WHY ORGANIC WASTE?

When organic waste, such as food, green waste, and paper products decompose in a landfill, they produce methane gas – a potent greenhouse gas pollutant. The intent of the organic waste diversion goal is to reduce the emissions of methane gas to combat global climate change.

WHAT CHANGES SHOULD RESIDENTS EXPECT?

• Mandatory Recycling – SB 1383 requires all residents to subscribe to and participate in the City’s recycling and organics curbside collection service. For the majority of Vacaville residents, organics and recycling services have been in place for several years, though some may not be utilizing it to its full potential. Residents are now required by law sort out their recyclables and organic waste from the trash. Proper sorting of waste will be monitored annually though random collection route reviews. If improper sorting is found, a notice will be provided to the resident, along with additional resources and educational materials. Beginning in 2024, repeated instances of improper sorting may result in further enforcement actions, including financial penalties.
• Cart Colors and Labels – Recology Vacaville Solano provides trash, recycling, and organics carts to all residents for their weekly waste collection. SB 1383 requires that those carts meet specific requirements:
• Cart Colors: Garbage carts must be gray or black, recycling carts must be blue, and organics carts must be green. Fortunately, all carts within the City of Vacaville are already compliant with this requirement.
• Cart Labels: Carts must be clearly labeled to show which materials are allowed and prohibited in the container. As old carts are replaced or carts are deployed to new customers, residents will begin to notice color coded labels on their carts. If a resident would like to request labels for their carts, please contact the City of Vacaville Solid Waste and Recycling Office at (707) 469-6509, or email recycling@cityofvacaville.com.
• Complimentary Kitchen Pails – For added convenience, Recology Vacaville Solano will be distributing free kitchen pails to all single-family residential customers. Kitchen pails provide easy collection and disposal of kitchen scraps into the organics cart. Residents can expect to receive their free kitchen pail in December 2021.