Top Composting & Food Waste in Chino Hills, California Ranked

For restaurant owners in Chino Hills, managing organic waste is no longer just an environmental consideration-it's a legal requirement. California's landmark SB 1383 law mandates that all businesses, including restaurants, separate food scraps and other compostable materials from their general trash. This initiative aims to drastically reduce landfill emissions by diverting organic waste to composting or anaerobic digestion facilities. In Chino Hills, this mandatory organics recycling program is administered through the city's exclusive provider, Waste Management (WM). Understanding the rules for container setup, acceptable materials, and collection schedules is essential for compliance and avoiding potential fees.

Navigating this new system involves transitioning to a three-cart setup, educating staff on proper sorting, and ensuring bins are accessible for both kitchen and front-of-house operations. While it represents a change in daily routine, effective food waste diversion can contribute to a cleaner community and aligns with growing consumer expectations for sustainable business practices. This guide breaks down everything Chino Hills restaurant operators need to know to successfully implement and maintain their organics recycling program.

TAWA compost green waste food recycling

4002 Drysdale Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90032

TAWA Compost Green Waste Food Recycling is based in Los Angeles, CA, providing food waste and composting services primarily for restaurants and commercial clients. They offer drop-off options for commercial food waste, green waste, and residential waste, as well as onsite waste management and emergency food waste pickup available 24/7. Founded during the COVID-19 pandemic, TAWA Compost began as a food rescue initiative to address food insecurity and now focuses on turning inedible food into nutrient-rich compost. They also conduct workshops to educate the community on reducing waste and maximizing resources.

5.0

7 Reviews

Royal Pumping and Jetting

los angeles

Royal Pumping and Jetting provides a comprehensive range of pumping and jetting services for restaurants and hospitality businesses in Los Angeles, CA. Their offerings include grease trap and interceptor cleaning, waste kitchen oil removal, hydro jetting, grease trap repair, high-pressure washing, and complete plumbing services. The company has been serving Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Bernardino since 2008, with a team of certified experts skilled in handling various pump and blast operations. They also offer 24/7 availability to meet urgent service needs.

5.0

3 Reviews

CR & R Inc

12739 Lakeland Rd, Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670

CR & R Inc provides food waste and composting services for restaurants in La Mirada, CA. The company focuses on sustainable solid waste and recycling solutions, operating advanced materials processing centers and using alternative fuel vehicles to reduce environmental impact. With over three decades of experience, CR & R Inc has developed a state-of-the-art anaerobic digester to process organic waste and produce renewable natural gas, supporting cleaner air and greener practices in the region.

3.1

14 Reviews

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Understanding SB 1383: The Law Behind the Program

California's Senate Bill 1383 sets ambitious statewide targets to reduce the disposal of organic waste in landfills. The law is designed to cut emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas generated when food and yard waste decompose without oxygen in landfills ¹. For businesses in Chino Hills, this translates into a non-negotiable requirement to subscribe to and participate in organics collection services ^{2 3}.

The law categorizes businesses as either "commercial edible food generators" or general organic waste generators. While supermarkets and large food distributors have additional requirements to arrange for edible food recovery, all restaurants must separate their inedible food scraps, food-soiled paper, and other compostables for collection ^{4 1}. The City of Chino Hills and its contracted hauler, Waste Management, are responsible for enforcing these mandates locally, with monitoring and potential penalties for non-compliance ⁵.

Mandatory Service Setup & Container System

Compliance begins with setting up the correct service with Waste Management. As the city's designated service provider, WM supplies a standardized three-cart system to every commercial customer ^{2 6}. It is mandatory for restaurants to have service for all three waste streams.

• Green Cart (Organics): This cart is for all acceptable organic material. It includes food scraps, food-soiled paper products, and yard waste.
• Blue Cart (Recycling): This cart is for traditional recyclables like clean cardboard, paper, plastic bottles, and aluminum cans.
• Black Cart (Trash): This cart is for non-recyclable, non-compostable waste that must go to the landfill.

Restaurants must provide appropriately sized and labeled collection bins for employees in food preparation, dishwashing, and staff areas. Furthermore, the law requires that bins for organic materials and recycling be provided to customers in the dining and service areas ^{7 8}. These front-of-house bins must be clearly marked to help patrons sort their waste correctly, reducing contamination in your carts.

What Goes In the Green Organics Cart?

Proper sorting is the cornerstone of a successful program. Contamination-placing the wrong item in the cart-can spoil an entire load of compostable material, leading to disposal fees and undermining the environmental goals of the program ^{5 9}.

Acceptable Materials (Green Cart):

• All Food Scraps: Fruits, vegetables, meat, bones, fish, dairy, bread, pasta, coffee grounds, and tea bags.
• Food-Soiled Paper: Napkins, paper towels, paper plates, pizza boxes (even greasy ones), paper take-out containers, and uncoated paper cups.
• Yard Waste: Leaves, grass clippings, small branches, and flowers.

Unacceptable Materials (DO NOT place in Green Cart):

• Plastic Bags: This is a major source of contamination. Do not line your green cart or interior bins with plastic bags, even those labeled "biodegradable" or "compostable," unless specifically approved by WM ^{3 10}.
• Other Contaminants: Plastic film, Styrofoam, glass, metal, liquids, oils, and any non-compostable packaging.
• Traditional Trash: Any material that belongs in the black trash cart.

Collection Schedules & Logistics

Waste Management provides weekly collection for organics, recycling, and trash carts at commercial properties in Chino Hills ^{3 6}. Pickups occur Monday through Friday between 6:00 AM and 5:00 PM, and on Saturdays from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM. There is no service on Sundays.

To ensure smooth collection:

• Place carts at the designated pickup location by 6:00 AM on your scheduled service day.
• Carts must be accessible, with at least three feet of clearance on all sides and the lid fully closed.
• Overfilled carts with lids that cannot close may not be serviced and could result in a fee ⁵.

Costs, Fees, and Compliance Monitoring

Participating in the organics recycling program is a mandatory cost of doing business in Chino Hills. Your overall service fee is based on the size and number of carts you need for each waste stream (trash, recycling, and organics) ².

A critical financial consideration is contamination monitoring. Waste Management actively monitors the contents of green and blue carts to ensure material is sorted correctly ⁵. If a cart is found to be contaminated with prohibited items, it may not be emptied. Starting July 1, 2025, the city will implement formal contamination fees for carts that are overfilled or contain significant contaminants ⁵. Proactive education of your staff is the best way to avoid these unexpected charges.

Best Practices for Restaurant Success

Implementing a seamless organics diversion system requires planning and ongoing effort.

1. Start with Staff Training: Conduct training sessions for all employees, including kitchen, service, and cleaning staff. Use clear signage with pictures above interior bins.
2. Design Your Waste Stations: Create convenient three-bin stations (organics, recycling, trash) in key areas like the kitchen line, prep area, and dish pit. Ensure they are equally convenient to use.
3. Engage Your Customers: Place clearly labeled and matching bins in customer areas. Simple, consistent messaging (e.g., "Food & Napkins Here") improves public participation.
4. Work with Your Hauler: Contact Waste Management directly for specific pricing, to request additional carts, or to get official bin labels and educational materials ^{2 6}.
5. Audit and Adjust: Periodically check your carts before pickup to identify sorting errors. Use this information to retrain staff and refine your internal system.

By embracing these practices, Chino Hills restaurants can turn a regulatory requirement into an operational strength, reducing their environmental footprint and contributing to the state's climate goals.

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