Recycle Your Green Waste Or Else

An increasing number of cities are threatening to fine landscape companies that are not complying with the phased implementation of a 2014 California law mandating increased recycling of landscape and pruning waste.

As of January of this year, businesses that generate four cubic yards or more of commercial solid waste in a week have to arrange for organic waste recycling services. Organic waste includes landscape and pruning waste, as well as nonhazardous wood waste.

The legislation requires the contract or work agreement between a business and a gardening or landscaping service to require the organic waste generated by those services to comply with the requirements of this act.

CLCA member Patrick Nelson of Sacramento’s Republic Services notes that communities in their service areas are starting to fine businesses for non-compliance.

Patrick, his company and other waste management companies are offering ways to help landscape contractors comply with the requirements to keep organic waste separate and have it handled appropriately. He encourages all CLCA members to work with their waste management company to develop solutions.

Another option for CLCA members is to use a recycling service like CLCA member Vision Recycling of Fremont to divert their landscape material waste and have it re-purposed/re-used. Of course, Vision Recycling only serves a small portion of our state.

Full info on the law can be found here.

Update: April 18, 2019