The City of Chula Vista will officially begin its “Food and Yard Waste Recycling Program” on July 1, administered by Republic Services.
Once the program begins, Chula Vista residents living in single-family homes are required to collect their food waste scraps and food-soiled paper products, along with yard waste in Republic Service green carts. The program has not yet started for commercial or multi-family customers, including condominiums, townhomes, and mobile home parks.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, organic waste accounts for a significant portion of California’s waste stream. According to Republic Services, the decomposition of organic waste in California’s landfills generates about 20 percent of the state's methane, a super pollutant 84 rimes more potent than carbon dioxide.
In September 2016, Governor Edmund Brown Jr. set methane emissions reduction targets for California through Senate Bill 1383 in a statewide effort to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants. Effective January 1, 2022, SB 1383 requires all residents and commercial businesses in California to recycle food and yard waste (organics), along with food-soiled paper products, to combat climate change and increase edible food recovery.
Chula Vista was supposed to begin the program on Jan. 1, but that was derailed by a strike by a month-long strike by unionized Republic Services drivers. The city has made free kitchen caddies available to Chula Vista residents to ease into the routine of recycling organic waste.
Availability of kitchen caddies at distribution events listed below are on a first-come, first-served basis, one per household:
- 6/25/2022 from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm at Otay Recreation Center (3554 Main St, 91911)
- 7/9/2022 from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm at Veteran's Park (785 E Palomar St, 91911)
- 7/12/2022 from 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm at Otay Ranch Mall Farmer’s Market (2015 Birch Road, 91915)
- 7/24/2022 from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm at Third Avenue Village Market (91910)
- Permanent pickup area – Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm at 276 Fourth Ave, City Hall, Building C
Republic Services and the city of Chula Vista will reach out to commercial businesses and multi-family customers to perform waste assessments.
“These assessments will assist the business and property managers/HOAs in right-sizing containers and ensure proper service levels before officially starting service,” Republic Services wrote in a statement.
A Food and Yard Waste green cart is available at no additional cost. Single-family residents can call Republic Services at (619) 421-9400, for up to two green carts at no additional charge.
Republic Services will transport all collected Food and Yard Waste to the Otay Composting Facility, California's first fully solar-powered composting facility.
For more information, visit Republic Services of Chula Vista.
