Compost happens, Sacramento. On Fri., July 1, the city will launch its organics recycling program in accordance with California’s Senate Bill 1383.

The law requires the state reach a 75% decrease in food waste disposal by 2025, which is a significant source of methane — a chemical compound “25 times as potent as carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere,” according to the US EPA.

♻️ What is organics recycling? Here’s the breakdown:

Organics recycling allows biodegradable items to decompose, creating a new product known as compost or mulch.
Compost reduces the release of methane from landfills
It also enriches soil, helps retain moisture + more

♻️ What’s the city’s deal?

With this new program, the city will provide a weekly organics service to your regular collection day. There will not be a new curbside bin — your current green waste cart will become the organics bin. Additionally, this new service will add $3.83 to monthly solid waste bills every year until 2024.

♻️ What do you need to do?

Throughout the week, collect food scraps into a small indoor container. If you’d like, you can even store the container in the freezer to reduce any bad odors. If you can, try to dump out its contents the night before your scheduled pick-up.

Pro tip: While compostable bags are unnecessary, they make clean up a lot easier.

♻️ Not sure what you can compost?

✅ Do compost: fruit and veggie scraps (think: carrot tops and apple cores), coffee grounds, and leftover food

🚫 Don’t compost: ash or dirt, liquids, or plastic bags

For a full list, consider downloading the SacRecylce app.

♻️ A deal hard to refuse

To help residents transition into this new requirement, the city is offering free kitchen countertop pails for organics recycling until Sept. 13. The free bins also come with compostable bags, stickers to help you identify recyclables, and more. Heads up: The city is currently booked for pick-ups for the free bins until mid-August.