California SB-1383 requires every household and business in Santa Clara County to separate food scraps and yard waste from trash. Local haulers including Recology, GreenWaste, and Mission Trail Waste run weekly green-cart collection for compostable organics.
California Senate Bill 1383 (2016) and CalRecycle implementing regulations require every jurisdiction in California to provide and require organic-waste collection from all residents and businesses, with the goal of cutting landfill methane 75 percent by 2025. In Santa Clara County, unincorporated residents and businesses receive weekly green-cart service from Recology South Bay, GreenWaste of Palo Alto, Mission Trail Waste Systems, or West Valley Collection depending on franchise area. Acceptable items include food scraps, food-soiled paper, yard waste, and compostable foodware certified by the Biodegradable Products Institute. Tier-1 commercial generators (supermarkets, large restaurants) must also donate edible food to recovery organizations. Multi-family complexes must provide adequate containers and tenant education annually.
Persistent contamination or refusal to subscribe to organics service can lead to County code-enforcement notices, hauler-imposed contamination fees, and CalRecycle-required jurisdictional fines. Tier-1 commercial generators face additional edible-food-recovery enforcement.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Palo Alto, CA
Palo Alto Airport (PAO) enforces a voluntary curfew and noise abatement procedures, with FAA preemption limiting local authority over flight operations.
Palo Alto, CA
Palo Alto prohibits amplified music audible beyond the property line during quiet hours and requires a special event permit for outdoor amplification in publ...
Palo Alto, CA
Palo Alto enforces strict decibel limits by zone under PAMC 9.10.040: 60 dBA day / 50 dBA night in residential, scaling up to 70 dBA in manufacturing zones.
Palo Alto, CA
Palo Alto permits construction Monday-Friday 8am to 6pm and Saturday 9am to 6pm, with no work allowed on Sundays or holidays under PAMC 9.10.060.
Palo Alto, CA
Palo Alto requires encroachment permits for new driveways, regulates curb cut dimensions, and prohibits blocking sidewalks or adjacent driveways under traffi...
Palo Alto, CA
Palo Alto restricts RV, trailer, and boat storage on public streets and requires screening for large recreational vehicles on residential property under zoni...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Santa Clara County.
See how Palo Alto's mandatory organics recycling rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.