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Organics Recycling

Tips on Recycling Food Waste At Home

graphic of filling kitchen top container with food waste and taking it to green bin open_in_full

How to collect food scraps in the kitchen

  • Remove stickers, twist ties, rubber bands, and plastic wrap from food scraps.
  • Use a repurposed kitchen container (with a lid) or pail to collect food scraps and food-soiled paper. You can also collect them in a paper bag which is compostable. 
  • Line the kitchen container with a paper bag/towel, newspaper or compostable bag (Biodegradable Products Institute [BPI] certified/meets ASTM D6400 standards) 
  • Store the kitchen container in a convenient location (under sink, on the countertop, or in the refrigerator or freezer) 
  • Empty into the curbside organic waste container when it is full, and every night before collection day.

Minimize the use of your garbage disposal. Garbage disposals increase waste that has to be treated at wastewater treatment plants, clog sewer lines and increase the amount of water used in your home.

How to prevent odor and pests

  • Drain excess liquid from food waste before discarding
  • Freeze/refridgerate scraps before adding to the organics container
  • Wash kitchen scrap container frequently with soap and water 
  • Sprinkle the inside with baking soda to control odors 
  • Use a compostable plastic or brown paper bag to collect the scraps for disposal
  • Line container with food-soiled paper or newspaper 
  • Outside - layer items like grass, tree triiming on the bottom of your curbside container before adding food waste

 

banana graphic smiling open_in_full
kitchen pail open_in_full

Tools to use - kitchen pails and bags

The City of Sacramento is offering residents a free kitchen food waste pail to collect food scraps and food-soiled paper for organic waste recycling. Pails can be picked up, while supplies last, at one of three locations. One pail per household, but you may pick up a pail for another City resident.

 

Pail pickup locations

Please check the times and days of availability as not all options are open every day.

  1. Outside our facility at 2812 Meadowview Road on TUESDAYS ONLY from 9am-4pm. You will see a security gate and guard shack straight ahead, and in front of the guard shack you will see a table of kitchen pails. Do not pull up to the gate--you can park next to the guard shack and walk up to take your pail from the table with no contact. No proof of residency required. 
  2. The Department of Utilities has a public counter at 1395 35th Avenue, open Monday – Thursday from 8am-4pm and Fridays from 8am-11:30am. Park in visitor parking, enter the lobby, and go through the door on your left. Please ask a customer service agent at the counter for a pail. No proof of residency required. 
  3. Refill Madness, a retail and reuse store, is giving out pails at 1828 29th Street, Sacramento. They are open every day from 10am until 5pm or later; you can check their hours on their website or call 916-382-4823 for more information. You will be asked to confirm your address is within City limits.

Optional bags

If using compostable bags, only those made of BPI-certified plastic may be used. We will be giving one roll of compostable plastic bags with each pail. There are multiple online retailers who sell BPI-certified compostable bags as well as many local Sacramento stores.

You don't need a specific pail to collect your food scraps and food-soiled paper for recycling. You can use a bowl, paper bag, or repurposed kitchen container like a coffee tin or yogurt tub.

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