Top Composting & Food Waste in Sacramento, California Ranked

For Sacramento restaurants, managing organic waste is no longer just an environmental consideration-it's a legal requirement. California's landmark SB 1383 mandates that all businesses, particularly those that sell or produce food, arrange for weekly organics collection. This law is designed to dramatically reduce the amount of food scraps, soiled paper, and green waste sent to landfills, where they decompose and release potent greenhouse gases. Navigating this new landscape involves understanding your specific service requirements, setting up proper customer and kitchen-side sorting, and partnering with your franchised waste hauler. While it represents a shift in operations, effective organic waste recycling can contribute to a cleaner city and a more sustainable food system.

Northern Recycling, LLC

44692 Co Rd 28H, Woodland, CA 95776

Northern Recycling, LLC provides food waste and composting services for restaurants and other organic materials in Davis, CA. Their facility, located at the Yolo County Central Landfill, uses innovative technology to optimize composting, reduce air emissions, and produce high-quality compost products such as organic compost, recycled gypsum, shredded wood chips, and topsoil. The company partners with Yolo County to manage green waste, food waste, and construction and demolition materials, aiming to divert waste from landfills and support local communities through sustainable resource creation.

5.0

4 Reviews

See more providers in Sacramento, CA

Understanding SB 1383 Compliance for Sacramento Businesses

California's Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Law (SB 1383) sets ambitious statewide targets for reducing organic waste in landfills. For Sacramento City and County, this translates into mandatory participation for nearly all commercial entities. The law specifically identifies "commercial businesses" that generate organic waste, including restaurants, grocery stores, food distributors, and event venues, as required subscribers ^{1 2}. It's important to note that food-selling or food-producing businesses are generally ineligible for the waivers that might be available to other small waste generators ^{3 4}. Compliance is not optional; it's a condition of operating your business within the region.

The core requirement is a three-stream service subscription: weekly garbage collection, weekly organics collection, and a minimum of monthly recycling collection ^{1 5}. Your franchised hauler-such as Waste Management or Republic Services in Sacramento-is your primary point of contact for establishing this service. They will provide the appropriately colored carts: typically green-lidded or all-green carts for organics, blue for recycling, and black or grey for landfill trash ^{6 7}.

What Goes in the Organics Bin?

Proper sorting is the cornerstone of successful food scrap recycling. Contamination with non-compostable materials is a major issue that can render entire loads unusable ¹. To ensure your organic waste is processed correctly, only the following materials should be placed in your green organics cart:

• Food Scraps: All leftover food, including fruits, vegetables, meat, bones, dairy, bread, and coffee grounds.
• Food-Soiled Paper: Paper products that have come into contact with food, such as greasy pizza boxes, paper napkins, paper towels, paper take-out containers (without plastic lining), and uncoated paper plates.
• Green Waste: Yard trimmings, leaves, grass clippings, and small branches.

It is critical to keep plastics, glass, metals, liquids, and any other non-organic materials out of the green bin. This includes so-called "compostable" or "biodegradable" plastics, which often do not break down in local industrial composting facilities and are considered contaminants ¹.

Setting Up Your Restaurant for Success

Implementing an effective organics program requires planning both in your kitchen and in your customer-facing areas. For back-of-house operations, set up clearly labeled collection containers in food prep and dishwashing areas. Many haulers and the Sacramento County Department of Waste Management & Recycling (DWMR) offer free resources, including signage and toolkits, to help staff with proper sorting ^{1 5}.

For customer-facing sorting, the law has specific requirements. If your restaurant offers counter service where customers dispose of their own waste, you must provide clearly labeled and color-coded bins for garbage, recycling, and organics ^{6 8}. This public education component is vital for reducing contamination and fostering community-wide participation in Sacramento's sustainability goals.

Service Options and Hauler Coordination

Your first step is to contact your franchised commercial waste hauler to add weekly organics service to your existing account. They will discuss your volume needs, provide the appropriate carts, and set your pickup schedule ^{1 5}. While using your franchised hauler is the most common path, there are alternative compliance options for businesses to explore:

• Third-Party Recyclers: You may contract with a private organics recycling company.
• Self-Hauling: You can transport your own organic waste to a designated facility like the North Area Recovery Station.
• Backhaul: Arranging for a food distributor to take back organic waste for recycling.

If you are considering an alternative to your franchised hauler, you must contact Sacramento County's DWMR to ensure your plan meets compliance standards ¹.

Costs and Billing Structure

Pricing for organic waste collection, like other waste services, is not standardized and varies by hauler. Costs are typically based on the size of your organics cart (e.g., 64-gallon, 96-gallon) and your pickup frequency ^{9 10}. Since SB 1383 requires you to subscribe to three services (trash, recycling, and organics), your overall waste management bill will reflect this triple-stream service. You can expect an additional line item or fee for the organics cart service. The most accurate way to understand your specific costs is to request a detailed quote directly from your waste hauler ^{5 2}.

The Importance of Reducing Contamination

Contamination is the single greatest threat to the success of Sacramento's organics recycling program. When non-compostable materials like plastic bags, utensils, or foam containers end up in the green bin, they can damage processing equipment and lower the quality of the finished compost, sometimes forcing entire truckloads to be redirected to the landfill ¹. This undermines the environmental goals of SB 1383 and can lead to increased costs for everyone. Consistent staff training and clear customer signage are your best defenses against contamination, protecting your investment in sustainability and helping the community meet its climate targets.

Frequently asked questions

Sources