Mandatory Organic Recycling Program
California State law (Senate Bill 1383) requires all residents, multi-family complexes, and businesses to recycle organic materials (i.e. food waste and green waste.)
The new requirements are part of a statewide effort to reduce harmful methane emissions. Recycling organic waste is a small change with big environmental benefits. Composting food scraps and green waste reduces the amount of waste that is taken to landfills, a major source of methane emissions. If everyone in the United States composted their food waste, the impact would be equivalent to removing 7.8 million cars from the road.
The City of Claremont offers programs to meet the needs of our residents and businesses. Please see below for program details.
Residential Organic Recycling
All residential customers must place food scraps in the green waste container (green lid) rather than in the trash container (black lid). Items placed in the green container will be composted for more sustainable processing. The only thing that will change is how you sort your food scraps. Your trash, recycling, and green containers will still be serviced the same day, place, and time. We simply ask that you place any food scraps in the green container.
Suitable food scraps include fruits and vegetables, grains, meats, bones, dry/solid dairy products, eggshells, and coffee grounds. Green waste including grass clippings, leaves, plant prunings, flowers, twigs, and small branches (less than 4 inches in diameter and 4 feet long) should also continue to be placed in the green container. As a courtesy reminder, palm fronds, cacti, succulents, dirt, rock, and animal waste are not compostable and should always be placed in the trash container. Palm fronds in particular are a significant source of contamination, which can lead to increased costs.
Tips for Collecting Food Scraps
- Use a reusable container with a tight-fitting lid to collect food scraps in your kitchen.
- Empty your food waste container into the green barrel every few days. Wash your kitchen container frequently with hot water and detergent.
- Layer food waste between layers of green waste to help keep your container tidy.
- Chill it! Put leftovers in a container and keep them in your refrigerator or freezer until close to collection day.
- When needed, residents can place messy food waste in clear plastic bags. Using clear bags allows the composting company to inspect the bag's contents before opening. Plastic bags can then be removed and discarded. Bags do not need to be compostable or biodegradable since they will be removed at the facility, but they must be see-through. Since plastic bags contribute to the waste stream, we recommend trying the above options first.
Countertop Composting Pails Available for Purchase
To help residents collect food scraps in their homes, the City is now offering 2-gallon countertop composting pails for $5 each. The pails have a snap-tight lid, hand grips for dumping, a locking seal to prevent odors, and are dishwasher safe. They are small enough to sit on the counter or be placed under the sink or in a cabinet. To purchase a countertop container or for more information regarding payment and pick-up/delivery options, residents are encouraged to contact the Community Services Department at (909) 399-5431.
Benefits of Composting
While reducing food waste is the most important step we can take to save money and lead a more sustainable life, composting is a more sustainable alternative to landfill. Claremont's Sustainable City Plan sets ambitious targets for reducing our carbon footprint and protecting our climate and composting helps further those goals.
- Recycling food and organic waste helps to reduce harmful methane emissions that contribute to global warming. In landfills, food waste produces a lot of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that causes climate change.
- Compost helps enrich and return valuable nutrients to our soil.
- To learn more about composting at home, please contact Sustainable Claremont at outreach@sustainableclaremont.org.