Regulations & Compliance
StopWaste can help Alameda County businesses, non-profits and institutions stay informed about current landfill bans, policies and ordinances related to proper collection and recycling of resources and hazardous wastes. Our goal is to provide links to current information so that you can operate your organization most efficiently.
Some regulations apply within Alameda County, others apply only to operations within certain cities, and some affect all commercial accounts within California.
Plant Debris Landfill Ban
In 2010, Alameda County enacted a new law that prohibits the disposal of plant debris in landfills. The Landfill Ban applies to landscapers and other large producers of yard trimmings (such as property managers, municipalities and institutions) in Alameda County. Plant debris (such as grass, leaves, shrubbery, vines and tree branches) must be separated from other contaminants, and must be diverted to the designated “clean green” areas of Alameda County disposal facilities. For more information about the Landfill Ban, including details about who is affected, how to comply and to request assistance, visit the Recycling Rules Alameda County website.
Mandatory Recycling Ordinance
The Alameda County Waste Management Authority Mandatory Recycling Ordinance 2012-01, effective July 1, 2012, prohibits the disposal of certain readily recyclable materials. It requires businesses and multi-family properties with five or more units to provide on-site recycling to handle the amount of recyclable materials produced at those locations. Phase 2 of the Mandatory Recycling Ordinance, effective July 1, 2014, adds new requirements for separating food scraps and food-soiled paper in participating jurisdictions. For more information about the ordinance, including details about who is affected, how to comply and to request assistance, visit the Recycling Rules Alameda County website.
Reusable Bag Ordinance
The Reusable Bag Ordinance, effective January 1, 2013, prohibits free distribution of single-use bags at check out in Alameda County stores that sell packaged food. For more information, visit the Reusable Bag Ordinance website.
Alameda County Waste Management Authority Ordinance 2009-01 established procedures and reporting requirements for the collection of the countywide solid waste facility fee, which is applied to solid waste originating in Alameda County that is deposited in landfills outside the county. For more information, visit the Ordinance 2009-01, Facility Fee web pages.
Some cities within Alameda County have adopted additional ordinances. Click the following links for more information:
Banned From the Trash
Did you know that hazardous wastes and universal wastes are also banned from the trash? Items such as lights, batteries, CRT and LCD monitors, mercury-containing products, paint and solvents, chemicals, certain building materials, many automobile-related products and more should be disposed at authorized disposal sites. Learn what hazardous and universal wastes are banned from the trash, and how to dispose of them property at the Department of Toxic Substances Control website.
There is a new drop-in program for all Alameda County businesses that accepts: latex paint, aerosol cans, fluorescent lamps, and household batteries.
If your business qualifies as a “small quantity generator” you may be eligible for a service to safely dispose of leftover hazardous materials at affordable rates. Learn more about Alameda County Small Business Hazardous Waste Disposal Services.
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
The State passed a Mandatory Commercial Recycling regulation that requires all businesses which generate four cubic yards or more of solid waste per week to arrange for recycling services.
CalRecycle’s Mandatory Commercial Recycling Homepage
Information on adopted legislation related to solid waste in California is available online at the California Department of Resources, Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle).