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

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

Multi-unit minimum
64-gal can per 25 units, § 13.24.600(B)
Office minimum
32-gal can per 25 employees
Restaurant/bar minimum
64-gal can or equivalent
State mandate tie-in
SB 1383 compliance required since 1/1/2022
Exemption threshold
Under 10-20 gal/week organic waste

Summary

Sacramento sets minimum organics-recycling service levels by property type in City Code § 13.24.600(B), a 64-gallon can per 25 units for apartment buildings of five or more units, and per-employee or per-container minimums for offices, restaurants, and bars, implementing the state's SB 1383 organic-waste diversion mandate.

B. Organics recycling volume requirement. Organics recycling services shall be provided and maintained at service levels that are sufficient for a specific property with the levels in the table below unless adjusted by the solid waste manager... 1. Multi-unit dwelling of 5 or more dwelling units: Minimum 64-gallon can per 25 dwelling units or equivalent. 2. Commercial: a. Office and general commercial: Minimum 32-gallon can per 25 employees on-site. b. Restaurant; bar: Minimum 64-gallon can or equivalent.

Full Breakdown

' The table sets a minimum 64-gallon organics can per 25 dwelling units (or equivalent capacity) for multi-unit dwellings of five or more units, a minimum 32-gallon can per 25 on-site employees for offices and general commercial uses, and a minimum 64-gallon can (or equivalent) for restaurants, bars, and other organics-generating uses such as nurseries. The Solid Waste Manager can adjust container type, size, count, or pickup frequency at a specific property to match actual generation. 620 lets a property apply for an exemption if its total waste service is under a specific per-week organics threshold, under 20 gallons per week of qualifying organic waste for accounts of two cubic yards or more, or under 10 gallons per week for smaller accounts, or if no organics collection system actually serves the site. 600 volume table.

Violations & Fines

Because state law folds SB 1383 compliance into this chapter, a shortfall can be enforced two ways: as an ordinary Chapter 13.24 violation, notice of violation, administrative order, and civil penalties of $250 to $25,000 per day under § 13.24.670(C), or under the state penalty schedule at California Code of Regulations title 14, § 18997.2, which § 13.24.610(B) expressly incorporates.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much organics capacity does a 100-unit apartment building need?
Under § 13.24.600(B), the minimum is one 64-gallon organics can per 25 dwelling units or its equivalent capacity, so a 100-unit building needs at least four 64-gallon cans' worth of organics service, unless the Solid Waste Manager approves an adjustment.
Can a small office skip organics recycling?
Possibly. Section 13.24.620(A)(2) allows an exemption if the property's total waste service is under two cubic yards per week and its organic waste is under 10 gallons per week, documented to the Solid Waste Manager's satisfaction.
Is this a state law or a city law?
Both. State SB 1383 regulations require organics diversion statewide, and § 13.24.610 makes compliance with those state rules a city code violation, while § 13.24.600 sets Sacramento's own local minimum service-level table on top of the state mandate.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Sacramento

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Mandatory Organics Recycling in Nearby Cities

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