How to Recycle Food Scraps at Home

Whether you live in a single-family home or an apartment complex, recycling food scraps is easy. Take a moment to review this video on how to recycle food scraps from your kitchen at home.

“Help!”

“I need to know where my business can purchase approved compostable can liners.” Click here to find a list of vendors our friends at Salinas Valley Recycles have found that sell the only type of bag that can be used in the food scraps recycling program.

If it Grows, it Goes!

Residential Customers: Click here to learn how to collect your food scraps.

School Cafeteria Food Waste Recycling

Click here to learn more about how we and our partners can help your school comply with state laws requiring food waste recycling in your district.

Why?

The State of California has passed several laws in recent years to address the need to remove organic wastes from landfills. When landfilled, organic materials such as food waste and yard waste generate methane gas, a potent greenhouse gas that is harmful to the environment. Methane gas is 84 times more potent than carbon dioxide and contributes to global warming and climate change. US Department of Agriculture researchers estimate that 30-40 percent of the food supply ends up as food waste, with 31 percent of that loss taking place at the retail (business) and consumer (home) levels.

It is important that businesses and consumers work to reduce food waste and that communities work to put programs in place to keep organic materials such as food waste and yard waste out of landfills. That’s where composting comes in. Tri-Cities Disposal & Recycling residential and business customers can utilize our green waste collection cart service to keep yard waste and landscaping waste out of the landfill. In 2020, Salinas Valley Recycles expanded their composting operations at the Johnson Canyon Landfill to take food waste from large and small businesses such as food processors, restaurants, schools, residential care facilities, and grocery stores. In 2021, Tri-Cities introduced a food waste collection program to service these customers. This service is mandatory for qualified businesses. Read below to learn whether your business is required to subscribe to this service. If you have any questions or would like to begin this service at your business, call us (toll-free) at 1-888-678-6798.

What?

AB 1826: Mandatory Organics Recycling for Businesses and Public Entities
This law requires businesses, public entities (like schools), and multi-family complexes (5 units or more and generating 2 or more cubic yards of total solid waste per week) to divert organic waste or subscribe to an organics recycling program. Total solid waste includes garbage, mixed recycling, cardboard recycling, and organic waste.

This law requires the following:

• All qualified businesses, public facilities (including schools), and multi-family complexes must divert landscaping (yard waste) from the landfill

• All qualified businesses that prepare, process, serve, or sell food must divert food waste from the landfill

Visit the CalRecycle website here to read more about this law.

SB 1383: Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCP): Organic Waste Methane Emissions Reductions
For businesses and multi-family complexes, this law expands the requirements set forth in AB 1826. Businesses that serve food must arrange for organics recycling service and provide interior collection containers. Recycling containers must be placed adjacent to trash containers, easily accessible, and clearly marked. In addition to yard waste diversion, multi-family complexes (5 units or more and generating 2 or more cubic yards of total solid waste per week) will be required to support a food waste collection program for their tenants. In most cases, this will be done by subscribing to the waste hauler’s food waste collection cart service.

Visit the CalRecycle website here to read more about this law.

How?

Businesses can subscribe to commercial organics or food scrap recycling services by calling their city business office. Single-family residential customers can now place approved food waste items in their existing green yard waste/organics cart. Organics service for multi-family residential customers is now operational. Complexes that already have a green yard waste/organics cart can begin using it for both yard waste and food scraps. Click here for more information on what can be placed in the cart and what should not be placed in the cart.

For Single-family Residents

Residents who wish to add or change trash service levels can do so by calling their city’s business office.

Tri-Cities Disposal & Recycling residential customers receive these services as part of their trash service:

• Mixed recycling cart service

• Organics cart service (combined food scraps & yard waste)

  • Would you like a FREE food scraps collection pail? Pick one up at your city hall business office (available first-come-first-served)

• Curbside used motor oil & filter collection service (call for a container at 1-888-678-6798 or click here for more information)

• Curbside household battery collection service (click here for more information)

• Curbside bulky item collection service by appointment (call for an appointment at 1-888-678-6798 or click here for more information)

To learn more about all of our residential services, click here for the Tri-Cities Disposal & Recycling Residential Service Guide

For Multi-family Complexes (Apartments)

Tri-Cities Disposal & Recycling is now offering the following:

Click here for the Tri-Cities Disposal & Recycling Commercial & Multi-family Services Guide

• Mixed recycling cart service (included with your trash service)

• Cardboard recycling dumpster service (at no additional charge and where appropriate)

• Organics cart service (combined food scraps & yard waste) (fees apply)

  • Apartment complex owners and managers can contact city hall to set up service

  • Contact us at 888-678-6798 to receive all materials necessary to educate tenants

• Bulky item collection service by appointment (apartment managers call 1-888-678-6798 or click here for more information)

For Businesses

Click here for the Tri-Cities Disposal & Recycling Organics Recycling Quick Start Guide

Food processors can click here for more information on composting packaged food products

Click here for the Tri-Cities Disposal & Recycling Commercial & Multi-family Services Guide

Tri-Cities Disposal & Recycling is now offering:

• Mixed recycling cart service (included with your trash service)

• Cardboard recycling dumpster service (at no additional charge and where appropriate)

• Landscape waste cart service (fees apply)

• Food scraps cart service (fees apply)

• Institutional size (roll-off) dumpster service for all services listed above

For Schools

Tri-Cities Disposal & Recycling is now offering:

• Mixed recycling cart service (included with your trash service)

  • Resources for teachers to foster environmental literacy for students

• Cardboard recycling dumpster service (at no additional charge and where appropriate)

• Landscape waste cart service (fees apply)

• Food scraps cart service (fees apply)

  • More information to support your school’s food waste recycling program