Recycling Rules Alameda County

Haulers FAQs

 

HAULERS & DISPOSAL FACILITIES



What is the Mandatory Recycling ordinance?
The Mandatory Recycling ordinance is a new law that prohibits the disposal of certain readily recyclable materials. It requires businesses and multi-family property owners in Alameda County to provide on-site recycling to handle the amount of recyclable material produced at those locations.

To read the full ordinance, click here.

Why has the Alameda County Waste Management Authority adopted this ordinance?
The ordinance is designed to help the Authority reach its long-term goal of reducing the waste that goes to landfill by ensuring that recyclables and compostables make up less than 10 percent of material in the garbage bin by 2020.

How is this ordinance different from State law?
State law (AB 341) also requires businesses and multi-family residential properties to provide recycling service. However, this local ordinance differs in that it clarifies which materials must be recycled. The County law requires adequate levels of recycling service and specifies how it will be enforced in Alameda County.

How are haulers affected by the ordinance?
Waste haulers are required to provide information to their customers about the ordinance and to help them comply.

What must haulers do to comply with the ordinance?
Haulers were given the option to manage customer outreach and education themselves or to have Alameda County Waste Management Authority manage outreach and education on their behalf.

If haulers chose to manage outreach themselves, they are required to share information about the recycling ordinance with their customers, using outreach materials provided by Alameda County Waste Management Authority. After these materials are shared with customers, haulers must provide the Authority with a record of what materials were sent, the date they were sent, and the number of commercial or multi-family residential accounts to which they were sent.

Haulers are required to monitor compliance with the ordinance and begin providing the Authority with information for those accounts that may be out of conformance starting January 1, 2013. Haulers must also provide the Authority with customer information for any accounts suspected of violating the recycling law.

What must disposal facilities do to comply?
Landfills and transfer stations throughout Alameda County must require self-haulers to separate “Covered Materials” from their trash or pay at least a 10% surcharge to dispose of their mixed loads. Disposal facilities must submit Compliance Plans to Alameda County Waste Management Authority describing how they will implement the ordinance.

How are self-haulers affected by the ordinance?
“Self-hauler” means a person who delivers solid waste to a landfill or a transfer station but is not a Regulated Hauler or a transfer station operator.

Self-haulers are also covered by the Mandatory Recycling ordinance, and must deliver any recyclable material originating in Alameda County to landfills or transfer stations that are in compliance with the ordinance.