Assembly Bill 341 (AB 341), commonly referred to as “The Mandatory Commercial Recycling Law”, set forth mandatory statewide commercial recycling requirements that became effective on July 1, 2012.  This law requires businesses and multi-family residential dwellings (five or more units)  to arrange for recycling services. Common mixed recyclables include, but are not limited to the following materials: plastic containers, cardboard products, paper products, metal products, glass, and other items.

A property owner of a commercial business or multi-family residential dwelling may require tenants to source separate their recyclable materials to aid in compliance with this section.

• Source separate recyclable and/or compostable material from solid waste they are discarding and either self-haul, subscribe to a recycling program through a waste hauler, and/or otherwise arrange for the pick-up of the recyclable and/or compostable materials separately from the solid waste to divert them from disposal.

• Subscribe to a service that includes mixed waste processing alone or in combination with other programs, activities or processes that divert recyclable and/or compostable materials from disposal, and yield diversion results comparable to source separation.

• Property owners of commercial or multi-family residential dwellings may require tenants to source separate their recyclable materials. Tenants must source separate their recyclable materials if required to by property owners of commercial or multi-family residential dwellings.

Effective July 1, 2020, MCR and MORe covered businesses must provide organics and recycling containers at front-of-house to collect waste generated from products purchased and consumed on the premises (AB 827, McCarty, Chapter 441, Statutes of 2019).  These containers must be placed adjacent to trash containers and be visible, easily accessible, and clearly marked.

This law impacts businesses that sell products meant for immediate consumption.

Full-service restaurants do not have to provide containers for patrons, but must provide containers for employees to separate post-consumer recyclables and organics for customers.