Commercial Services
EDCO’s New Organics Recycling Program will Collect Food Scraps and Landscape Waste Mixed Together in a Green Organics Container
Commercial Organics Coming Soon Mailer
Folleto de Productos Orgánicos Comerciales que Viene Pronto
Bilingual Commercial Organics Guide
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Place recyclable organics directly into your designated green collection container. Do not use any kind of plastic bags (including certified compostable or biodegradable bags) for any type of green waste, food waste, or other organics collection or disposal, as they contaminate the Anaerobic Digester! All organic material must be placed loosely inside the green container for collection. Paper bags are acceptable.
Please do not place any of the following materials in your designated green organics recycling container:
- No plastic bags.
- No trash or hazardous waste.
- No animal waste.
- No dirt, rocks, asphalt, concrete, sand, etc.
- No treated or lead-based painted wood or lumber.
Organic Waste
Organic waste is a renewable natural resource, and it mainly comes from yard and kitchen waste from homes, food waste, and industrial and commercial operations scraps. Mandatory recycling of organic waste is the next step to achieving California’s Zero Waste goals.
Recycling organics will be easy and convenient with EDCO’s commingled Organics Recycling program. EDCO has expanded its source-separated green waste collection to include recycling food waste. The service will allow customers to place food scraps in the same container as green waste. EDCO’s new Organics Recycling program will be a foundation for your community to achieve State mandates, including AB 1826, AB 1594, and SB 1383, which are directly related to organics recycling in the State of California.
EDCO’s Commercial Food Waste Recycling Video
To learn more about EDCO’s new Organics Recycling Program and how it will significantly impact the future of organic waste, please watch our informative video.
Why Recycle Food Waste?
Organic waste accounts for over 40% of California’s waste stream material. Organic material cannot break down when buried in a landfill, as it would in nature or a compost pile, because it decomposes without oxygen, releasing methane gas into the atmosphere.
Organic waste is recycled into valuable compost or mulch used in an organics recycling program for soil restoration. It can also be recycled by anaerobic digestion, producing nutrient-rich biofertilizer, renewable energy, and fuel. By recycling food waste, you extend valuable landfill space, which also reduces CO2 emissions and preserves our environment!
What Will Go in the Green Cart
Below are just a few examples of what will be able to be placed in your green organics cart.
Food Scraps
Fruit, vegetables, meat, bones, dairy, eggshells, prepared food
Food-Soiled Paper
Napkins, tea bags, paper plates, coffee filters
Yard Waste
Plants, leaves, branches, grass
What Can You do Now?
In the United States alone, a shocking 40% of food is uneaten, wasted, and discarded. We, as consumers are the largest producers of food waste, believe it or not, exceeding grocery stores and restaurants combined! So, the smallest changes add up and make a huge difference. Food Finders is a non-profit food recovery organization with the mission of eliminating hunger and food waste while improving nutrition in food-insecure communities. This supports pantries, shelters, agencies, missions, and more within a large part of the Southern California region. Food Finders coordinates all logistics of picking up and distributing your donated food, delivering same-day to a partner agency within your local area. No food is too small or too big, whether it’s perishable, nonperishable, or prepared food. To learn more, call (562) 283-1400 or visit foodfinders.org.
AB 1826 – California’s Commercial and Multi-Family Organics Recycling Mandate
AB 1826 requires businesses and multi-family properties that generate organic waste to arrange for recycling services for that waste, and for jurisdictions to implement a recycling program to divert organic waste from businesses and properties subject to the law, as well as report to the State of California on their progress in implementing an organic waste recycling program.
SB 1383 – Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy of 2022
SB 1383 establishes targets to achieve a 50% reduction in the level of the statewide disposal of organic waste from the 2014 level by 2020 and a 75% reduction by 2025. The law grants CalRecycle the regulatory authority required to achieve the organic waste disposal reduction targets and establishes an additional target that not less than 20% of currently disposed of edible food is recovered for human consumption by 2025.
EDCO can conduct free on-site visits to help businesses and multifamily properties comply with the state’s new mandatory recycling requirements. Contact our Customer Service office by phone or submit a fast and easy online request to arrange for organic waste recycling services.
AB 827 – California’s Commercial Recycling and Organics Container Mandate
Effective July 1, 2020, MCR and MORe-covered businesses must provide organics and recycling containers for customers to collect waste generated from products purchased and consumed on the premises (AB 827, McCarty). These containers must be placed adjacent to the trash and be visible, easily accessible, and clearly marked.
AB 827 requirements were added to existing AB 341 and AB 1826 requirements. The new law, passed in 2019, builds off existing requirements under these two laws.
- This law targets businesses that sell products meant for immediate consumption.
- Full-service restaurants do not have to provide properly labeled containers for patrons but must provide properly labeled containers next to trash containers for employees to separate recyclables and organics for customers.
Food Waste Prevention
Click here for information on a local Food Rescue Program and Food Bank.
In the United States alone, a shockingly 40% of food is uneaten, wasted, and thrown out. This results in an unfortunate misuse of resources needed to grow, process, and transport food while wasting money and accelerating climate changes. We as consumers are the largest producers of food waste, believe it or not, exceeding the grocery stores and restaurants combined! So, the smallest changes we make add up and make a huge difference. Preventing food waste in the first place typically offers the most significant financial and environmental benefits. Below are some food waste prevention tips from Save The Food:
- Shop wisely: Plan your meals for the week in advance. Shop with a list. Stick to the list and avoid impulse buys.
- Proper portions: Don’t buy or serve more than you need.
- Love your leftovers: While you’re planning your meals, prepare for nights when you’re likely to go out to eat and when you might have leftovers from earlier meals. Get creative to give leftovers another life. They are the start of a casserole or soup the day after.
- Freeze it: Frozen food will keep longer. Almost anything can be frozen! But portion out, label and date your food so that it’s easy to serve later.
- Shop your kitchen before the store: Check the fridge, freezer, and pantry for items that need to get used up before you splurge on new things.
- Don’t fall for date labels: Food doesn’t immediately spoil as soon as the date on the package has passed. Sell-by, use-by, and best-by dates are generally manufacturers’ suggestions for when an item is likely to be at its peak quality.
- Spread the word: Engage friends, family, community, and businesses in food-saving practices. Share your favorite tips with your friends and family. Encourage your local restaurants and grocery stores to avoid excessive portions and package sizes, and tell them it is ok if they run out of an item at the end of the day (so that they can avoid over-purchasing). Teach kids to value food and not to waste it.
Questions?
North San Diego County Cities & North Unincorporated Areas
Logan Betz,
(760) 744-5615 ext. 168
Vicki Betz,
(760) 744-5615 ext. 123
Fallbrook
Angela Fabian,
(760) 744-5615 ext. 289
Escondido County, Valley Center, Pauma Valley, Pala, and Poway
Dan Meyer,
(760) 745-0589 ext. 1817
Escondido
Isabel Cervantes,
(760) 745-0589 ext. 1819
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