Residents are now required to separate their organic waste from the trash by placing all food and yard waste in the green container for composting.

These changes are part of California’s new Senate Bill (SB) 1383, California’s Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy. This bill was passed in an effort to divert organics (green waste and food waste) from our landfills to help further reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change.

Food waste consists of meat, fish, poultry, dairy products, fruits, vegetables, bread, pasta, rice, grains, eggshells, coffee grounds, plate scrapings, and minimal amounts of food soiled paper. Your organic waste will be diverted from the landfill and recycled into nutrient-rich compost.

In January 2022, Waste Management delivered a free kitchen pail to each Laguna Beach residence. This was a one-time delivery to help residents separate their food scraps at home, and no additional pails will be provided.

Place your kitchen food scraps inside the pail and empty the contents directly into the green organic waste container for service on their regularly scheduled collection day. It is recommended that you line the green organics bin with yard trimmings before emptying your food scraps in order to keep your green bin clean. 

To learn more about this state mandated program and how to use your containers, download the SB 1383 -Residential Service Guide. For additional information on what can and cannot be recycled, check out our Recycling Guide for Your Home and our Co-mingled Organic Waste Recycling Guide. 

Thank you for your efforts to help the State of California reach its goal of diverting 75% of organic waste from landfills by 2025. We look forward to working through this change with you.

For further assistance regarding your program and services, please contact WM at (949) 642-1191 or lagunabeach@wm.com.