Top Composting & Food Waste in Fountain Valley, California Ranked

For restaurants in Fountain Valley, managing organic waste is no longer just an environmental consideration-it's a legal requirement. California's landmark SB 1383 mandates that all businesses, including every restaurant, arrange for organics recycling services to divert food scraps, food-soiled paper, and yard waste from landfills. This statewide regulation, which took full effect in 2022, aims to reduce short-lived climate pollutants by repurposing organic material into compost, renewable energy, or other beneficial uses. For food service establishments, this means implementing a formal organics diversion and food waste recycling program is essential for compliance. Navigating these new rules involves understanding your specific requirements, partnering with your licensed waste hauler, and setting up proper internal and external collection systems to avoid contamination and potential penalties.

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: California's Organics Recycling Mandate

The foundation of Fountain Valley's organics recycling landscape is Senate Bill 1383. This law sets aggressive statewide targets to reduce organic waste disposal by 75% from 2014 levels by 2025 ¹. For local restaurants, compliance is not optional. The law requires that all businesses subscribe to and participate in organics collection services provided by their city-authorized waste hauler ^{2 3}.

The mandate categorizes businesses into tiers. All restaurants, regardless of size, must separate their organic waste. This includes:

• Food scraps (prep waste, spoiled food, plate scrapings)
• Food-soiled paper (napkins, paper towels, uncoated paper plates)
• Yard trimmings and landscape waste

Furthermore, Tier 2 commercial edible food generators have an additional responsibility. This tier includes restaurants with 250 or more seats or a facility size larger than 5,000 square feet ^{4 5}. These establishments are required to donate maximum amounts of their excess edible food to local food recovery organizations, partnering with groups like food banks or pantries to help address food insecurity in the community ^{5 6}.

Partnering with Your Licensed Waste Hauler for Service

In Fountain Valley, organics recycling services are managed through your designated waste collection company. For many businesses, this is Rainbow Environmental Services, the city's franchised hauler ². Your first step toward compliance is to contact your hauler directly to discuss your restaurant's specific needs and set up service.

Your hauler is responsible for providing the necessary exterior containers and can offer guidance and resources for your internal program. When you reach out, you can expect them to help with:

• Service Level Assessment: Determining the appropriate size (e.g., 2-yard, 3-yard, or 6-yard dumpsters) and pickup frequency for your green organics cart based on your establishment's volume.
• Container Provision: Supplying the standard three-cart system: a green cart for organics, a blue cart for traditional recyclables (cans, bottles, clean cardboard), and a gray cart for landfill trash ^{2 7}.
• Program Resources: Offering or recommending indoor collection bins, educational posters, and staff training materials to ensure proper sorting at the source ⁸.

Costs for organics recycling service will appear as a separate line item on your waste bill. Pricing depends on factors like container size and collection frequency. There is no one-size-fits-all fee, so contacting your hauler for a customized quote based on your restaurant's waste profile is a necessary step ².

Setting Up Your Restaurant's Internal Collection System

A successful food scrap recycling program starts inside your restaurant. Proper internal sorting is the key to preventing contamination, which can lead to entire loads being rejected. CalRecycle provides specific guidelines for container colors and labels to ensure statewide consistency ⁷.

Here's how to set up an effective internal system:

• Kitchen and Prep Areas: Place small, lidded bins labeled for "Organics" or "Food Scraps" at every prep station and near dishwashing areas. These bins should be lined with a liner that is acceptable to your hauler (note: plastic bags, even those labeled "compostable," are often prohibited in the green cart).
• Front of House and Dining Areas: Provide clearly marked containers in customer-facing areas for leftover food and food-soiled paper. Using consistent colors and graphics helps customers participate correctly.
• Staff Training: Comprehensive and ongoing staff education is critical. Training should cover what goes in each stream (organics, recycling, trash), why it matters, and how to handle common contamination issues. Many haulers and county resources provide free training materials ^{8 9}.

Mastering Contamination Guidelines: What Goes Where?

Contamination-placing an item in the wrong bin-is the single biggest challenge for organics recycling programs. A contaminated green cart can result in service issues or fines. Adhering to strict sorting guidelines is non-negotiable.

Green Cart (Organics) - ACCEPTED ITEMS:

• All food scraps (fruits, vegetables, meat, bones, dairy, bread, coffee grounds/filters)
• Food-soiled paper products (uncoated napkins, paper towels, pizza boxes, unlined paper takeout containers)
• Yard trimmings, leaves, and grass clippings

Green Cart (Organics) - PROHIBITED ITEMS:

• Plastic bags of any kind (This is a major point of emphasis. Do not use plastic bags as liners in your green cart unless explicitly allowed by your hauler ^{10 11}.)
• Glass, metal, or plastic
• Styrofoam or other plastics
• Liquids or oils
• Pet waste or diapers

Blue Cart (Recycling): Clean and empty bottles, cans, jars, and cardboard. All recyclables should be free of food residue. Gray Cart (Landfill Trash): Everything that cannot go into the green or blue carts, such as plastic wrap, utensils, Styrofoam, and heavily soiled materials.

The Broader Impact: From Food Waste to Community Resource

Implementing a robust organics and food waste program does more than just keep your restaurant compliant. It transforms waste into a valuable resource. The organic material collected from Fountain Valley restaurants is processed at specialized facilities where it is turned into nutrient-rich compost for agriculture and landscaping or anaerobically digested to create renewable natural gas ¹.

For larger Tier 2 restaurants, the edible food recovery component of SB 1383 creates a direct positive social impact. Donating surplus, wholesome food to local food recovery organizations supports vulnerable community members and aligns with broader sustainability goals by ensuring food feeds people first ^{5 6}. This holistic approach-diverting waste, creating resources, and supporting the community-positions compliant restaurants as environmental and social leaders in Fountain Valley.

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