What Does Compliance Look Like?
SCMU Refuse customers are expected to comply with Santa Cruz Municipal Code (SCMC) Chapter 06.12, Solid Waste. The requirements and enforcement steps below summarize SCMC Chapter 06.12 for general reference. In the event of any conflict, the City's Municipal Code and California state law shall govern.
The City shall have the right to review the number and size of a producer’s containers and collection frequency to evaluate the adequacy of capacity provided for each type of collection service for proper separation of materials and containment of materials; and commercial businesses shall adjust their service level for their collection services as requested by the City. To request a reduction or increase in service level, contact SCMU Customer Service. The City approves service-level changes on a case-by-case basis, at its discretion. When assessing such requests, City staff may consider account history, property constraints, service constraints, inspections and investigations, observations, and other variables.
Commercial Properties
-
Commercial producers shall subscribe to the City's collection services and source separate waste into the appropriate waste streams: Trash, mixed recycling, cardboard-only, food scraps, and yard waste.
-
Supply and allow access to collection containers for all applicable waste streams in all indoor and outdoor, back-of-house and customer-facing areas where those materials are generated.
-
Provide education, training, inspections, and other measures to prohibit employees from incorrectly sorting materials.
-
Annually provide information to employees, contractors, tenants, and customers about the different waste streams and proper sorting practices. And, provide waste stream education and information before or within fourteen days of the occupation of the premises to new tenants.
-
Commercial producers who want to self-haul, must meet the self-hauler requirements in Section 6.12.160.
-
Tier one and tier two commercial edible food generators (businesses that produce surplus safe food including fresh produce, grocery items, packaged food, and cooked or prepared foods) must comply with food recovery requirements as defined in Section 6.12.036. Simply put, commercial edible food generators must recover and donate the maximum amount of edible food to feed people.
-
This code applies to any vendor, business, organization, entity, group or individual, including food establishments, located in the City of Santa Cruz that offers food or beverage to the public. All food providers in the City of Santa Cruz that use disposable food service ware shall use ordinance-compliant materials, offer accessories only upon customer request, and charge a "take-out fee" of $0.25 for disposable cups.
-
Compliant material is fiber-based, certified compostable, and certified free of added PFAS.
-
Accessories are available upon request only and are not included in orders by default. This includes utensils, chopsticks, napkins, straws, and condiments. This applies to in-person orders, online order platforms, and to-go orders.
-
The City bans lightweight plastic carry-out bags and requires a $0.25 charge for paper carry-out bags.
Multifamily Properties (5 or more units)
-
Multifamily residential dwellings shall subscribe to the City's collection services and source separate waste into the appropriate waste streams: Trash, mixed recycling, cardboard-only, food scraps, and yard waste.
-
Supply and allow access to an adequate number, size, and location of collection containers with sufficient labels or colors.
-
Annually provide information to tenants, employees, contractors, and customers about the different waste streams and proper sorting practices. And, provide waste stream education and information before or within fourteen days of the occupation of the premises to new tenants.
-
The City shall provide containers or receptacles for recyclables, green waste, and food waste. The producer (customer) shall maintain the containers or receptacles in a clean, serviceable condition.
-
Collection containers or receptacles must be set out at the curb (or in the designated service location) before 5:00 a.m on the scheduled service days.
Single-Family Properties
-
Single-family homes, which include the owner, occupant, or property manager of a single-family property, shall subscribe to the City's collection services and source separate waste into the appropriate waste streams: Trash, mixed recycling, food scraps, and yard waste.
-
Single-family properties are required to keep organics (food scraps and yard waste) out of the trash, and participate in the City's Food Scrap Collection Program. They may additionally manage their organic waste by preventing or reducing their organic waste, managing organic waste on site, and/or using a community composting site.
Per council resolution, carts or containers must not be placed on the public street or sidewalk more than 24 hours before the scheduled service and must be removed within 24 hours after service.
Carts or containers that are overloaded (the lid must be closed) may require extra service. A history of overloaded carts may result in a forced increase in service level.
Unwanted or disposed of items left on any City street, sidewalk, roadway, pedestrian way, or bicycle path are considered illegal dumping and are subject to the Special Haul minimum charge (26-27FY $231.88 +tax). Keep free piles on private property.
Inspections and Investigations
Have you noticed City staff checking on your bins? Per Chapter 6.12.115, Resource Recovery staff may monitor compliance with this chapter randomly and through compliance reviews, route reviews, complaint investigations, and an inspection program.
We inspect carts and containers for several reasons:
1. Catch contamination early. We check bins for "contamination": Things like plastic clamshell containers in recycling, food waste in trash, or hazardous items mixed in. Contaminated loads can ruin an entire truckload of materials and damage expensive equipment at the sorting facility, so catching it at the curb is better than losing a whole batch downstream. The system works best if we can prevent those unwanted/hazardous items from entering in the first place. This is why it is so important to Recycle Right! and keep organics out of the landfill.
2. Improving customer education. Inspections show us where residents and businesses are most often confused, so we can sharpen our outreach and make sorting easier to get right the first time.
3. Hazardous waste detection. Electronics, batteries, vapes, chemicals, and medical waste don't belong in any curbside bins. Beyond the environmental risk, these items can start fires in our trucks and at our processing facilities, endangering both equipment and staff.
What Happens If We Find A Problem?
| Tag |
Meaning |
What Happens Next |
|
Yellow OOPs tag
|
A few items don't belong in this container
|
Still emptied on its regular service day; Just remove the flagged items going forward.
|
|
Orange Contamination tag
|
Cart rejected for high contamination or hazardous materials
|
Account holder is notified; Remove the material for pickup on the next service day, or pay to have it emptied as trash. Contact SCMU Customer Service to have the cart emptied as trash.
|
Questions About a Tag On Your Cart?
Contact SCMU Customer Service for guidance on what happened and how to avoid it next time.
831-420-5220
scmu@santacruzca.gov
Penalties and Enforcement of Violations
-
Failure to meet and uphold the expectations as defined in Chapter 6 may result in an administrative citation under Title 4. First violation: $100. Second violation: $200. Third violation: $500. After a third violation, the City may choose to pursue civil actions starting at $1000.
-
If the City determines that an organic waste producer (single-family residence, multifamily residence, commercial business), self-hauler, hauler, tier one or tier two commercial edible food producer, food recovery organization, food recovery service, or other entity is not in compliance with this chapter, Resource Recovery staff shall document the noncompliance or violation, issue a notice of violation, and take enforcement action pursuant to this section, as needed.