(510) 609-1215
Food Scraps, Food Soiled Paper Items, and Yard Trimmings are Acceptable in the Green Organics Cart
FOOD SCRAPS – DID YOU KNOW THAT FOOD SCRAPS SHOULD GO IN YOUR GREEN ORGANICS CART?
You should put food scraps and food-soiled paper items in the green organics cart along with your yard trimmings for curbside collection. These items collected will be brought to the Republic Services’ composting facility for processing to make into compost, instead of taken to the landfill.
Putting food scraps in your green organics cart is as easy as 1 – 2 – 3!
- Collect your food scraps from your meal preparations, uneaten leftovers, spoiled food, and non-coated food soiled paper items (such as napkins, paper towel, and paper plates, etc.) from your kitchen.
- Put these items in your green organics cart along with your plant and yard trimmings.
- Set the green organics cart out for your regular weekly curbside collection.
By doing your part to separate food waste from the garbage you can reduce overall waste going to the landfill and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Learn more about the Senate Bill (SB 1383) Short-Lived Climate Pollution Reduction Strategy. In addition, your assistance helps create compost, which improves the soil in gardens and farms and reduces the need for chemical fertilizers.
For more information on your curbside organics collection, view and download the outreach poster below associated with your city of residence:
- For residents of West Contra Costa County in Hercules, Pinole, Richmond, San Pablo and the unincorporated West County areas, please access this poster: Download PDF of Poster
- For residents of El Cerrito, please access this poster: Download PDF of Poster/Sticker
See below for what happens to the materials in your cart after it is collected.
GREEN ORGANICS CART
Each residential waste account is eligible for a 65-gallon green organics cart with your garbage service. To request a green organics cart, contact your waste collection service company:
- Residents of Hercules, Pinole, San Pablo, Richmond and the unincorporated County, contact Republic Services: 510-262-7100
- Residents of El Cerrito, contact East Bay Sanitary Company: 510-237-4321
FOOD SCRAP COLLECTION PAIL (FREE)
Residents of Hercules, Pinole, San Pablo, Richmond, El Cerrito and the unincorporated West Contra Costa County areas are eligible to receive a free food scrap collection pail for their kitchen counter. Use this pail for easy collection of food scraps in the kitchen and place the contents in your outdoor green organics bin for curbside collection.
Find out more about the program and how to obtain a pail.
WHERE DOES THE MATERIAL THAT I PUT IN THE GREEN ORGANICS CART GO?
Organic materials collected from green carts are delivered to Republic Services commercial composting facility in North Richmond to create compost. The materials are placed into long rows called windrow composting at a larger scale, where the material is aerated, watered and monitored to ensure optimal composting conditions. The material breaks down naturally into a nutrient rich soil amendment which is sold to farmers and landscapers.
In addition, this compost made from the curbside collections is also available for free to residents of West Contra Costa County.
See below to find out more about the Compost Giveaway Program and Composting at Home information, below.
BACKYARD/HOME COMPOSTING
Food scraps can be transformed into a nutrient rich soil enhancement called compost. Compost can be added back into the soil to help grow fruits, vegetables and other plants, which is a fine example of taking something that is commonly thrown away and making it into a renewable resource.
Visit the backyard/home composting page to learn other ways to compost certain food items and yard trimmings for yourself at home.
COMPOST GIVEAWAY PROGRAM
Compost is available FREE to residents in West Contra Costa County for pick-up.