Business and Multi-Family Complex Mandates
State Assembly Bill (AB) 341 requires all businesses that generate four cubic yards or more of commercial waste, and multi-family complexes with five or more units, to have a recycling program in place. In addition, part of California Senate Bill 1383 requires all waste generators to have an organic waste diversion program.
The City is allowing businesses and multi-family complexes to submit the Alternate Recycling Program Form as an option of fulfilling the AB 341 requirement. There is also an Organics Waiver Application that can be submitted to the City for review of exemption of the requirements of SB 1383. There is also the Let's Go Zero Waste brochure that shows how to separate waste correctly.
Waste Collection Changes
California Senate Bill (SB) 1383 set methane emissions reduction targets in a statewide effort to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants. One of the targets is to reduce organic waste disposal 75% by 2025. Organic waste makes up half of what Californians dump in landfills and emits 20% of the State’s methane. The City of Tracy is making changes to the waste collection services to comply with the changes necessary. Below is more information on these changes.
In October 2014, Governor Brown signed AB 1826 - Mandatory Commercial Organics Recycling (MORe), requiring businesses to recycle their organic waste on and after April 1, 2016 depending on the amount of waste generated each week. This applies to all businesses that produce four or more cubic yards of garbage weekly and multi-family residential complexes with five or more units. Organics waste is defined as food waste, green waste, landscape and pruning waste, nonhazardous wood waste, and food-soiled paper waste that is mixed in with food waste.
The requirements of the MORe program are to reduce the statewide disposal of organics waste. Initially, if by 2020, the amount of organic waste going to the landfill has not been reduced by 50% of the level of disposal during 2014, the organics recycling requirements on businesses will expand. The requirements for multi-family complexes remains the same.
Unfortunately, the goal to reduce organics waste statewide by 50% was not met. Therefore, the requirements now cover businesses that generate two cubic yards or more of commercial solid waste per week. This includes all waste (garbage, recycle, and organic waste).
More information on AB1826 Mandatory Commercial Organics Recycling
To setup an organics waste program, please contact the City of Tracy Finance Department at (209) 831-6800 or email customerservice@cityoftracy.org. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at (209) 831-6300, email connie.lopes@cityoftracy.org.
The City of Tracy would like to inform businesses and multi-family complexes in our community about State laws regarding recycling. The State of California passed two bills regarding commercial and multi-family recycling regulations, Assembly Bill (AB) 32 (California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006) and Assembly Bill 341. The purpose of the laws is to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions (use less natural resources and reduce emissions by manufacturing products from recycled materials) in the State by diverting commercial solid waste through recycling programs.
Approximately 66% of California’s solid waste is generated from the commercial sector and 9% is from multi-family residential complexes. In order for the State to see further reductions in emissions, they are requiring all cities by July 1, 2012 to have a mandatory recycling program for all businesses that generate four cubic yards of refuse or more per week and all multi-family complexes with five or more units.
The City’s role is to provide a recycling program that includes outreach and educational materials. It is the responsibility of businesses to determine if they are required to participate and to implement the program. Those businesses that are not required to participate are still strongly encouraged to recycle. Recycling is better for the environment and can save money. If you currently have recycling in place, you are in compliance with AB32 and AB341.
As the Recycling Analyst for the City of Tracy, I am available to assist your business or multi-family complex in implementing a recycling program. The City’s recycling hauler, Tracy Disposal, is also available to assist in establishing a program that best fits your business needs. A business or multi-family complex recycling program will help your business reduce the amount of waste you are sending to the landfill, but could also reduce the size of garbage containers you have or the number of pickups.
The City of Tracy is committed to reducing the amount waste that is generated in our community and to reduce our carbon footprint. Recycling programs will help the City to achieve these goals and also help to decrease the amount of natural resources used to make products we use every day. Increasing public awareness on the importance of recycling will benefit all of us and our future generations.
More information about the State Mandated Bills
If you have any questions, would like to start your program, or if you would like to expand your current recycling program to further reduce your carbon footprint, please feel free to contact me at (209) 831-6300, email connie.lopes@cityoftracy.org; contact the City's Finance Department at (209) 831-6800, email customerservice@cityoftracy.org; or contact Tracy Disposal at (209) 835-0601, email jennifer@tdswm.com.
