Commercial & Organic Waste Recycling

There are new laws which apply to businesses and multi-family buildings with five (5) or more units.  The basics of each new recycling law are listed below.

Mandatory Commercial Recycling (MCR)

    • Does your business generate 4 cubic yards of trash (or more) per week or are you a multi-family building with more than five (5) units? 
  • If so, then your business falls under this law that REQUIRES your business to recycle.  
AB 341 Calrecycle
AB 341 CalRecycle

Mandatory Commercial Recycling Law  –  Assembly Bill 341 

    As of July 1, 2012, California State law requires the following business to arrange for recycling services:

o    Any business that generates 4 cubic yards or more of waste per week; Any multi-family establishment of 5 or more units

Businesses and Multi-Family communities that meet the threshold must recycle at the place of work or job site. The following are recycling options to comply with the mandate:

Please note, by recycling, you may be able to reduce the size of your garbage bin/cart/dumpster and that will also reduce the bill that goes with the larger container!

Please call the Solid Waste Authority (530.252.1273) or C&S Waste Solutions (530.252.1200) for any questions you may have about the Mandatory Commercial Recycling Law.

Note: California State law requires apartment owners to offer recycling services at resident(s) request. Apartment owners may require tenants to recycle.

View the Mandatory Commercial Recycling Flyer  that is sent or hand delivered to businesses each year

Business Recycling MCR Flyer

Mandatory Commercial Organics Recycling (MORe)

Click here for information on this new law (AB 1826 Chesbro)

Here is a list of the upcoming implementation dates for this new law:

Implementation Dates and Thresholds

The law phases in the requirements for businesses, including multifamily residential dwellings that consist of five or more units,* over time based on the amount and type of waste the business produces on a weekly basis, with full implementation realized in 2019. Additionally, the law contains a 2020 trigger that will increase the scope of affected businesses if waste reduction targets are not met. The implementation schedule is as follows:

  • January 1, 2016: Local jurisdictions shall have an organic waste recycling program in place. Jurisdictions shall conduct outreach and education to inform businesses how to recycle organic waste in the jurisdiction, as well as monitoring to identify those not recycling and to notify them of the law and how to comply.

  • April 1, 2016: Businesses that generate 8 cubic yards of organic waste per week shall arrange for organic waste recycling services.

  • January 1, 2017: Businesses that generate 4 cubic yards of organic waste per week shall arrange for organic waste recycling services.

  • August 1, 2017, and Ongoing: Jurisdictions shall provide information about their organic waste recycling program implementation in the annual report submitted to CalRecycle. (See above for a description of the information to be provided.)

  • Fall 2018: After receipt of the 2017 annual reports submitted on August 1, 2018, CalRecycle shall conduct its formal review of those jurisdictions that are on a two-year review cycle.

  • January 1, 2019: Businesses that generate 4 cubic yards or more of commercial solid waste per week shall arrange for organic waste recycling services.

  • Fall 2020: After receipt of the 2019 annual reports submitted on August 1, 2020, CalRecycle shall conduct its formal review of all jurisdictions.

  • Summer/Fall 2021: If CalRecycle determines that the statewide disposal of organic waste in 2020 has not been reduced by 50 percent of the level of disposal during 2014, the organic recycling requirements on businesses will expand to cover businesses that generate 2 cubic yards or more of commercial solid waste per week. Additionally, certain exemptions may no longer be available if this target is not met.

SB 1383 Reducing Short-Lived Climate Pollutants in California

As it pertains to CalRecycle, SB 1383 establishes targets to achieve a 50 percent reduction in the level of the statewide disposal of organic waste from the 2014 level by 2020 and a 75 percent reduction by 2025. The law grants CalRecycle the regulatory authority required to achieve the organic waste disposal reduction targets and establishes an additional target that not less than 20 percent of currently disposed of edible food is recovered for human consumption by 2025.

Visit CalRecycle’s website @ https://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/organics/slcp/education for more information.