Top Composting & Food Waste in Ontario, California Ranked

For restaurant owners and operators in Ontario, managing organic waste is no longer just an environmental consideration-it's a legal requirement. California's landmark legislation, SB 1383, mandates that all businesses, including restaurants, recycle their food scraps and other compostable materials. This organics recycling program is designed to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions from landfills by turning food waste into valuable compost or renewable energy. In Ontario, compliance is managed through the city's franchised hauler, Republic Services, which provides the necessary containers and weekly collection for your food scraps and yard waste. Understanding the rules for acceptable materials, proper bin setup, and staff training is essential to avoid contamination issues and potential fines, ensuring your establishment operates smoothly within the law.

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

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Understanding California's Mandatory Organics Recycling Laws

The foundation of Ontario's food waste diversion program is state law. Senate Bill 1383 (SB 1383) and Assembly Bill 1826 (AB 1826) work together to require businesses generating organic waste to recycle it. This isn't a voluntary green initiative; it's a mandatory compliance issue for every restaurant, regardless of size. The goal is to reduce the amount of organic material sent to landfills by 75% by 2025, as decomposing food in landfills is a significant source of methane, a potent greenhouse gas ^{1 2}.

The mandate is comprehensive. It covers all food scraps, from vegetable peelings to meat and bones, as well as food-soiled paper and cardboard. Crucially, the law also includes an edible food recovery requirement for certain tiers of businesses, meaning that still-edible food must be donated to food banks or other recovery organizations before it is considered waste ^{3 4}. While some very small generators may qualify for an exemption, they must apply for and receive formal approval from the City of Ontario to opt-out ². For the vast majority of restaurants, setting up a compliant organics recycling system is the necessary next step.

Your Partner in Compliance: Republic Services

In Ontario, Republic Services is the exclusive, franchised waste hauler responsible for implementing the city's organics recycling program. This means your restaurant will work directly with Republic Services to set up and manage your food scrap collection service. They provide the infrastructure needed to comply with the law ^{5 6}.

Your establishment will receive a multi-container system:

• A larger green cart or bin for mixed organics (food scraps and yard waste).
• Separate containers for trash and traditional recycling (cans, bottles, clean cardboard).
• Smaller, internal collection bins for your kitchen and customer areas to make sorting easy for staff.

Collection is streamlined: your organic waste (placed in the green cart) is collected weekly on your regular service day. It is co-collected with yard waste and transported to a facility where it is processed into compost or used for energy generation ^{1 5}.

What Goes In the Green Organics Bin?

Proper sorting is the key to a successful program. Contamination-putting the wrong items in the green bin-can lead to entire loads being rejected, potential fines for your business, and disruption of the composting process ⁷.

YES - These items go in your green organics bin:

• All food scraps: fruits, vegetables, meat, bones, seafood, dairy, eggs, bread, and pasta.
• Food-soiled paper: napkins, paper towels, paper plates, and pizza boxes (no wax coating).
• Coffee grounds and filters, tea bags.
• Loose or bagged in clear plastic bags. The city does not supply bags, so you must use clear bags for food waste to allow for inspection ^{1 5}.

NO - These items are CONTAMINATION and go in trash or recycling:

• Plastic bags (except the clear ones used to line your internal bin).
• Styrofoam, glass, metal, or plastic utensils.
• Liquids, oils, or grease.
• Diapers, pet waste, or cigarette butts.
• Any non-compostable trash ^{1 7}.

Republic Services conducts periodic inspections of bins. A pattern of high contamination can result in corrective actions, including fees or even removal from the organics collection program, leaving you out of compliance with state law ⁵.

Setting Up Your Restaurant for Success: Bins, Training, and Signage

Compliance involves more than just putting out a green cart. The law requires you to facilitate proper sorting for both customers and staff.

1. Provide Customer Bins: You must make organics and recycling bins available in all customer dining areas (restrooms are exempt). These bins should be clearly labeled and, ideally, use standardized colors (green for organics, blue for recycling, black/gray for trash) to reduce confusion ^{2 7}.

2. Implement Staff Training: Educating your employees is critical. They need to know what goes where, especially in the fast-paced kitchen environment. Training should cover the why (the law and environmental benefits) and the how (proper sorting procedures). You are also required to provide this information to any new tenants or employees ^{1 8}.

3. Use Clear Signage: Post simple, graphic signs above or on your bins. Many free resources are available from CalRecycle and local agencies that provide downloadable templates in multiple languages. Clear communication prevents contamination and makes the process effortless for everyone.

Costs and Service Considerations

A common question for restaurant managers is about the financial impact. Pricing for commercial organics collection in Ontario is not a one-size-fits-all fixed rate. Your costs will depend on several factors specific to your operation:

• The size and number of containers (green, trash, recycling) you need.
• The frequency of collection (weekly is standard for organics).
• The total volume of waste your restaurant generates.

You can expect that adding organics recycling service will increase your overall waste management costs compared to having trash-only service. However, you are typically billed a combined rate that covers all three streams: trash, recycling, and organics. The most accurate way to determine your cost is to contact Republic Services directly for a personalized quote based on your restaurant's specific needs and waste volume ^{5 6}.

The Broader Impact: Beyond Compliance

While driven by regulation, participating in organics recycling has significant positive impacts. Diverting food waste from landfills directly reduces methane emissions, helping California fight climate change. The resulting compost enriches soil in local agriculture and landscaping, closing the nutrient loop. For restaurants, a well-run program can sometimes reveal opportunities to reduce waste at the source, such as improving inventory management or adjusting portion sizes. Embracing food scrap recycling positions your business as a responsible community partner committed to sustainability.

Next Steps for Ontario Restaurants

Taking action is straightforward. Your primary contact is Republic Services. Visit their website or call them to:

1. Set up your commercial organics recycling service.
2. Request the appropriate number and size of containers (green organics cart, recycling bin, trash bin).
3. Obtain a detailed, personalized quote for your restaurant.
4. Ask any service-specific questions you may have about collection schedules or acceptable materials ⁶.

Staying informed is also key. Bookmark the City of Ontario's Public Works and Integrated Waste pages for local updates, and review the resources from CalRecycle for the latest on state regulations and best practices ^{1 2}.

Frequently asked questions

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