California law requires that 50% of the garbage generated must be reduced or recycled. Almost all homes in Sacramento County have a recycling program available, but it is estimated that only 20% of area businesses engage in a meaningful recycling effort.
Last year, the Sacramento Regional Solid Waste Authority (SWA) adopted a Business Recycling Ordinance for businesses and non-residential properties in the City of Sacramento and unincorporated areas of Sacramento County.
The County’s Environmental Management Department Hazardous Materials Division is responsible for the implementation of the ordinance that applies to businesses or buildings with 4 or more cubic yards of garbage collection service per week. This is the first such mandatory business recycling program in any metropolitan area of California and will eventually include over 20,000 businesses making the SWA program one of the largest in the nation.
Some large facilities like the Westfield Downtown Plaza (WDP) are moving to enhance their existing recycling programs.
Qualifying businesses or facilities within the SWA region must comply with the following requirements:
Keep recyclable materials separate from the garbage waste stream;
Provide recycling on-site by entering into a written service with a franchised waste hauler, or authorized recycler, or register to self haul your recyclables;
Establish a recycling program in accordance with the business recycling ordinance (i.e. employee training, labeled recycling containers, signage, etc.).
Maintain recycling documents (service agreement or self-haul form) on-site and available for review.
For more information, contact the Sacramento County Environmental Management Department at 875-8550 or online at www.emd.saccounty.net