Mandatory Business & Multi-Family Organics Recycling

Welcome to the City of Folsom Business & Multi-Family Organic Recycling Web page. The information below provides resources for recycling food waste and other organic materials.

Please be advised that the City of Folsom does not pick up food waste recycling. Arrange to have food waste collected at your business by contacting one of our authorized haulers.

If you received a letter or email from Folsom Solid Waste informing you that your business needs to recycle organics, please use the buttons below to access the necessary forms to either 1) Register your organics recycling program, or 2) Request assistance from the City with your organic recycling program, or 3) Request an exemption from recycling organics at your business or in your multi-family community.  Please be sure to complete all required fields on each form.  Incomplete forms will delay processing and may result in rejection of your request.

Why is it Important to Reduce Organic Waste and Conserve our Natural Resources?

Getting food from the farm to your fork uses 50 percent of our land and 80 percent of the freshwater consumed in our country. Unfortunately, 40 percent of all food produced in the U.S. goes uneaten. This means that Americans are throwing away the equivalent of $165 billion dollars each year!

The uneaten food ends up rotting in our landfills which results in methane gas emissions and other environmental issues. Committing just 15 percent of our nation's food waste to donation programs would be enough food to feed more than 25 million people every year!

What is California's Business and Multi-Family Organic Waste Recycling Law?

• California's Business and Multi-Family Organic Recycling Law (AB 1826), was adopted by the State to reduce the amount of organic waste going into our landfills, reduce Green House Gas Emissions (GHG) and to help meet the State-wide goal of 75 percent recycling by 2020.
• The law requires that certain businesses, government agencies and multi-family communities reduce, reuse, recycle or compost their organic waste through a specific program or service.
• Organic waste includes food waste, green waste, landscape and pruning waste, non-hazardous wood waste, and food-soiled paper waste that is mixed in with food waste. Multi-family communities are exempt from having to recycle or compost their food waste.
• The law will be phased in over the next few years based on the amount of waste produced from each location.  Businesses, government agencies and multi-family communities with five or more living units that generate specific amounts and types of waste shown in the table below must subscribe to an organic waste reduction, reuse, recycling or composting program/service by the specified compliance dates.

What are the Options to Reduce, Reuse, Recycle or Compost Organic Waste in Folsom?

• Reducing waste at its source eliminates the need and costs involved in the collection, processing and disposal of organic waste. Grass cycling or replacing turf and non-native plant species with drought-tolerant native species reduces the amount of plant biomass that would otherwise be created and handled. For more information, contact the City of Folsom's Water Conservation Division at 461-6174 or email waterconservation@folsom.ca.us.
• Another great resource for food waste reduction and prevention information is US EPA’s website.
• Learn how to reduce the amount of food waste at your business or home by efficiently purchasing and storing the appropriate amount of food items you need. For more information, visit the ConServe Program at conserve.restaurant.org/Best-Practices/Reducing-Food-Waste or savethefood.com/

• Donate non-perishable and non-expired food items to the Twin Lakes Food Bank which supports our community members in need. Call 916-985-6232 or email info@twinlakesfoodbank.org for more information.
• Donate acceptable food items for the animals at the Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary. Contact the Friends of the Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary at (916) 226-5445 or email information@folsomzoofriends.org to find out what types of food items are acceptable. The Zoo also has a drop off bin for acceptable food items. The Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary is located at 403 Stafford Street in Folsom. 
• Arrange to have food waste collected at your business by contacting the following authorized food waste haulers: Atlas Disposal 916-455-2800, Imperial Western Products 559-891-2600 or Republic Services at 916-669-6862. Food waste is processed locally into energy, fertilizer and biofuel that's used by local municipal and private fleets.  
• Rent a green or wood waste recycling cart or dumpster by contacting the City of Folsom Solid Waste Division at 916-461-6730 or solidwaste@folsom.ca.us.
• Self-haul or contract with a licensed landscape maintenance service to have landscape debris recycled from your business, multi-family community or government agency. Organic material must be taken to a permitted organic waste recycling facility.
• Learn about commercial on-site composting or mulching by contacting the City of Folsom Recycling Office at 916-461-6730. On-site composting requirements and best management practices

Success Stories

Albertson's

Albertson's grocery stores in San Diego has participated in the collection of food scraps for compost and food donations for disadvantaged communities since 2011. Edible food is donated to the Feeding America Food Bank, and inedible food is sent to a local composting facility. Fifteen Albertsons supermarkets participate in this program resulting in 58 tons of edible food donations and 37 tons of food scraps composted annually!

Hyatt Regency Hotel

The Hyatt Regency Hotel in Sacramento began a food and green waste collection program in 2011. The multi-story hotel has 503 guest rooms, four restaurants, and a main kitchen which serves almost 2,000 meals per day. In 2011, the hotel recycled more than 243 tons of food waste at a local Anaerobic Digestion Facility. At this facility, food waste is converted into electricity or renewable natural gas that's used to fuel the refuse trucks which collect the food waste.

U.C. Davis

U.C. Davis has multiple programs where it composts or recycles organic waste through the anaerobic digestion process. One of the programs, "Project Compost," collects food waste at many retail locations including coffee kiosks throughout the campus. The food waste is processed into nutrient-rich compost at the U.C. Davis Student Farm.

Resources

• CalRecycle Mandatory Organic Recycling Homepage
• CalRecycle Food Scrap Management Homepage
• California Restaurant Association
• Sacramento.cropmobster.com/