SB 1383 Route Reviews
You May See Us Checking Your Carts
October 15–November 15, 2026
MVRS is coordinating state-mandated annual route reviews of residential and commercial collection carts. Third-party auditor Race To Zero Waste will conduct the reviews on behalf of MVRS.
Why Are We Doing This?
SB 1383 is California’s organic waste recycling law. It requires communities to reduce organic waste sent to landfills and properly separate food scraps, food-soiled paper, and yard trimmings.
As part of these requirements, state-mandated annual route reviews help identify contamination and support correct sorting.
The goal is to help make sure materials are going into the right cart and provide education when materials are not sorted correctly.
What Happens During a Route Review?
The auditor lifts the lid.
The auditor will lift the lid of your garbage, recycling, and compost carts and take a quick visual look at the contents.
The contents are visually checked.
The auditor is looking for materials that are in the wrong cart. They are not going through your garbage or inspecting what you have thrown away.
You may receive an educational notice.
If contamination is found, you may receive an “Oops” tag or educational notice explaining what was found and how to sort it correctly.
What Is Contamination?
COMPOST
Put in your compost cart:
- Food scraps
- Food-soiled paper
- Yard trimmings
Examples of contamination:
- Plastic Bags
- Recyclables
- Garbage
RECYCLING
Put in your recycling cart:
- Paper & cardboard
- Glass bottles & jars
- Cans
Examples of contamination:
- Food waste
- Garbage
- Plastic Bags
GARBAGE
Put in your garbage cart:
- Plastic Bags & plastic film
- Wrappers
- Pet waste
Examples of contamination:
- Recyclables
- Food waste
- Yard trimmings
Not Sure Where Something Goes?
