All Ventura residents receive a green organics cart collected weekly by E.J. Harrison & Sons. Under SB 1383 (PRC §42652.5) the green cart now accepts both yard trimmings AND food scraps — California's three-bin source-separation mandate effective Jan. 1, 2022. SBMC Ch. 6.500 Article 5 (Organic Waste Recycling) implements the state requirement locally. Open burning of yard waste in the city is prohibited (Ventura County APCD Rule 444 + CFC §307).
Green cart accepts: grass clippings, leaves, hedge trimmings, small branches (≤4 inches diameter, ≤4 feet long), garden weeds, untreated wood, and per SB 1383 all food scraps (meat, bones, fish, shells, dairy, bread, fruits, vegetables, peels, pits, cobs, coffee grounds). Per City of Ventura instructions, residents with yard-waste carts must bag food scraps in a bag of their choice (paper or plastic), secure the bag, and place it inside the green cart. Not accepted in the green cart: dirt, sod, rocks, palm fronds or yucca (separate fee), pet waste, diapers, treated/painted wood, large logs/stumps, or plastic plant pots. Multi-family residents without a yard-waste cart place bagged food waste in a dedicated food-waste container provided by the property manager. Open burning of yard debris is banned year-round in Ventura under Ventura County Air Pollution Control District (APCD) Rule 444 and the California Fire Code (CFC) §307 as locally adopted in SBMC Title 9 (Building/Fire). Backyard composting is encouraged and exempt from collection mandates if material is processed on-site (PRC §42652.5(a)(34)).
Putting yard waste in the black trash cart instead of the green cart violates SBMC Ch. 6.500 Art. 5 and PRC §42652.5. After education notices, escalating fines apply ($100/$200/$500). Open burning of yard waste violates APCD Rule 444 — fines up to $1,000 per day (Health & Safety Code §42400). Setting palm fronds or stumps in the green cart triggers contamination tagging and a special-handling charge from Harrison.
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