Sonoma, CA Trash & Recycling: Mandatory Organics Recycling (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- SMC Ch. 7.10, Ord. 12-2021
- State law basis
- SB 1383 (2016), AB 1826, AB 341
- Compliance window after notice
- 60 days
- Contamination penalty trigger
- 3 consecutive violations
- Program administrator
- Zero Waste Sonoma (JPA)
- On-site alternative
- Garden composting under § 7.08.160
Summary
The City of Sonoma requires every single-family household to subscribe to the city's organic waste collection service and sort food scraps and food-soiled paper into the green cart, recyclables into the blue cart, and everything else into the gray cart. Sonoma Municipal Code § 7.10.030 implements the state SB 1383 organics mandate; skipping the sorting rules can bring a notice of violation and fines under Chapter 1.12.
Single-family organic waste generators shall comply with the following requirements except single-family generators that meet the self-hauler requirements in SMC 7.10.090: A. Subscribe to the city’s organic waste collection services for all organic waste generated as described below in subsection (B) of this section. ... ... B. Participate in the city’s organic waste collection service(s) by placing designated materials in designated containers as described in subsection (C) of this section, and shall not place prohibited container contaminants in collection containers. C. Place source separated green container organic waste, including food scraps and food-soiled paper, in the green container; source separated recyclable materials in the blue container; and gray container waste in the gray container.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 13-2025, passed December 3, 2025).
Full Breakdown
10 of the Sonoma Municipal Code, adopted by Ordinance 12-2021, exists because state law (AB 341, AB 1826 and SB 1383, the Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Act of 2016) requires every California city to cut methane from landfilled organics and to adopt an enforceable local ordinance. 030, single-family generators inside the City of Sonoma (not Sonoma County) must subscribe to the city's organic waste collection service, participate by placing materials in the correct cart, and keep prohibited contaminants out of collection containers; the city may review a household's container sizes and require the customer to adjust service level.
160, or use a permitted community composting site. 050 through Zero Waste Sonoma, the county joint powers agency that administers the program alongside the city's franchised hauler. 110, though the ordinance expressly does not authorize entry into the interior of a private residence. This is a city-only mandate tied to the municipal collection contract; households just outside city limits in Boyes Hot Springs, Fetters Hot Springs or El Verano fall under Sonoma County's separate program.
Violations & Fines
The city code enforcement officer may issue a notice of violation, typically via a cart tag, when prohibited contaminants turn up in a cart; the notice sets a compliance deadline, and after three consecutive contaminated-cart findings the city may assess contamination penalties. Absent compliance within 60 days of a formal notice under § 7.10.120(D), the city may pursue an administrative citation and fine under Chapter 1.12, or a civil action to recover unpaid penalties.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to subscribe to organics collection in the City of Sonoma?
What happens if I put food scraps in the wrong cart?
Can I skip city organics collection if I compost at home?
Does this rule apply outside the City of Sonoma in the Sonoma Valley?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sonoma
California rules heatmap·Compare Sonoma to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Mandatory Organics Recycling in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Sonoma County handle mandatory organics recycling.