Cupertino, CA Trash & Recycling: Mandatory Organics Recycling (2026)
Key Facts
- Single-family duty
- Section 6.24.037.010, subscribe and sort
- Commercial/multi-family duty
- Section 6.24.037.020
- New-tenant notice
- Sorting instructions within 14 days
- Waiver options
- De minimis or physical-space, from Director
- Compliance deadline before fines
- Education-only through Dec. 31, 2023
- Container label deadline
- New containers labeled starting Jan. 1, 2022
Summary
Every household and business in Cupertino must subscribe to organic waste collection and keep food scraps, yard trimmings and other organics out of the trash. Section 6.24.037.010 covers single-family generators and Section 6.24.037.020 covers commercial and multi-family generators, implementing the state's SB 1383 mandate through the city's own franchised green-cart program.
Single-family organic waste generators shall: Subscribe to the City's organic waste collection services for all organic waste generated. The City and/or its designee shall have the right to review the number and size of a generator's containers to evaluate the adequacy of capacity provided for each type of collection service and to review the proper separation of materials and containment of materials. Participate in the City's organic waste collection service by placing designated materials in designated containers as described below, and not placing prohibited container contaminants in collection containers. Generator 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.
Full Breakdown
010 requires single-family organic waste generators to subscribe to the City's organic waste collection service for all organic waste produced on the property and to sort materials correctly: source-separated food and yard waste into the green container, recyclables into the blue container, and everything else into the gray container, without cross-contaminating the bins. The City or its designee can review a generator's container sizes and sorting practices to confirm adequate capacity. 020 extends the same subscribe-and-sort duty to commercial businesses and multi-family properties, and adds obligations found only on the commercial side: supplying enough correctly labeled containers for employees, contractors, tenants and customers in every area where disposal bins are offered, training staff and inspecting bins periodically for contamination, and giving new tenants sorting instructions within fourteen days of move-in.
Commercial container lids or bodies must match the City's color scheme, though a business is not forced to replace a functional container bought before January 1, 2022 until it wears out or January 1, 2036, whichever comes first. 030. 010(C).
Violations & Fines
Section 6.24.037.080 ran an education-only period through December 31, 2023, after which any violation of Section 6.24.037 became subject to the penalties in Section 6.24.240: administrative citations and fines under Chapter 1.10 or misdemeanor prosecution under Chapter 1.12, carrying up to a $1,000 fine, up to six months in jail, or both. The enforcement officer must first issue a notice of violation giving 60 days to come into compliance before citing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Cupertino require households to separate food waste?
Can a Cupertino business get out of the organics rule?
What happens if a Cupertino business ignores the organics mandate?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cupertino
California rules heatmap·Compare Cupertino to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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Mandatory Organics Recycling in Nearby Cities
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