Assembly Bill 939 (AB 939) required cities and counties to recycle 50% of their waste tonnage by the year 2000. This program utilizes source reduction, recycling, composting, environmentally safe transformation, and land disposal of solid wastes. The city has met this goal but we still need help from all residents to continue recycling correctly.

AB 939 also established an integrated framework for program implementation, solid waste planning, and solid waste facility and landfill compliance.

For more information on AB 939, please visit the Burrtec website.

Assembly Bill 341 (AB 341) required commercial businesses generating more than four cubic yards of solid waste per week and multi-family residential properties containing five or more units to arrange for recycling services.

All businesses and multi-family dwellings are encouraged to take advantage of recycling programs and select any combination of the following to divert commercial solid waste from landfills:

• Subscribe to recycling services from Burrtec
• Arrange for pickup of recyclable materials
• Self-haul recyclables to a recycling center
• Utilize mixed-waste processing services

For more information on AB 341, please visit the Burrtec website.

Assembly Bill 1826 (AB 1826) requires businesses to recycle their organic waste on and after April 1, 2016, depending on the amount of waste they generate per week. This law also requires that on and after January 1, 2016, local jurisdictions implement a Mandatory Organic Recycling (MOR) program to divert organic waste generated by businesses, including multi-family residential dwellings that consist of five or more units. Organic waste (also referred to as organics) means food waste, green waste, landscape and pruning waste, non-hazardous wood waste, and food-soiled paper waste that is mixed in with food waste.

Here are important start dates:

April 1, 2016 - Businesses and multi-family dwellings generating 8 cubic yards of covered organics per week shall arrange for organics recycling service.

January 1, 2017 - Businesses and multi-family dwellings generating 4 cubic yards of covered organics per week shall arrange for organics recycling service.

January 1, 2019 - Businesses and multi-family dwellings generating 4 cubic yards of total solid waste per week shall arrange for organics recycling service.

Please contact Burrtec at (760) 674-1039 to schedule an on-site visit with an Environmental Coordinator to determine a waste and recycling program specifically designed for your business. Burrtec will also consult your management team on staff training, designated key areas for food waste container placement, and correct signage for containers with clear examples.

For more information on AB 1826, please visit the Burrtec website.

Assembly Bill 827 (AB 827) requires businesses to provide organics and recycling containers at front-of-house to collect waste generated from products purchased and consumed on the premises. These containers must be placed adjacent to trash and be visible, easily accessible, and clearly marked.

Please contact Burrtec at (760) 674-1039 to schedule an on-site visit with an Environmental Coordinator to determine a waste and recycling program specifically designed for your business. Burrtec will also consult your management team on staff training, designated key areas for organics waste and recycling container placement, and correct signage for containers with clear examples.

For more information on AB 827, please visit the Burrtec website.

Senate Bill 1383 (SB 1383) establishes statewide targets to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants that significantly harm our atmosphere and impact climate change. Methane emissions are a result of organic waste disposed of in our landfills. By reducing the amount of organic waste disposal in landfills by 2020 and 2025, we will reduce the amount of harmful methane emissions. From the 2014 baseline level, organic waste must be reduced by 50% by 2020, and reduced by 75% by 2025. Concurrently, there must also be a 20% increase in edible food recovery by 2025.

Cities must establish organics recycling programs to all properties including single-family residences, multi-family residences, and businesses. Organic waste includes both food waste and other green waste such as yard trimmings. Additionally, cities must facilitate a food rescue program that creates a 20% increase in the recovery of edible food from large food generators like grocery stores and wholesale distributors.

Key start dates:

January 1, 2022 - All residents and businesses will be required to receive organic recycling services.

January 1, 2022 - Tier 1 Commercial Edible Food Generators (grocery stores, food distributors, etc.) will be required to participate in edible food recovery.

January 1, 2024 - Tier 2 Commercial Edible Food Generators (large restaurants, hotels, venues, events, etc.) will be required to participate in edible food recovery.

For more information on SB 1383, please visit the CalRecycle website and Burrtec website.

Assembly Bill 1985 (AB 1985) allows CalRecycle to impose penalties on jurisdictions based on staggered procurement target percentages rather than the full target. Jurisdictions must procure at least 33% of their recovered organic waste product target in 2023 and 66% of their target in 2024. The full target amount must be procured in 2025.