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Foodscraps Composting

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Residential Composting

In the City of Santa Barbara all organic material (foodscraps, paper, etc.) placed in the trash is processed into compost and green energy at the Santa Barbara ReSource Center. Since we have this incredible system, separate yellow carts for food waste collection are not available to residents. Please continue to discard these organic materials in the trash bin and we've got you covered! You can read more about this process here.

If you'd like to try composting at home, visit at Less Is More for information and resources.

Business Foodscraps Composting Program

Up and running since 2009, Santa Barbara's commercial foodscraps composting program has over 200 participating businesses: coffee shops, restaurants, hotels, schools, plus a few office-based companies and multi-unit apartment buildings.

Did you know that as of January 1, 2017, businesses that generate 4 cubic yards of organic waste per week are mandated to recycle their organic waste? Read about the Mandatory Commercial Organics Recycling Law (AB 1826) on CalRecycle's website.

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Business Foodscraps Composting

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Interested in joining the program?

  • Schedule a preliminary meeting with a Recycling Specialist at City Trash and Recycling to discuss program and service changes. Contact Us at 564-5631.
  • Schedule training with a Recycling Specialist to educate your staff in foodscraps sorting.
  • Place colored bins in the kitchen.  It is important to keep blue and yellow bins clearly marked and permanently placed. This will make sorting easy for your staff. 

Details on the Foodscraps Program

What Can I Put in the Yellow Foodscraps Bin?

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Helpful Resources

  • Getting Started with Foodscraps Composting in 5 easy steps (PDF in revision): 2 pages front and back flyer that explains how the foodscraps program works, what goes in the yellow bin, and how to get started
  • Do’s and Don’ts (PDF): One sheet with the most important practices for food-serving businesses
  • BPI Logo: Certified compostable national standard logo. Paper items with this logo are accepted in the program. Certified compostable plastic or polylactic acid (PLA) products are not allowed in the Foodscraps Program.