Top Composting & Food Waste in Cupertino, California Ranked

For restaurants and food businesses in Cupertino, managing organic waste is no longer just an environmental best practice-it's a legal requirement. California's SB 1383 mandates that all commercial entities, including every restaurant, grocery store, and café, divert their food scraps and compostable materials from landfills. In Cupertino, this is facilitated through a structured program with the city's franchised hauler, requiring specific bins, sorting protocols, and the use of approved serviceware. Implementing a robust food waste diversion system is essential for compliance, can lead to operational savings by reducing garbage volumes, and supports the city's broader climate action goals by cutting methane emissions and creating nutrient-rich compost.

Successful organic waste management hinges on understanding three key components: what materials are accepted, how to properly sort and contain them, and the logistics of service with your provider. Adherence not only avoids potential penalties but also positions your business as a leader in Cupertino's circular economy.

Recology Peninsula Services

1356 Marsten Rd, Burlingame, CA 94010

Recology Peninsula Services provides food waste and composting solutions for restaurants in San Bruno, CA. They focus on sustainable waste management and help businesses implement effective recycling and composting programs. Their Waste Zero Team supports businesses in improving recycling practices and managing compost and landfill materials. Recology is committed to advancing sustainability and circular economy efforts through community partnerships and innovative waste solutions.

2.9

8 Reviews

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Understanding SB 1383 and Cupertino's Mandates

California's landmark law, SB 1383, targets a 75% reduction in statewide organic waste disposal by 2025. For Cupertino businesses, this translates into a mandatory commercial organics recycling ordinance. The law is clear: if your business generates organic waste-which includes all food scraps, food-soiled paper, and yard trimmings-you must subscribe to a collection service or self-haul these materials to an approved facility ^{1 2}. This mandate applies universally, ensuring that every restaurant, from quick-service to fine dining, participates in diverting food waste from landfills where it would decompose and release methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

Cupertino's local implementation adds specific layers to this state requirement. The city has enacted a Foodware Ordinance that directly impacts food service operations. This ordinance requires that all takeout containers, cups, plates, and utensils provided to customers be fiber-based and free of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) ^{3 4}. Furthermore, plastic straws and utensils are banned unless specifically requested by a customer. This regulation ensures that the disposable serviceware used by your business can be composted alongside food scraps, streamlining waste streams and reducing contamination. Compliance with both the state organics law and the local foodware rule is critical for Cupertino food businesses ³.

What Goes In the Green Organics Bin?

Proper sorting is the foundation of an effective composting program. Contamination-placing the wrong item in the green bin-can ruin entire loads of compost and lead to service issues. For Cupertino businesses, the green cart is designated for all accepted organic materials.

Accepted Materials Include:

• Food Scraps: All leftover food, including meat, bones, dairy, fruit, vegetables, bread, and coffee grounds with filters.
• Food-Soiled Paper: Napkins, paper towels, pizza boxes, paper plates, and uncoated paper takeout containers that are soiled with food.
• Yard Trimmings: Leaves, grass, and small branches.
• Compostable Serviceware: Only items that are certified compostable and meet Cupertino's ordinance: fiber-based containers, plates, and cups that are PFAS-free ^{5 3}.

Strictly Prohibited Items:

• Plastic Bags (even those labeled "biodegradable").
• Liquids, oils, or grease.
• Glass, metal, or ceramics.
• Any plastic serviceware, including "compostable" plastic utensils or straws, unless they are fiber-based and compliant with the local ordinance ^{6 3}.

Clear, graphic labeling on bins is required to help staff and customers sort correctly. This visual guidance is a simple but powerful tool to minimize errors and ensure the collected organics are clean and valuable for composting.

Setting Up Your Commercial Collection Service

In Cupertino, Republic Services is the franchised hauler responsible for commercial organic waste collection ¹. Setting up service involves contacting them directly to design a program that fits your business's volume and frequency needs.

Container Setup: You will need dedicated containers: a green cart or bin for organics, a blue container for traditional recycling (clean cardboard, cans, glass, plastic bottles), and a gray container for landfill trash ⁵. The city mandates that these containers have standardized, graphic labels to identify their contents clearly. Furthermore, businesses must provide small, paired indoor bins for organics and recycling in all food preparation areas, customer dining spaces, and other areas where waste is generated-restrooms being the only common exception ⁷.

Managing Kitchen Scraps: To make collection hygienic and efficient indoors, use a small kitchen pail lined with a compostable bag or paper liner for food prep scraps. This reduces odor, mess, and makes it easy to transfer contents to the larger outdoor green cart. Regularly emptying these indoor pails is key to maintaining a clean workspace.

Service Schedule: The pickup frequency for your green organics cart is not one-size-fits-all. It depends on your subscription level with Republic Services, which should be based on your weekly organic waste output. A busy restaurant may require multiple pickups per week, while a smaller café might manage with one. It is crucial to work with your hauler to "right-size" your service-having a cart that is too small leads to overflows, while one that is too large is inefficient and may cost more ^{1 6}.

The Role of Proper Foodware

Cupertino's Foodware Ordinance is a critical piece of the food waste puzzle for local restaurants. By requiring that all takeout containers and serviceware be fiber-based and PFAS-free, the city ensures these items can be composted in the same stream as food scraps ^{3 4}. PFAS chemicals, often used for grease resistance, do not break down and can contaminate compost and waterways. When you source compliant plates, bowls, and cups, you simplify disposal for your customers and staff-everything from the meal to the container can go into the green organics bin.

This ordinance also bans the automatic provision of plastic utensils, stirrers, and straws. They can only be provided upon specific customer request. This not only reduces plastic waste destined for the landfill but also eliminates a major source of contamination in the organics stream. Educating your staff on these rules and ensuring your procurement team orders approved supplies are essential steps for full compliance and a successful organics diversion program.

Cost Considerations and Potential Savings

Adding an organics collection service is a new operational cost for businesses. Rates with Republic Services will vary based on the size of your containers and the frequency of pickup ⁶. However, it's important to view this as part of a holistic waste management strategy. Because landfill ("gray bin") disposal is often the most expensive service, actively diverting food scraps and compostable paper into the green bin can allow you to reduce the size or frequency of your trash service.

Many businesses find that by effectively sorting their waste, they can downsize their garbage dumpster or reduce pickup days, leading to net savings that offset the cost of the organics service ^{1 8}. The key is to conduct a waste audit, understand your stream, and work with your hauler to design the most cost-effective combination of organics, recycling, and trash services. The potential for cost savings, coupled with avoiding compliance fines, makes the financial case for a well-run program.

Self-Haul as an Alternative

Businesses have the option to self-haul their organic waste to an approved composting facility instead of using curbside collection. If you choose this route, strict record-keeping is required for compliance. You must track and save weight tickets or receipts from the processing facility to prove that your organic waste is being properly diverted ¹. This option may be viable for businesses with very high volumes of clean organic material, such as produce wholesalers, but for most restaurants, the convenience and simplicity of a scheduled pickup service with Republic Services is the recommended path.

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