. Receive Educational Materials

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   As a commercial property owner, it is your responsibility to educate your business tenants on proper recycling.  We can provide commercial property owners with educational materials to guide you on what to and what not to recycle in the blue recyclables and green organics containers.  Additionally, we are available for virtual, in-person, and onsite meetings to discuss how to comply with the new organics recycling law, troubleshoot any challenges, and provide training.
   

   Business tenants can request materials to educate their employees and customers on how to use the containers.

4. Begin Recycling Your Organic Materials

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   Once your green container is delivered, your tenants can begin recycling their organics. Here is how: 
   

   1. All organics are welcome in the green container. This means ALL food leftovers and scraps, food-soiled paper products (NO wax or plastic coated), yard cuttings, or green landscape materials. 
   2. If you are a resident and wish to purchase a kitchen compost pail, please email zerowaste@santamonica.gov. Collect food materials such as vegetable peels, meat, and eggshells in a small pail or bucket inside your home. Ideally, place your organics directly into your container without a liner (no bag). If necessary, use multiple paper bags because food soiled paper bags are also considered organics and are recyclable when placed in the green container. Plastic bags - including some that claim to be “biodegradable” or “made with recycled plastic” - are not allowed in the green container.
   3. Have your tenants take collected food materials to the green bin every few days. Pro tip: Keep your food scraps in a reusable bag or container and place it in the freezer for odor control. When ready, dump out the food scraps into your green bin, rinse out the container, and reuse it for the next batch. Note: Green organics containers are not communal; they are building-specific. If you live in multi-family buildings, including apartments or condominiums, you should find your building‘s green bin where the recycling and trash bins are located. Sometimes that could be the building’s central trash enclosure area inside the parking garage; other times it could be in the alley behind your building. Occasionally, some buildings have chutes on each floor that deposit organics directly to the green bin. 
   4. Place yard materials, shredded paper, or shredded cardboard at the bottom of your green bin before placing food scraps, if possible, to absorb moisture. Layer yard materials or paper with food throughout the week before collection day. 

Follow the steps below to achieve compliance with the new organics recycling ordinance.

1. Sign Up for a Green Organics Container

   + -

   To request an organics container for your property or building, call (866) 311-7266 and provide your name, email address, contact phone number, and your City water, sewer, and trash services utility account number. The person needs to be a responsible party of the City utility bill of the property receiving the green bin, such as property owner, management company representative, or condo association board member or equivalent.
   

2. The Resource Recovery and Recycling Division will contact you.

   + -

   We will contact you to figure out container size, how many, where it can go, and which day(s) of week for pick-up. 
   

3. Receive Educational Materials

   + -

   We can provide educational materials to guide you on what to and what not to recycle in the blue recyclables and green organics containers. Additionally, we are available for virtual, in-person, and onsite meetings to discuss how to comply with the new organics recycling law, troubleshoot any challenges, and provide training. 
   

4. Begin Recycling Your Organic Materials

   + -

   Once your green container is delivered, your tenants can begin recycling their organics. Here is how: 
   

   1. All organics are welcome in the green container. This means ALL food leftovers and scraps, food-soiled paper products (NO wax or plastic coated), yard cuttings, or green landscape materials. 
   2. If you are a resident and wish to purchase a kitchen compost pail, please email zerowaste@santamonica.gov. Collect food materials such as vegetable peels, meat, and eggshells in a small pail or bucket inside your home. Ideally, place your organics directly into your container without a liner (no bag). If necessary, use multiple paper bags because food soiled paper bags are also considered organics and are recyclable when placed in the green container. Plastic bags - including some that claim to be “biodegradable” or “made with recycled plastic” - are not allowed in the green container.
   3. Have your tenants take collected food materials to the green bin every few days. Pro tip: Keep your food scraps in a reusable bag or container and place it in the freezer for odor control. When ready, dump out the food scraps into your green bin, rinse out the container, and reuse it for the next batch. Note: Green organics containers are not communal; they are building-specific. If you live in multi-family buildings, including apartments or condominiums, you should find your building‘s green bin where the recycling and trash bins are located. Sometimes that could be the building’s central trash enclosure area inside the parking garage; other times it could be in the alley behind your building. Occasionally, some buildings have chutes on each floor that deposit organics directly to the green bin. 
   4. Place yard materials, shredded paper, or shredded cardboard at the bottom of your green bin before placing food scraps, if possible, to absorb moisture. Layer yard materials or paper with food throughout the week before collection day.