AB 1826 - Mandatory Commercial Organics Recycling

Effective January 1, 2016, California Assembly Bill (AB) 1826, Mandatory Commercial Organics Recycling, requires jurisdictions to have a commercial organics recycling program in place. The law phased in the requirements on businesses and multi-family residential dwellings that consist of five (5) or more units, with full implementation in 2020: 

• Starting April 2016: Affected businesses included those that generate eight (8) or more cubic yards of organic materials per week.
• Starting January 2017, affected businesses included those that generate four (4) or more cubic yards of organic materials per week.
• Starting January 2019, affected businesses include those that generate four (4) or more cubic yards of solid waste (garbage, recycling and organics) per week.
• In 2020, CalRecycle re-assessed the effectiveness of the previous phases and determined that it was necessary to extend the requirement to businesses that generate two (2) or more cubic yards of solid waste per week.  Foster City and its franchised waste hauler will be working to get regulated businesses and complexes in compliance by the due date for implementation of December 31, 2020.

Multi-family residential properties are required to divert landscape materials (green waste) but are not required to divert food waste.

Jurisdictions are required to include information on compliance with this law in their annual reports to CalRecycle that are required per AB939.

Businesses and multi-family complexes are considered in compliance with the law if they participate in the commercial organics recycling program provided by the City's franchised waste hauler, if they self-haul the materials, or if they arrange for their pickup by another party. Jurisdictional compliance is based on businesses subscribing to organic materials collection service or demonstrating their compliance.

Education and Compliance

RethinkWaste assists the City and the franchised waste hauler with outreach and education to businesses and multi-family property owners/managers on how to comply with Assembly Bill 1826 Mandatory Commercial Organics Recycling. (Learn more here.) Recology San Mateo County, the City's franchised waste hauler, provides technical assistance to businesses to assist with setting up organics and recycling collection programs. To schedule an appointment with Recology, please call (650) 595-3900.