AB 1826 requires businesses to recycle their organic waste. This includes both public and private businesses as well as multifamily complexes* or apartment buildings of five units or more. The date at which a business is required to begin recycling their organic waste depends on how much waste the business generates each week.
*Multifamily complexes must arrange for recycling services for the same material with the exception of food waste and food-soiled paper. Torrance Municipal Code includes all multifamily units in State recycling requirements.
April 1, 2016: Businesses that generate more than 8 cubic yards of organic waste per week must recycle organic waste.
January 1, 2017: Businesses that generate more than 4 cubic yards of organic waste per week must recycle organic waste.
January 1, 2019: Businesses that generate more than 4 cubic yards of solid waste per week must recycle organic waste.
January 1, 2021: Businesses that generate more than 2 cubic yards of solid waste per week must recycle organic waste.
Most organic waste is recyclable through methods such as composting, mulching, and anaerobic digestion. Organic recycling services often accept a wide variety of different types of organic waste. The requirement to recycle organic waste can be met by taking one or any combination of the following actions:
You can contact your current refuse and/or recycling hauler for assistance, or select from any of the licensed haulers operating in Torrance.
Recyclable organic waste accounts for about 40% of all the materials Californians send to landfills each year. The new organic recycling requirements within AB 1826 will help the state meet its goal to recycle 75 percent of its waste by 2020.
CalRecycle offers a complete set of answers to Frequently Asked Questions about AB 1826, including information about exemptions, compliance and reporting. For additional questions, contact City of Torrance Public Works at (310) 781-6900 or send an email to [email protected].
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