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Mill Valley Refuse Commercial Services

Commercial Services Required by Law

Two laws passed by the California Legislature earlier this decade — AB 341 and AB 1826 — set ambitious goals to reduce statewide solid waste disposal up to 75% by 2020. These two laws require businesses (including public entities) and multifamily (apartment) dwellings to recycle and compost to achieve this goal.

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 two mandatory recycling laws that impact businesses.

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 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. 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 1, 2019, AB 1826 requires that businesses and multifamily complexes that generate four (4) 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).

Starting in January 2020 generators of two (2) or more cubic yards of solid waste per week will need to begin recycling organic waste if statewide disposal of organic waste is not decreased by half.

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.