Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, everyone is required to participate. If you choose not to participate, you may receive contamination charges from your waste collection service provider. As of January 2024, the state allows jurisdictions, at their discretion, to fine residents and businesses who are not participating in the city's established organics recycling program.

Organic waste is any biodegradable material that comes from a plant or animal. This includes items like:

• Food scraps
• Yard waste
• Lumber, scrap wood, and plywood
• Food-soiled paper waste

When organic waste is diverted from the landfill, methane emissions are reduced — making our community a healthier place. Organic waste can be used to create eco-friendly products such as mulch, compost, renewable energy, and other natural soil amendments.

The odor released from kitchen food scraps is a common concern. Here are some tips to help prevent and reduce odors:

• Line your container with newspaper or brown paper bags to absorb the moisture and keep the container clean
• Sprinkle baking soda on the lining or lightly spray with a mixture of tea tree oil and water
• Store your container in a cool place (like the fridge or freezer)
• Invest in a high-quality food scrap bin with charcoal filters
• Empty your food scraps bin every 2-3 days
• Wait to clean out the fridge and throw out food scraps until the night before garbage collection day

Yes! Home composting is an effective and efficient way to reduce your waste stream at home. By composting, you are creating a valuable soil amendment that can benefit your landscape and boost plant growth. View CalRecycle’s instructions to learn more about composting at home.

Santa Clara County’s Composting Education Program is a partnership with the cities and County of Santa Clara that seeks to educate our community about composting. Learn more about workshops, upcoming events, and compost pick up.

• Buy only what you need at the grocery store. Create meal plans and shopping lists before your trip so you shop strategically.
• Store food wisely. Move older products to the front of your pantry or fridge and new ones to the back. Use airtight containers to keep open food fresh in the fridge and ensure packets are closed to stop insects from getting in.
• Pay attention to food labeling. There’s a difference between “best before” and “use-by” dates.
• Eat your leftovers. If you don’t eat everything you make, freeze it for later or use the leftovers as an ingredient in another meal.
• Donate food that would otherwise be wasted. For example, social media platforms (like Nextdoor) can connect neighbors with each other and with local businesses so surplus food can be shared, not thrown away.
• Learn more about organic waste reduction:
  • Ways to Prevent Wasted Food at Home (EPA)
  • The Scraps Book: A Waste-Less Cookbook 
  • SaveTheFood.com
  • BayAreaRecycling.org

Santa Clara County haulers vary by jurisdiction. Whether you reside in a Santa Clara County City or an unincorporated area, find your hauler’s information at ReduceWaste.org by selecting your jurisdiction from the list on the left-hand side of the webpage.

Depending on your jurisdiction, some residents may participate in a multi-cart system and others may have mixed waste carts. For cities that do not require that residents separate organic waste at the source (i.e. your home), the waste goes into a high diversion facility, which is a facility designed to separate organic waste from garbage after it arrives at the site.

The best way to identify which items go in each cart is to look at the labels on your curbside cart and/or reach out to your specific city or hauler. Find your hauler’s information at ReduceWaste.org by selecting your jurisdiction from the list on the left-hand side of the webpage.

Under SB 1383, certain businesses and institutions must recover any surplus edible food, often by donating it to a food recovery organization or service. This food is typically given to food insecure neighbors across Santa Clara County.

The public waste sorting options available will vary depending on where you are. If you’re out and about and notice that separate bins for organic and recyclable materials are available, please pay attention to the labels on those bins and sort your waste accordingly.