RESIDENTIAL GREEN WASTE& FOOD SCRAPS SERVICE
Did you know that residents of El Cerrito can put food scraps and food-soiled paper along with yard trimmings in their green waste carts for weekly curbside collection AND it’s the law?
Removing organic material from the landfill is a top priority for all of California. When organic material like food waste and green waste is landfilled, it breaks down and creates Methane – a greenhouse gas 80x more powerful than Carbon Dioxide. More methane creates greater climate changes leading to droughts and wildfires.
Do your part to stop climate change by placing your food scraps, yard waste and food-soiled paper in your green cart! Composting produces a soil amendment for farmers and helps reduce greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.
Effective January 1, 2022, a new law (SB 1383) requires that all Californian’s properly sort their organic waste for composting from materials that go to the landfill. This service is included as part of your residential service package with East Bay Sanitary. The good news is, as long as you’re sorting all your organic waste into your green cart, you’re in compliance.
What Belongs in Green Waste/Food Scraps
Residents of El Cerrito can put food scraps and food-soiled paper along with yard trimmings in their green waste cart for weekly curbside collection. Please remember that any materials extending beyond the rim of any cart will be subject to an extra charge or your cart not being picked up.
These materials can be placed in the green waste/food scraps cart.
Green Waste
- Grass clippings, yard trimmings, tree branches (up to 3 feet), weeds, leaves, flowers, pine needles
- Unpainted or untreated wood scraps.
Food Scraps
- Fruits and vegetables,
- Food scraps (meat, bones, bread, pasta, egg shells, coffee grounds, and dairy).
Food-Soiled Paper
- Used paper plates, paper cups, napkins, paper bags.
- Pizza boxes
- Plain, white shredded office paper can also go in the green waste cart.
What Doesn’t Belong in Green Waste/Food Scraps
These materials are not allowed in the green waste/food scraps cart.
- Plastic bags
- Milk and juice cartons
- Lawn sod
- Ash or burned material
- Painted or treated wood
- Pet waste or manure
- Dirt, rock, sand or concrete
- Palm fronds, poison oak/ivy, yucca root, blackberry vines, and bamboo
Green Waste/Food Scraps Contamination
Contamination occurs when a non-compostable item is placed in your green waste/food scraps cart. Besides potentially ruining good organic material, contamination increases labor costs at processing plants as workers try to separate contaminated material from good material. California’s SB 1383 Organics Law requires all generators of waste (businesses, public entities, and single/multifamily residents) to properly sort their waste.
Common Recycling Contaminants
Dirt or Rock (if you aren’t able to reuse, call our office to determine if the amount warrants extra pick up or a debris box)
Pressure Treated, Painted, or Stained Wood (see Hazardous Waste)
Pet Waste (should go into trash)
Plastic Bags (recycle at your local supermarket or put in your garbage Cart)
- Bioplastics (except ASTM D6400 compostable bags)
Diapers (should go into your garbage cart)
Extra Green Waste/Food Scraps
If you have extra green waste that does not fit inside your cart, you must call East Bay Sanitary office at least one (1) business day before your collection day and before 2:00 p. m.
- There is a charge for extra green waste
- Extra green waste must be placed in special 30 gallon recyclable green waste paper bags that can be purchased at your local hardware store. You may also use a reusable container that can be safely dumped and placed back at the curb.
- GREEN WASTE WILL NOT BE TAKEN IN PLASTIC BAGS!
- Please keep green waste bags and reusable containers to a 30 pound weight limit.
On occasion, our driver might tag your cart when a cart is overloaded and you will be charged for the extra green waste even though an order was not called in.
Garbage & Green Waste/Food Scraps Missed Collection
Did we miss collecting your organics and or garbage cart(s) or did you forget to set them out?
- If our driver misses emptying your cart(s), please call our office. If you discover your cart was not emptied after office hours, please leave a message on our 24-hour voice mail system at 510.237.4321 so we can send the driver back the following morning.
- If you accidentally forgot to set-out your cart(s), please call our office hours and ask for the driver to take an extra bag the next pick-up day equal to your missed collection without charge.
- If you cannot wait until the next week to set-out extra garbage and/or green waste, we can go back and empty the cart(s) for an additional $25 per cart.
Free Kitchen Pails
El Cerrito residents can request a free food scraps pail to be delivered to their home by calling 510-215-4350 or emailing [email protected].
Materials Guide
Check out the Materials Guide for information about recycling and garbage services in El Cerrito. Available in English, Spanish, and Chinese.
Recycling Laws
All residents and businesses must separate recycling and organic waste from garbage by law.
ABOUT EAST BAY SANITARY
We have been serving the El Cerrito Community for 80 years. The residents of El Cerrito can take pride in the fact that they are participating in a premier and cutting-edge waste management system and that East Bay Sanitary is working very hard to manage our resources and preserve our environment in the best ways possible.- East Bay Sanitary Company, Inc.
- Phone Hours: 7:30 am - 3:30 pm
- 510.237.4321
- 510.237.1340
- Walk-in Hours: 8:00 am - 3:30 pm
- 1432 Kearney Street, El Cerrito CA 94530
- Mailing Address: PO Box 1316, El Cerrito, CA 94530
© 2024 East Bay Sanitary Company, Inc.