Petaluma, CA Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)

Recycling requirements in unincorporated Sonoma County rest mainly on California state law administered locally through Zero Waste Sonoma and the franchised hauler. AB 341 (Mandatory Commercial Recycling, 2011) requires recycling 'in the commercial sector' and applies to businesses, nonprofits, strip malls, government offices, and schools generating 4 or more cubic yards of waste per week, as well as multifamily complexes with 5 or more units. Statewide, SB 1383 reinforces these mandates and requires that recyclables and organics be 'separated and diverted' to permitted facilities and 'not to be disposed of in the landfill.' For single-family unincorporated residents, recycling is handled through Recology Sonoma Marin's blue cart, collected weekly alongside garbage and compost; bottles, cans, paper, and other accepted recyclables go in the blue cart rather than the gray garbage cart. Sonoma County's countywide planning under AB 939 (the Integrated Waste Management Act) set diversion goals that the County and cities must meet through programs coordinated by Zero Waste Sonoma. Because these are largely state mandates implemented through the local agency and hauler, the practical rule for unincorporated residents and businesses is straightforward: keep recyclables (and organics) out of the trash and use the provided blue and green carts or arrange compliant service. Businesses subject to AB 341 and AB 1826 must arrange recycling and organics service and may be subject to compliance review.