Pleasanton, CA Landscaping Rules: Composting (2026)

California Senate Bill 1383 took effect January 1, 2022, requiring compostable organic materials to be kept out of landfills statewide. Pleasanton implements SB 1383 through its local Organics Reduction and Recycling Ordinance, adopted in October 2021, in partnership with Pleasanton Garbage Service, StopWaste, and the Alameda County Environmental Health Department. Single-family households are provided a food/green-waste cart (and a kitchen food-scrap pail on request), and residents must subscribe to organics and recycling collection and sort materials correctly - placing food scraps, food-soiled paper, paper towels, and plant trimmings into the green cart rather than the garbage. Businesses, institutions, nonprofits, and multi-family properties must subscribe to compost and recycling service, set up color-coded labeled indoor bins, ensure proper sorting, and educate employees and tenants about the law at least annually. The program's goal aligns with SB 1383's statewide target of cutting organic-waste disposal 75% by 2025 and recovering 20% of edible food. Backyard or home composting of yard waste and food scraps is permitted and encouraged as an alternative to cart disposal. The city also operates a free compost program for residents (a self-haul compost hub at the Bernal Property), supporting SB 1383's recovered-organic-product procurement requirements. Compost and mulch purchased for rebate-funded lawn conversions must meet the recovered-organic-product criteria in CCR Title 14 (SB 1383 procurement). Residents should check the city's garbage and recycling pages for current cart guidelines and compost-hub hours.