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What is organic waste?

Items that can be incorporated into products such as recycled paper, cardboard, compost, mulch, or converted to energy. They include:

  • Food scraps such as uneaten food, overripe fruit or vegetables, bones, coffee grounds and filters, tea bags
  • Landscaping clippings such as leaves, weeds, plants, shrubs and small branches
  • Food soiled paper such as greasy pizza boxes, paper plates and paper food bags
  • Wood and lumber

Where should these go?

As of July 1, residents should separate food scraps and uneaten food from the main trash bin and dispose of them in the yard waste bin.

You can also gather and store food scraps in a newspaper-lined kitchen pail and take it out to your yard waste bin whenever you're ready.

If you have extra freezer space, you can put scraps in a sealable bag and then empty the frozen contents into the yard waste bin on collection day.

Make sure to just put food or other organic waste in your yard waste bin with no bags or other containers.

A guide to residential solid waste collection and recycling services can be found here.

Apartments, townhomes

Anaheim residents living in apartment, condominium or townhome communities may have their own process. Ask your property manager to better understand how your community will dispose of food and other organic waste.  

Food waste in cartWe know this is a big change for everyone but the good news is you're not alone. This effort is part of a statewide plan to reduce the amount of food and organic waste in landfills and reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that are created when organic waste breaks down.

A guide to multi-family solid waste collection and recycling services can be found here.

If you're interested in composting at home, you can buy a composting bin from the city for $20. Please call (714) 765-6883 for more details.

WHAT GOES WHERE

Residential Recycling info

Residential organics and trash info

Why does it matter?

Organic waste in landfills emits 20 percent of the state’s methane, a climate super pollutant 84 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Organic waste, such as food scraps, yard trimmings, paper and cardboard, make up half of what Californians send to landfills. 

Knowing this, California has committed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve human health with the signing of a new law affecting Anaheim residents in the months ahead. The law will help us reduce short-lived, harmful, super pollutants with significant warming impacts on our climate. 

Learn more about California's plan that changes the way we throw away our food, paper products and more here!

Landfill

Businesses doing their part

Anaheim restaurants and commercial operations with extra food can also do their part to divert food waste from landfills. It's done through a food recovery program that gets edible food into the hands of local food banks and food donation organizations. 

Benefits to donating perishable and nonperishable food include:

  • Reduction in costs associated with reducing food waste
  • Meets state requirements for landfill diversion
  • Tax deductions for donated food

By managing food sustainably and reducing waste, we can save money, provide food to hungry people and families in Orange County and conserve natural resources for future generations. 

There are many ways you can donate edible food in Anaheim and Orange County. Here's a list connecting you to Anaheim-based food recovery organizations, such as churches and other small nonprofits.

Check out more information on business edible food recovery here.

A guide for commercial solid waste collection and recycling services can be found here.

Here's a list of food banks and recovery organizations serving all of Orange County.

Food donation box
Second harvest food bank blurb
Abound Food blurb
CAP OC blurb
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