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

Tulare County adopted the Mandatory Organic Waste Disposal Reduction Ordinance (County Code Chapter 4-3, Article 13) to comply with California SB 1383 (Lara, Statutes of 2016), which sets statewide targets to cut organic-waste disposal 75% by 2025 and recover 20% of edible food. Section 4-03-1620 authorizes the Solid Waste Director to implement and enforce the SB 1383 Regulations (14 CCR section 18982 et seq.), and provides that where the County code conflicts with a 14 CCR section 18982 definition, the state definition controls. Section 4-03-1635 requires single-family organic-waste generators to subscribe to and pay for the County's organic-waste collection service for all organic waste generated (unless a waiver is granted) and to place source-separated green-container organic waste — including food waste — in the green container; under the chosen service option, food waste goes either in the green cart (Option 1a) or, where the hauler offers it, mixed in the gray container for further processing (Option 1b). Section 4-03-1640 places parallel organics duties on commercial generators, including multifamily dwellings of five or more units. The green container is solely for source-separated organic waste; no recyclables or nonorganic trash are permitted in it. Edible-food-recovery requirements for Tier One commercial edible food generators began January 1, 2022. In practice, the County's franchise haulers (Mid-Valley Disposal, Tule Trash and others) roll out and service the green organics carts.