Commercial Services Required by Law

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.

Commercial 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. Commercial 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:
    • Garbage Contamination
    • Compost Contamination
    • Recycling Contamination
• Commercial businesses must also provide or arrange for organic waste collection services for employees, contractors, tenants and customers and provide information to tenants within 14 days of occupation of the premises.
• Commercial businesses must annually provide information about organic and recycling separation requirements to employees, contractors, tenants and customers.
• Commercial businesses must provide color coded or labeled containers for the collection of organic waste and non-organic recyclable in all areas where disposal containers are provided for customers, except for restrooms.
  • See the Commercial Organics and Recycling Bins AB 827 tab for rules on bin markings and locations.
  • Print our cart posters/labels to help your employees, tenants, and customers sort correctly.

Not sure what material belongs in what cart (or container/bin)?

Visit these pages to find out:

• Commercial Compost
• Commercial Recycling
• Commercial Garbage

Need help with education? Print our Recycling Posters and put them up at your organics, recycling, and garbage stations to encourage proper sorting.

Food Generators Required to Recover Edible Food

The second portion of SB 1383, the recovery of edible food waste, applies only to commercial food generators and implementation is split into two tiers:

For more information about SB 1383 edible food recovery visit the CalRecycle website or Zero Waste Marin.

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.

Requirements

AB 827 amended two existing laws (the Mandatory Commercial Recycling law and the Mandatory Commercial Recycling Organics Recycling law) and requires businesses to make composting and recycling bins accessible to customers at restaurants, malls, and other businesses.

For more information, visit the CalRecycle website.

How to Comply

Provide clearly-marked bins for customers to properly sort waste, recycling, and compost. 

Need help with labels or posters?

Print bin labels and posters and put them up around your business and at your public recycling stations to encourage proper recycling and composting.

Requirements

AB 341 requires that a business (includes public entities) that generates four (4) cubic yards or more of commercial solid waste per week 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.

1. 1. Self-haul.
   2. 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. 
   3. Arrange for the pickup of recyclable materials.
   4. Subscribe to a recycling service that may include mixed waste processing that yields diversion results comparable to source separation.

Need help getting your employees on board?

Print our Recycling Posters and put them up around your business and at your recycle stations to encourage proper recycling.

Requirements

As of January 2020, AB 1826 requires that businesses and multifamily complexes that generate two (2) or more cubic yards of solid waste per week must recycle organic waste. Businesses meeting that solid waste threshold must arrange for composting services for food waste, green waste, landscape and pruning waste, nonhazardous wood waste, and food-soiled paper waste. These are the items that normally go into your Mill Valley Refuse 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.

1. Source-separate organic waste from other waste and subscribe to an organic waste recycling service that specifically includes collection and recycling of organic waste.
2. Recycle organic waste on-site, or self-haul organic waste for organic recycling.
3. 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. 
4. Sell or donate the generated organic waste.

Need help getting your employees on board?

Print our Compost Posters and put them up around your business and at your organics recycle stations to encourage proper composting.