Compton, CA Trash & Recycling: Mandatory Organics Recycling (2026)
Key Facts
- Program start
- Nov. 1, 2022, Ord. No. 2348
- Containers required
- Green, Blue, and Gray
- First violation fine
- $100
- Repeat violation fine
- $200, then $500
- Compliance window
- 60 days per Notice of Violation
- Waivers available
- De minimis, space, 14-day frequency
Summary
Compton requires every home and business to subscribe to the city's three-container organics program under §§ 21-3.3 and 21-3.4, sorting food scraps and yard trimmings into a green bin, recyclables into blue, and trash into gray, with fines starting at $100 for a first violation under § 21-3.14.
Single-Family Organic Waste Generators shall comply with the following requirements, except Single-Family Generators that meet the Self-Hauler requirements of the Franchise Agreement and this Code: Subscribe to the City's three-container Organic Waste collection service(s) performed by the Franchise Hauler pursuant to the requirements of the Franchise Agreement...Generators shall place Source Separated Green Container Organic Waste, including Food Waste, in the Green Container; Source Separated Recyclable Materials...in the Blue Container; and Gray Container Waste in the Gray Container. Generators shall not place materials designated for the Gray Container into the Green Container or Blue Container. ... For a first violation, the penalty shall be $100 per violation. For a second violation, the penalty shall be $200 per violation. For a third or subsequent violation, the penalty shall be $500 per violation.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4952997; v15 updated 2026-07-14; through 07-14-2026).
Full Breakdown
Adopted November 1, 2022 by Ordinance No. 4 extends the identical three-container subscription and sorting duty to Commercial Organic Waste Generators and Commercial Businesses, expressly including multifamily residential dwellings, and layers on added duties for businesses: providing labeled or color-coded containers in all customer areas, training employees and tenants annually on sorting, and giving new tenants that information within 14 days of move-in. 5 lets the City grant de minimis waivers, physical-space waivers, and 14-day collection-frequency waivers in place of the standard weekly pickup. 14, which authorizes administrative citations for any violation occurring on or after January 1, 2024, with a 60-day compliance window in every Notice of Violation.
Violations & Fines
Violations of §§ 21-3.3 or 21-3.4 draw an escalating fine schedule under § 21-3.14(c): $100 for a first violation, $200 for a second, and $500 for a third or subsequent violation, each with a 60-day compliance deadline. Contaminating a container with the wrong material is instead handled through separate notice provisions and contamination processing fees under the Franchise Agreement rather than the citation ladder, per § 21-3.14(a).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Compton residents have to separate food waste from trash?
What is the fine for not sorting organic waste correctly in Compton?
Can a Compton business get out of the organics recycling requirement?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Compton
California rules heatmap·Compare Compton to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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Mandatory Organics Recycling in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle mandatory organics recycling.