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Removing organic material from the landfill is a top priority for all of California. When organic material like food waste is landfilled, it breaks down and creates Methane – a greenhouse gas 80x more powerful than Carbon Dioxide. More methane means more global warming, droughts, and wildfires.
As of January 2022, every home, apartment complex, and business in California is required by law to collect their food waste, yard waste, and paper separately from all other waste. The law (SB 1383) aims to reduce harmful methane emissions. Learn more about SB 1383 and other recycling laws here.
A recycling coordinator will review these options with you upon starting service to assure you’re using the right program.
The first program is our regular compostables service for plant materials, food-soiled paper, and food scraps composting (see information below).
The second program is our Food 2 Energy program which is aimed at large food waste generators (restaurants, delis, grocery stores) and diverts organic food waste from the landfill by turning it into energy.
The size and number of compostables carts a business uses varies, but what goes in these compostable receptacles remains the same: only yard waste, food waste, and food-soiled paper.
Your compostable receptacles should be clearly marked and easy to identify. Please remember that we do not sort through the materials placed in garbage carts, so it is imperative to always place all of your yard waste and food scraps in a compostables cart.
Visit our Commercial Services page to review the size and container options for commercial customers.
If you can eat it, it can go in the compostables cart!
This list isn’t comprehensive. When in doubt, please use the Where Does It Go, Joe tool to look up a what cart a specific item should go into.
This list isn’t comprehensive. When in doubt, please use the Where Does It Go, Joe tool to look up a what cart a specific item should go into.
We CANNOT accept any plastics labeled as compostable or bio-degradable. If we did, the quality compost WM EarthCare™ produces would lose its organic farming certification. Their compost is certified by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI). OMRI doesn’t allow compostable or bio-degradable plastics as many are actually petroleum based and just break down into micro plastics. Others don’t break down rapidly enough and it is hard to differentiate between compostable and non-compostable plastics.
Please put your compostable plastics or bio-degradable items in your garbage cart or bin.
It’s very important that we avoid contaminating our recycling or compostable streams. When in doubt, use our handy “Where Does It Go, Joe?” online tool to find out what material goes in what cart.
GET JOE ON THE GO! You’ll always have Joe’s sorting advice at your fingertips with the Marin Sanitary Service mobile app. Download it for your Apple Device or Google Device now for free!
As of January 2022, SB 1383 requires every home, apartment complex, and business in California to collect their food waste, yard waste, and paper separately from all other waste.
When organic material like food waste is landfilled, it breaks down and creates Methane – a greenhouse gas 80x more powerful than Carbon Dioxide.
More methane means more global warming, droughts, and wildfires. Do your part to stop climate change by placing your food scraps, yard waste and food-soiled paper in your green cart, not garbage.
Business owners or account holders may contact customer service at (415) 456-2601 prior to your service day if you find that your total amount of compostables (yard/food waste) exceeds the capacity of your container.
Please do not overload your compostable cart!
In 2014, Marin Sanitary Service conducted a study to identify the types of materials being sent to landfill. We discovered that 38% of what residents were throwing in the trash could have been composted – the process of turning organic materials such as food scraps, yard waste and compostable paper into a nutrient rich soil for use in gardens, farms and vineyards.
SB 1383 requires that all residents, businesses and local governments in the State of California no longer send any food waste, yard waste, or paper to the landfill.
Our customer support representatives are available Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. at (415) 456-2601.
What you need to know about California’s mandatory composting and recycling laws.
We provide compost and recycling opportunity assessments, diversion planning, training, and posters to help your business recycle successfully.
