Food Waste

  • Food Scrap Diversion Program-Single Family Residential Property
  • Master Recycler Training Program Interest Form
  • ReUse Map & To Go Ware Usage

Don't have a food scrap pail? No problem, call us at 420-5377 or email us at organics@santacruzca.gov and we will deliver one to you.

Feed People, Not Landfills

  • Refuse - To waste food
  • Rethink - Your habits
  • Reduce - What you toss
  • Reuse - Donate safely
  • Recycle - Create something new
  • Rot - Compost close to home

City of Santa Cruz Single Family Residential Curbside Food Scrap Collection Program

Missed Pick Up?

if your Food Scraps Pail was at the Curb by 5:00AM, but it wasn't serviced, contact Customer Service and let them know. 831-420-5220 or scmu@santcruzca.gov

Note: This program covers Solid Waste Collection Customers within the City of Santa Cruz. Customers outside of the City of Santa Cruz Service zone should contact Green Waste Customer service line at 831-426-2711 for more information about Food Scrap Collection in your area.

SB1383 Mandate for Commercial Entities

  • Sign Up for Food Scrap Collection Service
  • Owners, occupants, or operators of commercial premises in the City of Santa Cruz service area are required to subscribe to waste, recycling, and organics collection service from the City of Santa Cruz Resource Recovery Division of Public Works, unless granted a waiver.
  • A waiver may be granted if a Commercial entity can provide documentation or evidence that they are exempt for the following reasons. Waivers are granted at the discretion of the Public Works Director or Designee
  • De Minimis
    1. If an entity produces more than 2 cubic yards of Solid Waste (Trash, Recycling, Organics, including Food scraps and Yard Waste) per week, but minimal (less than 2 tall kitchen bags) of organic waste
    2. In an entity produces less than 2 cubic yards of Solid Waste (Trash, Recycling, Organics, including Food scraps and Yard Waste) per week, but minimal (less than 1 tall kitchen bag) or organic waste.
  • Physical Space Constraints - The premises lack adequate space to fit all containers (trash, recycling, organics)
  • Recent legislation mandates that even more Organic material must be diverted from the landfill.

Commercial Businesses

Are you a commercial business that needs to sign up for Food Scrap Collection service? Contact customer service at 420-5220 or scmu@santacruzca.gov.

Food Scrap Drop Off Program

Are you ready to start diverting Food Scraps from the landfill but the Multi Family (5 or more units) community you live in is still gearing up? No problem! Contact Waste Reduction Staff to gain access to a Drop Off Container.

Ours is Not a Traditional Food to Soil Compost Program

Food scraps including vegetables,fruits, meat scraps, dairy products,seafood, and solid fats are collected from residential and commercial customers, then pre-processed at the City of SantaCruz Resource Recovery Facility.

The finished product—a ground food mash, is transported toan Anaerobic Digestion Facilityapproximately every 14 days. The food mash goes through a process that creates biogas.Anaerobic digestion is a series of biologicalprocesses in which microorganisms break downbio-degradable material in the absence of oxygen.An end product of this process is biogas. It is the City's goal to send our processed food mash to our own or other regional Waste Water Treatment Facilities once infrastructure changes are realized.

Resources

Waste Reduction Staff is available to assist Multi Family Communities of five units or more become compliant with SB1383. Email: organics@cityofsantacruz.com

Learning Opportunities

Food, Too Good To Waste Webinar Series - Recordings Available

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