Placer County, CA Trash & Recycling: Mandatory Organics Recycling (2026)

California's SB 1383 (2016) requires jurisdictions to reduce organic waste sent to landfills. Placer County's Board of Supervisors introduced its enforcement ordinance in February 2022, with final adoption March 8, 2022, and enforcement beginning in 2024 after a two-year education period; the County Code provisions appear under the Organic Waste Disposal Reduction article. Covered organic materials include food scraps, yard/green waste, paper, and cardboard. In unincorporated western Placer County, residents using the One Big Bin single-container system do not need to change their disposal habits because organics are separated and processed at the Materials Recovery Facility (the WPWMA facility was upgraded to recover organics from mixed waste). Certain larger businesses designated as edible-food generators - such as wholesale food vendors, large grocery stores, restaurants with seating over 250, and hotels with over 200 rooms - must partner with food recovery organizations, donate surplus edible food, and maintain donation records. The county inspects food-generating businesses during routine facility inspections and charges a $103 annual fee to eligible businesses. Much of eastern Placer County is exempt from SB 1383 compliance due to low population density, and North Lake Tahoe areas may qualify for elevation waivers exempting residents and businesses from certain requirements. Franchised haulers are Recology Auburn Placer (western) and Tahoe Truckee Sierra Disposal (eastern). This is a California state mandate implemented locally - the diversion requirement derives from SB 1383, while the county ordinance and the One Big Bin system are how Placer carries it out.