Complying with California Mandatory Commercial Recycling & Composting Laws

Commercial Recycling and Composting Laws

On this page:
SB 1383 Short-Lived Climate Pollutants
AB 341 Mandatory Commercial Recycling (MCR)
AB 827 Mandatory Front of House Organics and Recycling Containers
AB 1826 Mandatory Commercial Organics (MORe)

According to the State of Recycling in California Report written by CalRecycle in March 2015, businesses generate nearly three fourths of the solid waste in California. Much of this is readily recyclable, as the majority of California’s waste stream is made up of food, organics, paper, and plastic. California is one of the first states in the nation to enact a statewide program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by diverting commercial solid waste from landfills. AB 341 also establishes a state-wide goal to divert 75% of solid waste away from landfills by the year 2020. By recycling you effectively reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills, which helps sustain the environment for future generations.

SB 1383 Short-Lived Climate Pollutants

SB 1383, the Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Strategy, aims to divert 75% of organics in California from landfill and recover 20% of edible food for human consumption by 2025. Regulations became effective on January 1, 2022.  The goal of SB 1383 is to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG), like methane, from entering our atmosphere from dairy, livestock and organic waste in our landfills.

To that end, SB 1383 requires every jurisdiction to provide organic waste collection services to all residents and businesses.  

Businesses are required to either:

    1. Subscribe to and participate in their jurisdiction’s organics curbside collection service OR
    2. Self-haul organic waste to a specified composting facility, community composting program, or other collection activity or program.

See How Businesses Must Comply with SB 1383.

Learn more about SB 1383 on the CalRecycle website here.

Resources

Visit this page for 11″x17″ posters from Zero Waste Marin to help your employees correctly dispose of compostable, recyclable, and landfill items. 

Contact your hauling company to request containers, posters or signage. 

Visit this page to see what can and cannot be composted in Marin County.

See this Compostable Serviceware Product Guide (2022)

AB 341 Mandatory Commercial Recycling (MCR)

AB 341 was adopted into California Law in 2012 to enhance systems that capture recyclable materials from the commercial sector. It requires businesses that generate four cubic yards or more of commercial solid waste per week, including schools, to arrange for recycling services or self- haul to a recycling center. It also requires that multifamily complexes with five units or more arrange for recycling services or self- haul to a recycling center. The full text of AB 341 and FAQs can be found here.

AB 827 Mandatory Front of House Organics and Recycling Containers

Beginning July 1, 2020, AB 827 requires limited service restaurants to make recycling and organic recycling containers available to customers with clear labels to indicate what materials are appropriate for each bin.

AB 1826 Mandatory Commercial Organics (MORe)

AB 1826, the Mandatory Commercial Organics Recycling Bill, became effective January 1, 2016. Over time, it requires more and more businesses to subscribe to commercial organics collection programs. Every hauler in Marin offers commercial organics programs. More information about the law including FAQs can be found here.

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