Got orange peels? Egg shells? Leftovers hiding at the back of the fridge that you’re just a little scared to open? WVC&R has the perfect place for all of them: Your Organics Container! Throwing food in the garbage is so 2021, especially when you’ve got a service that will compost all of it at no additional charge! You may be wondering “why the change?” as Organics Recycling starts in your community. Well, organic materials that are disposed of with solid-waste end up in landfills where they decompose and produce harmful methane gas, one of the major contributors to the green-house effect and, subsequently, climate change. By separating your organic materials from your garbage, you redirect organics from landfills to composting facilities where what once would have become a harmful gas can now become nutrient-rich fertilizer and soil amendment. It can be hard remembering to separate the food waste from the garbage-waste when you’re cooking (or tossing the take-out), which is why every unit in a Multi-Family complex or Single-Family resident and is eligible to have an Organics Kitchen Pail. During the week, throw your chicken bones, apple cores, even that bite of pasta you dropped on the floor in your new Organics Kitchen Pail and when you’re ready, empty your pail into the Organics container on site. Even if you don’t cook on site, pizza boxes, paper take-out bags, used napkins, and paper plates are all welcome additions to your Organics containers. Organics Recycling Service used to be called “yard waste” so remember, food waste, food soiled paper and yard trimmings all get composted when you dispose of them in your organics container.

Don’t have an Organics cart or bin? That’s okay! Some of our homes or businesses without lawns do not have an Organics container, but now that we have added food scraps collection to the program, we are happy to provide you with one at no additional charge! Just call the WVC&R customer service department at (408) 283-9250 and they will go over your options for cart and bin sizes.

As a part of California’s initiative to reduce its carbon footprint and contribution to climate change, you’ve likely started using the Organics Recycling Service provided by WVC&R at your home or business.

Sorting into a brand-new waste stream may not be an easy adjustment for everyone, which the state of California and WVC&R recognize. As such, contamination Monitoring was implemented in 2022 and will continue annually. Going forward, WVC&R will be conducting state required contamination monitoring at randomly selected commercial and residential properties. Monitoring will occur on service days for all containers on site; WVC&R staff will be lifting container lids and visually examining the contents. This will allow WVC&R representatives to confirm proper sorting practices and identify how customers can be supported in their sorting efforts going forward. This monitoring process is not only a state requirement, but is also an excellent opportunity for WVC&R to find ways to effectively engage and educate the communities we serve on new sorting techniques!

Click here to view WVC&R’s Single-Family How-To Guide

Click here to view WVC&R’s Multi-Family How-To Guide