Top Composting & Food Waste in Pomona, California Ranked

For restaurants and food service businesses in Pomona, managing organic waste is no longer just an environmental consideration-it's a state-mandated requirement. California's SB 1383 regulations have transformed how businesses must handle food scraps, yard trimmings, and other compostable materials, aiming to drastically reduce landfill emissions. In Pomona, this means partnering with the city's designated hauler, Athens Services, to ensure your food waste is properly separated and collected for organics recycling. Navigating these new rules involves understanding specific container requirements, strict contamination guidelines, and setting up effective in-store systems for both staff and customers. This guide outlines the essential steps for Pomona restaurants to achieve compliance, reduce their environmental footprint, and potentially manage service costs effectively.

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

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 Mandate for Pomona Businesses

California's Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction law, known as SB 1383, sets ambitious statewide targets to reduce organic waste disposal by 75% by 2025. For Pomona, this translates into mandatory organics recycling for all commercial entities, including every restaurant, café, and food establishment ^{1 2}. The law is designed to capture food scraps and yard waste so they can be turned into compost or renewable energy, rather than decomposing in landfills and producing methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

The requirements are tiered based on business size. While all restaurants must separate organic waste, larger establishments face additional responsibilities. Specifically, restaurants with a facility size of 5,000 square feet or more, or those with seating for 250 or more people, are also required to implement edible food donation programs ^{1 3}. This means establishing partnerships with local food recovery organizations to divert surplus, edible food to those in need before it ever becomes waste. Compliance is not optional; local jurisdictions like the City of Pomona are responsible for enforcement, which can include notifications, fines, and penalties for non-compliant businesses ¹.

Your Partner in Pomona: Athens Services Collection

In Pomona, commercial solid waste, recycling, and organics collection services are provided by Athens Services. They are your primary point of contact for setting up or modifying your service to meet SB 1383 requirements ^{4 5}. When you establish or maintain your commercial trash service with Athens, a basic organics recycling setup is included. This typically involves the provision of a 64-gallon green cart for organics and a 96-gallon blue cart for traditional recyclables (like cans, bottles, and cardboard) at no additional charge beyond your standard trash service tier ⁴.

Collection for these included recycling and organics carts is on a weekly basis ^{4 6}. However, the volume of food waste generated by a restaurant can vary greatly. If your standard cart size or weekly pickup frequency is insufficient, you can contact Athens Services to discuss upsizing your green organics cart or adding more frequent pickups. It's important to note that these service enhancements will incur additional fees, so it's wise to accurately assess your needs from the start ⁴.

The Critical Rules: What Goes in Each Cart

Proper sorting is the cornerstone of successful organics recycling. Contamination-placing the wrong material in a cart-can disrupt the composting process and lead to rejected loads. Athens Services and the City of Pomona provide clear guidelines for what belongs in each colored container ^{4 7 8}.

Green Cart (Organics): This cart is for materials that will be composted. Acceptable items include:

• All food scraps (fruit, vegetables, meat, bones, dairy, bread, coffee grounds/filters).
• Food-soiled paper (unwaxed napkins, paper towels, pizza boxes).
• Yard waste (grass clippings, leaves, small branches).
• Important Note on Bags: While plastic bags are generally prohibited in the green cart, a specific exception exists for containing food scraps. You may use clear or translucent green plastic bags inside your kitchen pails or customer-facing bins to collect food waste. These bags, with the food scraps inside, can then be placed directly into the large green organics cart for collection. This is for containment and hygiene purposes only; the bags themselves are not compostable and will be separated out at the processing facility ^{4 7}.

Blue Cart (Recycling): This cart is for clean, dry recyclables.

• Aluminum and steel cans.
• Glass bottles and jars.
• Plastic bottles and containers (#1, #2, #5).
• Clean cardboard, paper, and cartons.

Gray Cart (Trash): This cart is for everything that cannot be composted or recycled.

• Styrofoam.
• Plastic bags and film (unless used as the clear liner for food scraps as noted above).
• Ceramics, mirrors, or window glass.
• Hazardous materials.
• Any heavily contaminated material.

Setting Up Your Restaurant for Success: Customer and Staff Stations

A key component of SB 1383 compliance for restaurants involves managing waste generated by customers on-site. The law requires that businesses where food is sold must provide clearly labeled, visible collection bins for organics (compost), recycling, and trash ^{1 9 10}. These bins must be placed adjacent to each other wherever customers dispose of their own items, such as in dining areas, near condiment stations, or at take-out counters.

For Customer-Facing Bins: You are responsible for procuring these bins. They should feature clear, graphic signage (often using standard colors: green for organics, blue for recycling, black/gray for trash) to minimize confusion. As with your back-of-house operations, using clear or translucent green plastic liners in the organics bin is an acceptable method for containing food scraps and keeping the bin clean ^{4 7}.

For Staff Training: Your back-of-house sorting system is equally vital. Train all kitchen and service staff on what materials go into which stream. Set up dedicated, labeled pails or bins in prep areas, dish pits, and behind the bar. Consistent training and clear signage help prevent contamination, which can affect the quality of the compost and potentially lead to service issues or penalties. Regular audits of your carts before pickup can help identify and correct sorting mistakes early on.

Navigating Costs and Avoiding Penalties

The cost structure for organics recycling in Pomona is integrated with your overall waste hauling contract. The baseline service includes standard-sized recycling and organics carts. Therefore, your cost is directly tied to the level of trash service you require. By effectively diverting food scraps and recyclables from your gray trash cart, you may be able to reduce the size or frequency of your trash service, which can help offset costs ⁴.

The real financial risk lies in non-compliance. The City of Pomona is tasked with enforcing SB 1383. Enforcement can begin with educational notices but may escalate to administrative fines for businesses that fail to subscribe to organics service, improperly sort materials, or neglect to set up the required customer-facing recycling stations ¹. Proactive management of your organics program is the most effective strategy to avoid these penalties.

The Broader Impact: Beyond Compliance

Participating in Pomona's organics recycling program does more than just fulfill a legal obligation. It actively contributes to California's climate goals by reducing methane emissions. The compost created from your food scraps and soiled paper can be used to enrich local soils, support agriculture, and improve water retention. For restaurants, a well-run organics program can also be a point of pride and a visible commitment to sustainability that resonates with customers. By taking these steps, Pomona's food service businesses play a direct role in building a more circular and resilient local economy.

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