Can you be fined for not sorting your trash? Here’s how Sacramento finds violators
Garbage is a stinky part of everyday life — and it can be personal: An empty tube of toothpaste, molded over leftovers or a gift from an ex you waited years to toss. Once our belongings are in the trash, they’re out of sight and out of mind ... right?
You might not think about what’s in your trash once it’s in the dumpster, but the government does. Trash collectors monitor what you throw away to make sure it follows local and state regulations.
A reader asked The Sacramento Bee: “Can I be fined for misuse of my black trash can? Example: Putting a green or blue eligible item in the black can?”
We reached out to officials of Sacramento County and the city of Sacramento to find the answer.
What’s the difference between the garbage cans?
In a three-container collection system, which is used in Sacramento, residents and businesses must separate their organic waste, traditional recyclables and other items to be sent to landfills, according to the Cal Recycle website.
Green Container: Labeled for food waste, yard waste, green waste and other organic materials.
Blue Container: Labeled for traditional recyclables including bottles, cans, plastic and organic waste such as paper and cardboard
Gray/Black Container: Labeled for waste that is not organic or recyclable.
As of 2022, a state law requires all California residents to recycle organic food and green waste. The city and county of Sacramento both rolled out education campaigns — alongside the new bins — in order to implement the new state mandate.
Who monitors the garbage cans?
In Sacramento County, the waste department enforces a three-container collection system.
Brenda Bongiorno, a spokeswoman for the Sacramento County Department of Waste Management and Recycling, said California requires that all residents separate organics from their garbage and put food scraps, food-soiled paper and yard trimmings in the organics cart for weekly collection.
“The reason (the department) provides a three-cart service is to maximize the potential of materials,” Bongiorno said. “Keeping organic materials out of the landfill reduces methane emissions and allows us to create beneficial compost. Recyclables go on to create new products.”
Bongiorno said the county department’s collection trucks are equipped with hopper cameras and use a “lid flipper” program on an intermittent basis to monitor residents’ cart materials.
“When unacceptable materials are found in a cart, staff will attach a cart tag that provides education about what was found,” Bongiorno said.
For materials that don’t belong in any curbside cart, including household hazardous waste items, residents can visit a local facility for free drop-off of those items for proper processing.
Hazardous waste facilities in Sacramento County:
▪ North: North Area Recovery Station - Household Hazardous Waste Facility
▪ Southeast: Kiefer Landfill - Special Waste Facility
▪ Central: Sacramento Recycling and Transfer Station
▪ South: Elk Grove Special Waste Collection Center
▪ Roseville: Western Placer Waste Management Authority
Jesa David, a spokesperson for the city of Sacramento, said the truck operator watches a camera that is in the truck to monitor materials that go in.
If it notes contamination of someone’s container, David said the city will first educate the resident and provide educational materials and resources to let them know what materials were disposed of improperly.
“We’ll continue to monitor the location after the warning, and if the contamination continues, we’ll provide additional education and warnings,” David said.
Can I be fined for ‘misusing’ my garbage cans in Sacramento?
Residents of Sacramento County would not receive a fine for not sorting their carts correctly. However, residents can be fined for other reasons.
“A fine could be assessed for egregious contamination or disposal of hazardous waste,” Bongiorno said. “When a cart cannot be serviced because of cart contamination, fees can be assessed for return cart service on a non-regular collection day. “
David said the city does not fine customers for contaminating their trash containers with recyclable materials.
“We do track what customers are disposing of to make sure they’re using their containers correctly,” David said. “If [misuse] continues after repeated warnings and the situation allows, we may adjust their service level.”
As for the food waste mandate, fees could be hefty. David previously told The Bee 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. However, fines won’t start until at least 2024.
This story was originally published August 15, 2023 at 5:00 AM.
