Merced, CA Trash & Recycling: Mandatory Organics Recycling (2026)

Organic waste separation in the incorporated City of Merced is required under California Senate Bill (SB) 1383, the State's Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy. Per the City Green Waste / Organics page, in January 2022 the state enacted SB 1383, California's mandate for the separation of household organic waste - comprised of green waste, wood waste, food waste and soiled paper/cardboard waste - to reduce greenhouse gases. The City provides a green container for this purpose and gives specific preparation instructions that differ between food and yard waste: food waste should be placed in a separate plastic bag, tied up and placed in the green can, which the City says allows the food waste to be removed for processing and aids in SB 1383 compliance; green (yard) waste, by contrast, should NOT be bagged before placing in the green can and should be placed loosely. The City's collection is performed by its own Refuse Division rather than a private franchised hauler. Statewide, SB 1383's CalRecycle regulations took effect January 1, 2022 and require residents and businesses to separate organics and subscribe to collection service, with jurisdictions authorized to enforce. Critically, the City of Merced's population (about 86,000) exceeds 70,000, so the City does NOT qualify for SB 1383's rural/low-population exemption - the organics mandate applies citywide. This applies inside city limits; unincorporated areas follow Merced County's SB 1383 program.