Curbside Composting Information

As of January 2022, every "jurisdiction" (city or county) is required to provide a method of organic waste collection for residents and businesses, according to California's Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy (SB 1383). Each city in Santa Clara County has its own method of collection. Residents are required to place organic waste in the proper curbside collection carts. This includes food scraps and soiled paper (i.e., pizza boxes, paper napkins). Every city has different guidelines, so be sure to visit www.reducewaste.org to learn about how to sort your organic waste where you live.

Below is a general summary of which cart residents should discard their food scraps and soiled paper into. 

• Green waste cart: Green or brown cart that was previously used for just yard trimmings.
• Split cart: A system in which the gray/black trash cart is split into two sections, one for food scraps and food-soiled paper, and another for garbage.
• Trash cart: Gray or black cart used for non-recyclable materials.