Mandatory Commercial Organics Recycling

In October 2014, Governor Brown signed AB 1826 into law requiring businesses to recycle their organic waste on and after April 1, 2016, depending on the amount of waste they generate per week. Organic waste means food waste, green waste, landscape and pruning waste, nonhazardous wood waste, and food-soiled paper waste that is mixed in with food waste. The law phases in the mandatory recycling of commercial organics over time. In particular, the minimum threshold of organic waste generation by businesses decreases over time, which means that an increasingly greater proportion of the commercial sector will be required to comply. The City of Murrieta adopted these requirements into the City's Municipal Code.

Implementation Dates

• April 1, 2016: Businesses generating 8 cubic yards of organic waste per week
• January 1, 2017: Businesses generating 4 cubic yards of organic waste per week
• January 1, 2019: Businesses generating 4 cubic yards of solid waste per week
• January 1, 2020: CalRecycle may implement 2 cubic yards of commercial solid waste per week if the statewide disposal or organic waste is not reduced by half

Multi-Family Complexes

Multi-family complexes are not required to have a food waste diversion program; however, those with 5+ units generating enough landscape related organics will be required to recycle that waste. The City of Murrieta will be contacting businesses about this state requirement and informing them about how they can comply. Additional information about organics recycling services will be posted on this page as it becomes available. In the meantime, additional information can be found on CalRecycle's Mandatory Commercial Organics Recycling website.

Compliance Action Plan

City of Murrieta - AB 1826 Mandatory Organics Compliance Action Plan