This October, Long Beach Public Works will start rolling out its Residential Organics Collection Program, with the aim to reduce waste and improve recycling throughout the city.
This program will be in line with Senate Bill 1383, and its goal to have a 75% reduction in organic material from landfills and subsequently lower methane emissions from landfills across California.
“By launching the organics collection program, our City is taking a significant step towards a greener future and aligning with the state’s broader efforts to combat climate change,” said Mayor Rex Richardson in a public statement. “We encourage everyone to participate, stay informed, and help make Long Beach a leading example of environmental stewardship.”
Over the years, Long Beach has worked towards fully implementing SB 1383, the Short-Lived Climate Pollutants Organic Waste Methane Emissions Reduction bill.
Three years ago, the City began diverting organic material from City-serviced commercial accounts through its Commercial Food Scraps Collection Pilot Program, which concluded last year. Next month, Long Beach will launch phase one of the residential organics program, with the goal of full implementation by the end of 2025.
“Launching a new program of this scale is a significant undertaking, and our focus is on keeping the community well-informed before their service begins,” said Eric Lopez, Public Works Director, in a public statement. “We’re committed to continuous education about what belongs in each cart — whether it’s trash, recycling, or organics — so that residents can smoothly transition to this new state-mandated initiative.”
During the week of Oct. 14, residents living within the City’s phase one service areas will receive a new green cart for the collection of yard trimmings and food scraps. The current purple recycling carts will be taken, recycled and replaced by new blue carts.
This cart switch allows the City to comply with the SB 1383 requirement for standardized cart colors statewide. Until the exchange is made, phase one residents are advised to hold onto their existing carts.
Around 8,000 single family and multifamily homes will be visited during phase one. Residents can check out an interactive map to see if they’re located in any of the phase one locations.
Current service date, collection locations and volume of yard trimmings generated were among the factors considered for chosen areas. Various operational scenarios will also be explored to determine their place in future phases of the program.
To inform residents of the program, the City is launching a public outreach campaign. First-phase residents will receive direct mailers with program details printed in English and Spanish. Khmer and Tagalog mailers can also be requested or completed online.
Long Beach will also conduct door-to-door visits and launch the “neighborhood champion” initiative, encouraging residents to spread the word and gather the most effective communication methods for program participation.
To diminish potential contamination, City staff will sample carts on a routine basis to test for contamination and disperse educational materials to ensure proper cart use.
The City received 10,702 responses on an eight-week community survey in 2022 to receive public feedback on the food scraps and yard trimming collection program. Using this information, outreach materials were created and the program website was updated to feature the current program.
For a comprehensive look at the Residential Organics Collection Program, including additional resources and frequently asked questions, as well as the City’s ongoing waste reduction efforts, visit longbeach.gov/recycles.