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SITE NAVIGATION

Multi-Family Waste Requirements

Multi-Family Organic Material Recycling

Multi-Family Waste Requirements

Multi-Family Organic Material Recycling

What is the law?

Multi-family properties - those with five or more units on one parcel - must meet state mandates for diverting mixed recyclables and organics (food waste, food-soiled paper, and green waste) from landfill disposal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Currently this means all multi-family properties must separate their waste into:

1. Recyclables
2. Organics (food waste, food-soiled paper, and green waste)
3. Garbage

Property manager requirements

Property managers are responsible for ensuring compliance with applicable solid waste regulations and local codes at their property. Requirements include:

1. All multi-family properties must divert their mixed recycling and organic waste (food scraps, food-soiled paper, and green waste) from out of their garbage bin.

This means property managers must provide a separate organics container to tenants in addition to trash and mixed recycling containers.
This three-bin system will allow everyone to properly dispose of organic materials separately from garbage and mixed recyclables.

2. Ensure services meet the minimum volume and frequency of collection requirements:

Garbage (Grey Bin): Must be collected at least once every seven (7) days and be sufficient to prevent overflow.
Mixed Recycling (Blue Bin): 32-gallons per unit, or equivalent.
Organic (Green or Brown Bin): 64-gallons per 25-units, or equivalent.

3. Containers provided for solid waste must be properly labeled with the types of materials accepted and not accepted in each container.

All commercial containers must be labeled by the commercial hauler upon delivery. If a container at your property is not properly labeled, please contact your commercial hauler to request a replacement container.

4. Within 14-days of move-in or new hire, provide education to all new tenants and new staff regarding the source-separation requirements of recyclable and organic materials, including the locations and rules governing the use of containers.

5. At least annually, each multi-family residential property shall notify employees, contractors, tenants, and residents, in writing, of recycling requirements, including what materials are required to be recycled and how to keep recyclable materials and organic material out of solid waste containers such as dumpsters, carts or roll off bins.

Annual education is required in addition to new tenant/new staff education.

What are organic materials?

Click here for resources, recorded informational webinars, education, and outreach materials.

Food Waste	Uncoated (not shiny) Food-Soiled Paper	Green Waste / Landscaping Trimmings
Cooked and raw food waste, such as uneaten vegetables, fruits, meats, dairy, bones, baked goods, etc.	Used napkins, paper cups, coffee filters, greasy pizza boxes, used paper plates, etc.	Grass clippings, small branches, leaves, cut flowers, garden trimmings, wood chips, and clean wood (no paint, no stain, etc.)

How do I comply?

Organics recycling services are mandatory. If you have not complied, your waste hauler will provide advance notice before delivering an organic recycling bin and starting the state mandated collection services. Your property may also be subject to fines and fees for non-compliance issue by the City of Sacramento.

There are three ways which you can be considered in compliance with the law. Multi-family property managers must select one or more of the following options:

1. Sign-Up for Organic Service with your waste hauler - Call your waste hauler today to sign up for organics pickup services for your multi-family property. You may also choose a different Franchised Hauler from the one you use for trash and/or recycling to collect organic material.

2. Alternative Organic Service - If your multi-family property uses one or more alternative organic material recycling services, complete and submit the Alternative Service Verification section of the Organic Material Recycling Compliance Form. You will need to provide proof of alternative services such as copies of contracts and weight tickets from disposal sites. Your property will be subject to a city inspection to verify the information you provide. Options for Alternative Services include:

Third-Party Recycler: You contract with a licensed recycler, who is not a franchised hauler, who collects and properly recycles all organic material. Required: All valid contracts between the property and each alternative service recycler must be submitted with your organic material recycling compliance form and retained on-site for verification during inspection.
Self-Haul: You self-haul all organic materials to a local organics recycling facility. Required: Copies of weigh ticket or receipts from a licensed organics recycling facility must be submitted with your organic material recycling compliance form and retained on-site for verification during inspection. Note: If you are only self-hauling green waste, all other organic materials must also be collected and properly recycled through a franchised hauler, or another option listed on this page.
Shared Container: You have a signed shared services agreement for tenants to place all organic material in an immediately adjacent commercial property's organic material recycling container to be recycled. Shared service must meet the combined minimum requirements for both commercial properties. Required: Evidence that all parties agree to sharing the container and a copy of the recycling collection services contract must be submitted with your organic material recycling compliance form and retained on-site for verification during inspection.

3. Physical Space Waiver (rare) - If your multi-family property does not have adequate space for the minimum sized 64-gallon organics collection cart (approximately 25” wide x 32” deep x 42” high), please apply for a Physical Space Waiver. Supporting documents, such as photographs of the property, are required as evidence that your property does not have space for the smallest cart available. The City will also conduct an inspection for verification purposes.

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