Commercial Organic Recycling

The City of Yorba Linda, along with every city in the state of California, is required by State law to implement enforcement compliance with both recycling and organic waste recycling programs. California Senate Bill 1383 (SB 1383), requires reductions of organic waste in landfills as part of a greater plan to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants. SB 1383 establishes targets to achieve a 50% reduction in statewide disposal of organic waste from the 2014 level by 2020 and a 75% reduction by 2025.

In June 2022 Commercial businesses and multi-family complexes (5+ units) with commercial accounts received a brochure and reminder letter to subscribe to recycling and organics recycling.  If you haven’t already done so beginning this July 1, 2022, all businesses and multi-family dwellings in the City of Yorba Linda will be required to subscribe to both recycling and organics waste recycling collection services through the City’s waste hauler, Republic Services by September 30, 2022, or provide evidence of having a third-party recycling program.  Those Commercial Businesses, Food Generating Businesses, and Multi-family Complexes (5+ units) that have yet to legally enroll/subscribe in the program will now have to be auto-enrolled as required by the State of California and monitored by CalRecycle. Please be sure to view the Legislative Issues Affecting Waste and Recycling for additional information regarding your requirements of SB 1383. For additional resources view CalRecycle and OC Waste Recycling websites.

What is Considered Organic Waste?

Organic waste includes food waste such as vegetables, fruits, cooked meats scraps, dairy, bread, pasta, rice, grains, eggshells, coffee grounds, tea bags, plate scraps, food-soiled paper (i.e., used pizza boxes), and yard waste such as tree trimmings, grass clippings and leaves, and nonhazardous wood waste. Your efforts to separate organics, food scraps, and yard is intended to divert these materials from the landfill, and instead be transported to a composting or anaerobic digestion facility providing for renewable energies or products. Thus, helping to eliminate harmful air emissions from our environment.

How to Comply

Please contact Kate Schlentz with Republic Services at 714-238-3342 or Nicki Patino to subscribe to this mandatory organics collection service. Businesses can also comply by providing evidence of having a third-party organics recycling program that diverts organics from landfilling, or by self-hauling the materials to an appropriate facility.

Not Sure What You Need?

Republic Services is here to help! Email Kate Schlentz or Nicki Patino to schedule a free waste assessment to help determine which level of organics service will be the most cost-effective and appropriate for your business or multi-family property.

Next Steps

Auto-enrollment rollout will begin in phases over the next 4 months.  Commercial businesses, including multi-family complexes with commercial accounts, have been receiving Letter Notices annually and again most recently in June 2022 encouraging participation and educating the business as to the State Mandate that now requires jurisdictions, such as cities and counties to enforce the requirements of SB 1383.  For those commercial accounts that are currently in non-compliance, they will be receiving or have received a Final Notice of Service Changes. The first phase of container drop-offs is to begin in December 2022, with the last phase of container drop-offs to occur in February 2023.  

Waiver

If you believe that your property does not generate more than 20 gallons of organic waste per week or if your property does not have the space to accommodate additional containers within your outside trash enclosure, inside your building, or at a location out of public view, you may be eligible for a waiver. Please review the requirements in the waiver application link provided below. If you feel your business qualifies, please fill out the application and return it via email prior to your container drop-off week listed in your notice. All waiver requests will need to be verified by a Republic Services representative via an in-person site visit and will then be reviewed by the City for final approval/denial.

Thank you for your cooperation. We look forward to supporting you in your new recycling programs and working together to better our community.

View the Waiver Application