Top Composting & Food Waste in Milpitas, California Ranked

For restaurant owners and operators in Milpitas, managing organic waste is no longer just an environmental consideration-it's a legal requirement. California's Senate Bill 1383 mandates that all businesses, including restaurants, arrange for the collection of food scraps and other organic materials. This regulation is designed to dramatically reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills, where it decomposes and releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Fortunately, Milpitas has a streamlined system in place through its exclusive franchise hauler, Milpitas Sanitation, to help your establishment comply efficiently and effectively. By understanding the rules, setting up the proper infrastructure, and training your team, you can turn a regulatory requirement into a point of operational pride and environmental stewardship.

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

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Understanding SB 1383: The Mandate for Milpitas Restaurants

Senate Bill 1383 sets forth California's ambitious goal to reduce organic waste disposal by 75% by 2025. For every restaurant in Milpitas, this translates to a mandatory organics recycling program. The law requires that you separate food scraps, food-soiled paper, and yard trimmings from your regular trash and recycling streams ¹. This isn't a voluntary green initiative; it's a compliance issue with potential enforcement actions for non-participation. The good news is that compliance aligns with cost-saving opportunities, as diverting organics can sometimes reduce your garbage service costs. The first step for any restaurant is to recognize that this is a fundamental change to your back-of-house waste management, requiring new bins, new habits, and a clear plan.

Your Service Provider: Working with Milpitas Sanitation

In the City of Milpitas, commercial waste and recycling services are provided under an exclusive franchise agreement with Milpitas Sanitation. This means they are your designated partner for all collections, including garbage, recyclables, and the newly mandatory organics ². You cannot contract with a different hauler for these core services. This centralized system simplifies the process for you-there's one point of contact for assessments, container delivery, and scheduling. Milpitas Sanitation offers tailored commercial services and can provide a free waste assessment to evaluate your restaurant's specific volume and needs, helping to design a service plan that fits your operation without being overly burdensome or costly ^{2 3}.

Setting Up Your Three-Stream System: Containers and Colors

To comply, your restaurant will utilize a three-container system, each color-coded for a specific waste type. Consistent use of these colors both inside your facility and at the curb is crucial for reducing contamination and ensuring smooth service.

• Brown Carts/Bins (Organics): This is for your food waste diversion. All food scraps-including meat, bones, dairy, vegetables, and cooked foods-go here. Food-soiled paper products like napkins, paper towels, and even pizza boxes (as long as they are not lined with plastic) can also be placed in the organics bin ^{2 4 5}.
• Blue Carts/Bins (Recyclables): This stream is for clean, dry recyclables. This includes cardboard boxes, office paper, aluminum cans, glass bottles, and plastic containers. It's critical to keep food residue and liquids out of the blue bin to maintain the quality of recyclable materials.
• Gray Carts/Bins (Garbage): The gray container is for true landfill trash-items that are neither compostable nor recyclable. This includes plastic wrappers, Styrofoam, and other contaminated materials. A key goal of SB 1383 is to shrink the size of this gray bin over time by correctly using the brown and blue ones.

Container sizes are flexible, ranging from small carts to large 1-8 cubic yard bins and even compactors, depending on your restaurant's volume and space ^{6 4}. Your Milpitas Sanitation representative will help determine the right size and combination.

Internal Bin Placement and Staff Training

Compliance doesn't stop at the dumpster. The state requires that you provide color-coded or clearly labeled organics and recycling containers in all areas where you have a garbage can, except for restrooms ¹. This means your kitchen, prep areas, dishwashing station, and customer dining areas should all have easy-to-understand bins to capture materials at the source.

This is where staff training becomes paramount. Your team needs to understand what goes where to prevent contamination. Milpitas Sanitation and the City of Milpitas offer free training resources and outreach materials to assist with this ^{2 3}. Conduct regular training sessions, post simple signage above bins with pictures of common items, and consider appointing a "green champion" on staff to monitor sorting and answer questions. A well-trained team is the most important factor in a successful and compliant organics program.

Managing Contamination and Knowing "What Goes Where"

Contamination-putting an item in the wrong stream-can undermine the entire recycling and composting process. A single batch of organics laden with plastic can be rejected by processing facilities. Focus on these common trouble spots:

• "Compostable" Plastics: Unless specifically accepted by Milpitas Sanitation's processor, so-called compostable bags and utensils often do not break down in industrial facilities and should go in the gray garbage bin. When in doubt, throw it out (to landfill) or contact your hauler for a definitive list.
• Liquids and Oils: Cooking oils and grease should never go down the drain or into your organics cart. These require separate handling, typically through a grease trap service and used cooking oil collection, which are separate from your solid waste contracts.
• Food-Soiled Paper: A pizza box with cheese and grease stains is a classic example. The soiled parts can go in the brown organics bin. If a section is clean and dry, tear it off and place it in the blue recycling bin ⁷.

Clear, consistent communication with your staff is the best defense against contamination.

Service Schedules, Waivers, and Cost Considerations

Pickup schedules for your organic waste are not one-size-fits-all. After a waste assessment, Milpitas Sanitation will recommend a frequency-such as weekly or multiple times per week-based on your generation rate to avoid overflow and odor issues ².

What about cost? Service rates depend on the size of your containers and the frequency of pickup ³. A key financial incentive to note is that commercial recycling service (your blue bin) is often provided at no additional cost in Milpitas, encouraging maximum diversion ⁸. By reducing your garbage (gray bin) service through effective sorting, you may offset some of the cost of adding organics collection. For restaurants that generate minimal organic waste (for example, a coffee shop that primarily serves packaged goods), a compliance waiver may be available. You must apply for this waiver through the City of Milpitas/Milpitas Sanitation with documentation to prove your low generation ^{9 10}.

Taking the First Steps Toward Compliance

If you haven't yet set up your commercial organics collection, the path forward is straightforward. First, contact Milpitas Sanitation to request a free commercial waste assessment. Second, work with them to order the correct brown, blue, and gray containers for your back alley and interior spaces. Third, train your staff thoroughly and set up clear customer-facing stations. Finally, monitor your bins regularly to check for contamination and adjust training as needed. By proactively managing your food scraps and organic waste, your restaurant not only meets state law but also contributes directly to a healthier environment for the Milpitas community.

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