Bellflower, CA Landscaping Rules: Composting (2026)

Composting and organic-waste rules in Bellflower are driven by California Senate Bill 1383 (2016), the Short-Lived Climate Pollutant law, which the City of Bellflower implements as the local jurisdiction. SB 1383 set statewide goals to cut organic-waste disposal 75% and recover at least 20% of edible food by 2025. Bellflower, working with its franchise hauler CR&R Environmental Services, launched a Food Scrap and Landscaping Recycling Program. SB 1383 required all commercial customers and multi-family properties to participate in organic-material collection as of January 1, 2022, and residential customers place organic waste in the green cart, which CR&R transports to a composting facility. Accepted organics include food scraps - fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, seafood, bones in small amounts, rice, beans, pasta, bread, cheese, and eggshells - food-soiled paper such as paper plates, napkins, pizza boxes, and milk cartons, and yard/green waste such as leaves and grass clippings. Businesses must either subscribe to the City's organic-waste collection service or self-haul organics to a processing facility meeting SB 1383 diversion requirements. As a state-recognized alternative, residents may also compost at home (backyard composting), which reduces what goes into the green cart. The City and CR&R provide outreach and enrollment support (the program contact is CR&R's Bellflower recycling line). The City's green-waste/organics service connects landscaping waste directly to SB 1383 compliance.