Single Family Residential Food Scraps/Compost

 
Attention: New Compost and Recycling Law

Effective January 1, 2022, a new California law (SB 1383) requires that compostable materials, be kept out of landfills—including food scraps, paper, cardboard, and plant trimmings—to prevent the production of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. In Alameda County, the law is implemented under the Organics Reduction and Recycling Ordinance.

Residents are required to subscribe to curbside composting and recycling collection service and sort materials into the correct containers.
Woman in kitchen placing vegetable leftovers from a cutting board into a composting pail

Food Scraps and Compost

Service is provided on a weekly basis, Monday through Friday, except for Holidays (see Holiday information).

To ensure your pickup, please place your cart in the street at the curb the night before your scheduled pickup. Please place carts with at least three feet between each cart.

Residential garbage, recycling, and compost collection carts on a street shown at three foot spacing
Please place carts with at least three feet between each cart.

Green Lid Food Scraps/Compost Cart

Follow these guidelines to ensure proper residential Food Scraps/Compost collection in the green lid cart:

  • All food products including meat & bones including fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, seafood, bones, bread, rice, beans, pasta and cheese
  • Coffee grounds & tea bags
  • Food-soiled paper such as pizza boxes, paper towels, paper plates, paper napkins & waxed paper containers
  • Branches & twigs no larger than 4” in diameter
  • Plants, leaves, flowers & weeds
  • Unpainted, unvarnished wood
  • For more information on food scraps and compost collection, please download our How-to-Guide.
  • IMPORTANT: Please line your kitchen pail with a newspaper or paper bag if using liners. No plastic bags, including BPI compostable bags, are accepted.
Acceptable Food Waste/Compost such as fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, plants, and yard scraps
Food scraps and compost such as fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, plants, leaves, flowers & weeds

Green bin for Food Scraps/Organics such as fruits, vegetables, meat, plants, leaves, flowers, weeds
Women preparing vegetables for a meal places leftovers from cutting board into a composting pail

Make Food Scrap Composting Easier

Choose the best method for you:

  • Collect scraps in pizza boxes or paper egg cartons
  • Wrap scraps in newspaper
  • Use the kitchen pail (Call in to request your Kitchen Counter-Top compost pail free of charge, these pails are designed to help collect your food scraps and food soiled paper at your home)
  • For some extra tips on how to reduce food waste in your home check out this page from StopWaste to Reduce Wasted Food At Home

Warning!

It is illegal to dispose of hazardous materials in garbage or recycling containers (see below for prohibited items). Improperly disposing of hazardous and toxic waste can result in serious harm to the health of people, pets, wildlife, and our environment. Containers found to have these materials will not be collected until such materials are removed.

Alameda County offers free drop off locations for hazardous and/or universal waste. For more information, please visit the StopWaste.org Household Hazardous Waste for Residents website, or call 1-800-606-6606.

You can also check the City of Dublin Household Hazardous Waste Programs for local disposal options.
Fluorescent tubes or CFL light bulbs with a big red circle and line through them
No fluorescent tubes or CFL light bulbs
Syringe or needle with a big red circle and line through it
No syringes or needles (sharps)
Different sized batteries with a big red circle and line through them
No batteries of any kind or size
Paints, solvents or other toxic chemicals with a big red circle and line through them
No chemical cleaners, paints, solvents or other toxic chemicals
Computer monitor and microwave oven with a big red circle and line through them
No appliances, computers, monitors, TV’s or electronics/eWaste