Apartment Services Required by Law
California has set ambitious goals to reduce statewide solid waste disposal and divert resources from landfill. These laws require businesses (including public entities) and multifamily dwellings (apartments) to recycle and compost to achieve this goal.
Para español, use la herramienta de traducción en la parte superior de la página.
Good News: It’s Easy to be in Compliance
Mill Valley Refuse Service has the programs you need to comply with the law. In most cases you’re already paying for these services, and you may even be doing everything you need to do now to be in compliance.
What You Need To Know
In an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, keep valuable material out of landfills, and create a healthy environment for our community and future generations by recovering natural resources, California has enacted mandatory recycling laws that impact apartment complexes.
If you have any questions, please call our office Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at (415) 457-9760.
SB 1383 Short-Lived Climate Pollutants
SB 1383
is a statewide effort to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants such as methane. The super pollutant reduction strategy rules set in SB 1383 for organics recycling and edible food recovery are part of California’s bold effort to fast track climate progress by reducing landfill methane emissions.
When organic waste (or compost) such as food waste, green waste, landscape and pruning waste, food-soiled paper, and non hazardous wood waste is sent to landfill, it decomposes anaerobically (without oxygen) which creates methane — one of the most potent greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere. Methane is a short-lived climate pollutant that is 84 times stronger than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. NASA recently captured satellite images of California landfills and published an inventory showing them as super emitters of methane.
Diverting organic waste to recycling is an integral part of the state’s climate change program and can significantly reduce the impacts of climate change in our lifetime.
Specifically, SB 1383 sets the following targets:
- Reduce statewide disposal of organic waste by 50% by January 1, 2020 and by 75% by January 1, 2025 (based on 2014 levels).
- Rescue at least 20% of currently disposed of edible food for human consumption by 2025.
Apartment/Multifamily Requirements
SB 1383 went into effect January 1, 2022 and establishes targets to significantly reduce the disposal of organic waste in landfill and recover edible food. Multifamily (apartment) requirements are as follows:
- All generators of waste (businesses, public entities, and single/multifamily residents) must properly sort their waste, by either placing food scraps, food/beverage soiled paper products, and yard trimmings in the compost, or self-hauling compostable material to a composting facility or program. Generators must also place recyclables including unsoiled paper and cardboard (and cans and bottles) in their recycling cart. The garbage cart should not be contaminated with organic materials or recyclables. Jurisdictions (cities, counties and special districts) have the authority to assess a fine for non-compliance.
- We’ve made this easy for you! Commercial Compost, Recycling, and Garbage Service are all part of your normal service package with Mill Valley Refuse. If you do not currently utilize your Compost Service, please contact our office for help.
- Contamination occurs when anything that doesn’t belong in that particular cart (compost, recycling, or garbage) is placed in the cart for collection. Learn more:
- Multifamily building owners or their designee shall annually educate employees and tenants on proper sorting of materials.
- Multifamily building owners or their designee shall provide information to new tenants before or within 14 days of occupation of the premises.
 | Need help with education?Print our Recycling Posters and put them up at your organics, recycling, and garbage stations to encourage proper sorting. |
We’re here to help!
If you have any questions, please call our office Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at (415) 457-9760.
AB 341
Requirements
AB 341 requires that a multifamily complex (designated as five or more units) shall arrange for recycling services.
For more information, visit the CalRecycle website.
How to Comply
The requirement to recycle can be met by taking one or any combination of the following actions, provided that the action is in compliance with local ordinances and requirements.
The requirement to recycle can be met by taking one or any combination of the following actions, provided that the action is in compliance with local ordinances and requirements.
- Self-haul.
- Subscribe to recycling service. We’ve made this easy for you! Recycling service is part of your normal garbage service package with Mill Valley Refuse.
- Arrange for the pickup of recyclable materials.
- Subscribe to a recycling service that may include mixed waste processing that yields diversion results comparable to source separation.
A property owner of a multifamily residential dwelling may require tenants to source separate their recyclable materials to aid in compliance with this section.
Need help getting your tenants on board?
Print our Recycling Posters and put them up around at your recycle stations to encourage proper recycling.
AB 1826
Requirements
AB 1826 requires that businesses and multifamily complexes with five (5) units or more that generate two (2) or more cubic yards of solid waste per week must recycle organic waste. Apartment meeting this criteria must arrange for recycling services for green waste, landscape and pruning waste, and nonhazardous wood waste. These are the items that normally go into your Compost Cart(s).
For more information, visit the CalRecycle website.
How to Comply
The requirement to recycle organic waste can be met by taking one or any combination of the following actions, provided that the action is in compliance with local ordinances and requirements.
- Source-separate organic waste from other waste and subscribe to an organic waste recycling service that specifically includes collection and recycling of organic waste.
- Recycle organic waste on-site, or self-haul organic waste for organic recycling.
- Subscribe to an organic waste composting service that includes mixed-waste processing that specifically composts organic waste. We’ve made this easy for you! Compost service is part of your normal garbage service package with Mill Valley Refuse.
- Sell or donate the generated organic waste.
Need help getting your tenants on board?
Print our Recycling Posters and put them up at your organics recycle stations to encourage proper composting.
© 2022 Mill Valley Refuse Services. All rights reserved.
Developed with open source software on solar powered servers by Mobius Intelligent Systems, LLC. and Duckhorn Marketing.