News

Frequently Asked Questions

My green cart is labeled Organics. What qualifies as organic material?: In this case, organics refers to a variety of biological items, ranging from yard waste to food scraps of all kinds, including left over dairy and meat products, even bones! Greasy pizza boxes, and even food soiled paper towels, can also go in your green organics cart. All of these items will be processed in our anaerobic digestor and be turned into compost in just about two weeks. You can learn more about this process at https://kompogas-slo.com/.
What can, or can’t, go in my green organics cart?: YES: meat, bones, dairy, grains, bread, fruits, veggies, grass, leaves, sticks, small branches (less than 4" diameter), greasy pizza boxes, food-soiled paper towels, etc. NO: Plastic bags of any kind, even those that are labeled “compostable” are the biggest contaminant in our green carts, and our processing facility. These do not break down in our treatment system and can contaminate the highly valuable by products we create, such as compost and soil enhancements that support local agriculture and non-profits. Paper products with cleaning chemicals are also not allowed, and should go in the garbage. Excess liquids of any kind should be disposed of down the drain, not in our green carts.
Is the compost made from my organics material available to the public?: Yes, there are multiple public pickups scheduled each year, where compost is available for pickup at the anaerobic digestor here in San Luis Obispo. They typically occur in the spring and fall. For more information you visit https://kompogas-slo.com/news/.
My organics cart gets gross, what can I do?: There are lots of solutions to keeping your organics cart clean that will work with our digestor system. We suggest rinsing your cart out regularly to remove contaminants. Lining your countertop pail, or large street cart, with newspaper or paper bags, both of which can be digested by our system is a popular option. Layering the bottom of your green cart with yard waste, such as grass trimmings or tree prunings also works well. Please remember, no plastic or "compostable" bags in the green cart! Even bags labeled compostable don't break down in our system, and must be removed by a human before the materials can be processed. Many municipalities offer a once-per-year free cart swap in case a cart gets excessively dirty or smelly. Additional cart cleanings may be available for a small fee. Contact us for details, (805) 543-0875.
Can I bag my recycling?: Please do not bag your recycling in plastic bags! Paper bags are OK, but soft plastics get stuck in our machines at our Materials Recovery Facility (“MRF”) and must be cleaned out by hand daily. Too many bags? Single use plastic bags are often accepted for recycling at grocery stores and other big box retailers, but they are not accepted in our blue carts. The only exception to this rule is shredded paper, which is permitted to be bagged in clear plastic bags and placed in your blue recycling cart. This material will be removed by a human at the beginning of the materials recovery process.
Does my recycling have to be perfectly clean to be accepted?: The cleaner the better. Once materials are separated in our MRF, they are sold to other companies who then recycle the materials into new products. The cleaner our recycling is the more likely companies will be to accept our materials in the future, ensuring that we’re doing our part to successfully close the loop on materials recovery. Any excessively contaminated items received at our Materials Recovery Facility are liable to end up in the landfill.
Where can I find out what is recyclable?: We recommend using our searchable Waste Wizard tool for the latest information regarding which materials our recycling team currently accepts. This function can be found on the homepage of our website. You can also download our free Recycle Right SLO County app for iOS and Android, which includes a searchable recycling database, and schedule reminders.
Are container lids recyclable? Should I leave them attached to the bottle/jar/tub they came from?: Yes, leave lids attached. Even metal or plastic lids left on glass bottles are preferred. Small items (smaller that 2" x 2") are often overlooked by our sorting team, or fall through our sorting machinery, and end up as garbage.
What should I do with batteries?: Batteries are the most common flammable item we encounter in our waste stream. They have caused many fires in our trucks, and at our facilities. Please never throw any batteries in the trash. Take them to a Household Hazardous Waste facility or any retailer in SLO County which sells batteries, where they can be returned for free. You can learn more here: https://www.iwma.com/how-do-i-recycle-batteries-in-slo-county
What's the different between household hazardous waste and e-waste?: Household Hazardous Waste (HHW): Think batteries, paints, fluorescent light bulbs, etc. These items, especially batteries, are the most common source of fires in our trucks. HHW items can often be returned to their place of purchase, or dropped off for free at an HHW site. Visit iwma.com/hazardous-waste to find one near you. E-waste: Think laptops, cell phones, old TVs, etc. These items are flammable and often made of valuable components. We accept most e-waste for free at our drop off sites, which you can find at iwma.com/e-waste. Or try to fix it with help from local organizations such as iFixit or 5 Cities Repair Cafe.
Where does my recycling end up? Does it get buried in a hole across the seas, or trashed?: TLDR: No! All of the recyclable items we collect are processed through our Materials Recovery Facility, or MRF, which is located on the same property as Cold Canyon Landfill in San Luis Obispo. Our MRF uses humans, machines, and robots to sort the materials, which are then packaged for shipment to third party processors located primarily on the west coast of North America. About 75% of the 200 tons we process at the MRF each day is successfully diverted from the landfill. That's an average of over 300,000 pounds every day! You can learn more about where your recycling goes at: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/026c4c0932c241f5950c8b3be10347a9
When is my service day?: You can locate your service day by accessing our Waste Wizard tool on our website. We also suggest you download our Recycle Right SLO County app for iOS and Android. You can pay a bill, get service day reminders, use our searchable recycling feature, and more right from the app.
I have limited space to put my carts out, what should I do?: Our truck arms can extend to around six feet and are quite agile. However, they need room for the grabbing arm (think mechanical claw, like the arcade game) to maneuver to the sides of, and behind, carts to pick them up. So, as long as your carts are at least three feet away from all obstacles (cars, signs, buildings, other carts, etc.) we can likely service them, even if they are located against the curb between parked vehicles. Please do not block driveways or bike lanes. You may also be able to downsize your service cart size, to better fit your needs. Give us a call at (805) 543-0875 for details.
How far away from each other, and other things, do carts need to be?: Three feet away from all obstacles is our preferred distance, to ensure our drivers can easily service carts.
When are my clean-up weeks?: Most jurisdictions we serve offer at least two opportunities each year to have large items or additional bags of garbage removed from our residential customers. However, dates and details vary by area. You can learn more by following us on social media, or calling (805) 543-0875 for more information. Keep in mind that all bagged items placed on the curb during big pickup weeks are taken directly to the landfill, so please dispose of recyclable and organic waste items accordingly. You can use our searchable Waste Wizard to learn more about which materials are recyclable.
I’m renting my home/business, can I make changes to my service?: All changes to accounts must be made by the account holder. Whoever pays the bill is the one who may call and make changes to service, or request a bulky item pickup.