How much could Sacramento’s food waste mandate cost me? What to know about fines and fees

Not recycling your organic waste material will cost you in Sacramento, but starting when? And by how much?

The Sacramento Bee’s service journalism team has received numerous questions about the waste mandate — mainly after the state’s organic waste mandate took effect earlier this year. And as Sacramento’s residential program’s start date nears, the conversation has shifted from “how do I comply?” to “what happens if I don’t?”

Last week a Bee reader’s curiosities about the consequences of not recycling inspired The Bee to look into how the mandate will be enforced.

A city spokesperson responded Thursday to The Bee’s question of how much the city will fine residents who don’t comply with the new food waste mandate, detailing the dollar amount for fines. Here’s what to know:

How much will I be fined for not separating my food waste?

Not recycling your organic waste material could cost you up to $500, according to the city.

In an email to The Bee, Jesa David, a spokeswoman for Sacramento’s Recycling and Solid Waste Division, said city residents will be fined up to $100 for the first violation, up to $200 for the second and up to $500 for the third.

But fines won’t start until 2024. From now until then, the city will be focused on educating its residents about the ins and outs of separating their organic waste material correctly.

After January 2024, the focus will shift from education to “progressive enforcement,” according to CalRecyle. Even then, there’s ample time for a violator to comply and dodge a fine.

When a jurisdiction identifies a violation, it must issue a notice of violation within 60 days, according to CalRecyle. If the violator hasn’t complied within 150 days from the issue of the violation — then the penalties begin. With this rule, the violator is out of compliance for 210 days before a fine is issued.

How much will the new food waste mandate cost me?

The new Sacramento organic waste mandate not only comes with new food rules but also new city waste rates for its residents. The Sacramento City Council approved a charge increase earlier this year for yard waste pickup, to comply with the state law.

Homeowners are paying $14.32 a month. On Jan. 1, 2023, the monthly bill will increase to $16.75. On Jan. 1, 2024, the monthly bill will increase to $19.18.

Residents who don’t currently receive yard waste collection by the city should expect a monthly charge of $10.02 starting in July, according to the city. Next year, the monthly bill will increase to $11.73. And in 2024, the monthly bill will increase to $13.43.

City residents in apartment buildings of five units or more should contact their property manager about possible bill increases.

How do I comply with Sacramento organic waste program?

City residents living in apartment buildings of five units or more should’ve been recycling their organic food in property-provided bins since the beginning of the year, according to the city of Sacramento. The start date for residents living in single-family homes and duplexes up to fourplexes is July 1.

The county’s organics program is similar to the city’s, except for a few details.

Starting July 4, residents living in the unincorporated part of Sacramento County who receive curbside green waste service will be required to toss their organic food and green waste material into green waste carts (or organics cart) for weekly pick up, according to the county’s waste management and recycling page.

What goes in my organics bin?

Before tossing any organic waste material into the bin, remove stickers, twist ties and rubber bands from the produce.

Here’s what should be recycled as organic food and green waste material, according to the county website, switch is the same for the city’s:

• Fruit
• Vegetables
• Bread
• Cereal
• Dairy
• Meat (including bones)
• Shells
• Coffee grounds
• Paper coffee filters
• Tea bags
• Food soiled paper: paper towels and napkins, paper plates, greasy pizza boxes, paper lunch bags
• Food scraps: moldy food, leftovers, rotting food
• Green waste: branches, grass, leaves, tree trimmings, prunings

Here’s what shouldn’t go into the bin, according to the website:

• Plastic bags
• Styrofoam
• Takeout containers
• Utensils
• Glass
• Metal
• Liquids
• Pet waste
• Water hoses

Pet waste shouldn’t be placed in your organics bin. The city strongly suggests people continue to place their pet waste and cat litter in garbage bins.

This story was originally published June 1, 2022 at 5:00 AM.