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Frequently Asked Questions

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 the green bin. All of these items can be processed in our anaerobic digestor and get turned into compost in just about two weeks.
What can’t go in my green cart?: 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 waste 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 bin with newspaper or paper bags, both of which can be digested by our system, or layering the bottom of your green cart with yard waste, such as grass trimmings or tree prunings also works well. Please remember, no 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.
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. Single use plastic bags are sometimes recyclable at grocery stores and other 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, and which 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.
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 is able to accept. You can also download our Recycle Right SLO County app for iOS and Android, which includes a searchable recycling database, and schedule reminders.
Are container lids recyclable?: Often, yes. You can leave plastic lids attached to plastic bottles and jars, as they are easier to sort that way. Small items are often overlooked by our sorting team, and end up as garbage. Glass jars with metal lids should be separated by hand, but metals and glass are also mechanically separated in the recovery process, so this step is not required.
What should I do with batteries?: Take them to a Household Hazardous Waste facility or any retailer in SLO County which sells batteries. You can learn more here: https://www.iwma.com/recycling-guide Batteries are the most common flammable item we encounter in our waste stream. They have caused fires in our trucks, and at our facilities. Please never throw any batteries in the trash.
Is it true that anything with a cord is considered household hazardous waste?: Most electronics contain hazardous materials, so it’s best to consider them as e-waste, which is treated the same as hazardous. There are multiple locations that accept these items for free, including retailers and hazardous waste disposal sites.
Where does my recycling end up?: 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. The MRF system uses humans, machines, and AI to sort the materials, which are then packaged for shipment to third party processors located throughout California.
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) 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.
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.