The City of San Diego has gone green! San Diego’s Environmental Services Department (ESD) recently completed the delivery of more than 200,000 Organic Waste Recycling green bins to City-serviced homes, empowering San Diegans to do their part for the environment by collecting their food scraps, food-soiled paper and yard trimmings for weekly collection.  

ESD will present an Organic Waste Recycling Program update to the Environment Committee today, Oct. 12, at 1 p.m., highlighting the completion of the rollout and the successes so far in diverting organic material from the landfill.  

“Recycling organic waste is a key part of achieving our climate action goals,” Mayor Todd Gloria said. “I know changing habits can be hard, but separating your organics keeps waste out of our landfills and reduces harmful emissions created by rotting waste. The City's Environmental Services Department has done a great job sharing tips to help all San Diegans take advantage of this new service, and I ask everyone to make an effort to incorporate organic waste recycling into your lives.”  

The Organic Waste Recycling Program helps the City comply with Senate Bill 1383, which requires all California residents and businesses to reduce the disposal of organic waste by 75% by 2025. It also moves the City closer to achieving Zero Waste and Climate Action Plan goals. 

“Recycling organic waste is a simple, yet impactful step each of us can take to fight climate change,” said City Councilmember Joe LaCava, chair of the Environment Committee. “San Diegans now have the tools to be part of the solution.”  

Since the program rollout started in January of this year, more than 53,000 tons of organic waste have been collected for recycling. Comparing September of 2022 to September of 2023, the City has seen a reduction of waste in black bins of 4,400 tons, and a corresponding 5,500-ton increase in organic waste in green bins.  

Organic Waste Recycling Program By the Numbers (Jan. 11 to date):

Green bins distributed - 213,000 

Kitchen pails distributed - 281,000 

Green bin swap-outs - 11,000 

New organic waste collection routes created - 200 

Total organic waste collected to date - 53,000+ tons 

Reduction of waste in black bins - Sept. 2022 compared to Sept. 2023 - 4,400 tons 

Increase in organic waste in green bins - Sept. 2022 compared to Sept. 2023 - 5,500 tons 

Total organic waste projected to be recycled in 2023 - 70,000 tons 

Organic waste recycling ensures a cleaner, more sustainable future by diverting materials from the landfill and reducing harmful emissions. When organic waste is left to decompose in a landfill, it releases methane, a gas that traps the sun’s heat and contributes to climate change. However, when organic waste is recycled at the City’s Miramar Greenery, it becomes a renewable resource, creating compost and mulch to nourish gardens, parks, farms and open spaces.  

This new program represents the biggest change to trash and recycling in San Diego’s history. Leading up to the delivery of green bins, the City launched an extensive outreach campaign to educate people about the importance of organic waste recycling and to provide tips and resources for success.  

“Organic waste recycling represents a major shift in behavior,” said ESD Director Renee Robertson. “But San Diegans are finding out that putting things like eggshells, banana peels and coffee grounds in a green bin can be as easy as tossing aluminum cans, cardboard and plastic bottles in a blue bin.” 

Each City-serviced household receiving a green bin was provided a multi-language Curbside Organic Waste Recycling Guide, with information about what can and can’t go in the green bin and how to keep their bin clean. The guides can also be found on the City’s website, OrganicWasteRecycleSD.org, in English, Spanish, Tagalog and Vietnamese.  

ESD is hosting an in-person workshop, "How to Love Your New Green Bin," on Oct. 28 from 11 a.m. to noon at the Pacific Beach/Taylor Library. For additional assistance, ESD can be reached at trash@sandiego.gov or 858-694-7000.  

About the Environmental Services Department (ESD): 

ESD ensures City of San Diego residents have a clean and safe environment. The department pursues waste management strategies that emphasize waste reduction and recycling, composting and environmentally sound landfill management. ESD is also responsible for collecting and disposing of refuse, recyclables, household hazardous waste and green waste.