Commercial Recycling & Garbage

California Assembly Bill 341 — effective since January 1, 2012 — requires all businesses that generate at least 4-cubic yards or more of garbage per week participate in a recycling program.

Call Milpitas Sanitation Customer Service at (408) 988-4500 to learn more about commercial recycling and garbage services.

Is My Business Required to Recycling?

Yes, if your trash bin is 4 cubic yards or bigger, or if you have smaller bin that is serviced 2-3 times per week, you need to start recycling services.

Recycling Right

With the right training, recycling can be easy! Since all recyclables can be placed in just one container, there’s no need to spend precious time separating. Just follow these guidelines to make your program a success.

Overloaded Bins

Depending on the amount of trash and recyclables your business generates, you may find that your onsite containers aren’t large enough to accommodate your disposal needs. If your containers are over loaded (i.e., you can’t close the container lids), then it’s time to contact Milpitas Sanitation at (408) 988-4500 to schedule a free waste consultation.

Properly disposing of hazardous waste can be costly and inconvenient. Fortunately, small business owners in Milpitas have a cost-effective and environmentally sound option to meet their hazardous waste recycling and disposal needs.

If your business qualifies as a Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Generator (CESQG), you have the opportunity to participate in the Santa Clara County CESQG Program. To qualify, you must generate less than 220 lbs., or 27 gallons of hazardous waste per month, or less than 2.2 lbs. of Extremely Hazardous Waste per month. Click here to learn how to participate.

If your business does not qualify for the CESQG Program, please refer to the County’s Hazardous Materials Compliance Division for detailed information on how to properly handle your business’ hazardous waste.

Watch Out for Hazardous Waste in Your Bins

The ability to identify what items belong in which containers is essential to the success of the recycling process. Even more vital to our efforts is keeping hazardous waste out of both the trash and recycling streams to protect workers and the environment.

Materials that DO NOT belong in either container can be thought of as The Killers, Hurters, Hiders and Sliders (refer to table below). If you have any questions about hazardous materials and how to safely dispose of them, visit www.hhw.org.

Keep your work area clean and prevent water pollution! You can do this by: maintaining clean enclosures; keeping bin lids closed at all times; increasing service if bins always overfill; watching for leaks from bins and call Republic when this happens.

Is My Business Required to Recycle Organics?

California Assembly Bill 1826 — effective since April 1, 2016 — requires all businesses that generate 8 cubic yards or more of organic waste per week arrange for organics recycling services. The implementation schedule for mandatory organics recycling ramps up as follows:

• April 1, 2016: Businesses that generate 8 cubic yards of organic waste per week shall arrange for organics waste recycling services.
• January 1, 2017: Businesses that generate 4 cubic yards of organic waste per week shall arrange for organics waste recycling services.
• January 1, 2019: Businesses that generate 4 cubic yards or more of commercial solid waste per week shall arrange for organics waste recycling services.

How Can I Start Organics Recycling? 

The City of Milpitas and Milpitas Sanitation offer food waste recycling and a recycling coordinator to help make this transition as easy as possible. Please contact Milpitas Sanitation Customer Service at (408) 988-4500 to set up or get help managing your organics recycling program.  You can also visit Milpitas Sanitation for more information.

Organics Recycling Quick Facts

• Forty percent (40%) of the material going to landfills is compostable!
• Compost builds healthy soils through the introduction of organic matter, prevents soil erosion, reduces the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and significantly increases water retention.
• The CO₂ released during the decomposition of composting is a natural part of the carbon cycle, whereas the CO₂ releases in an anaerobic environment (such as a landfill) releases the carbon as a methane, which is a significantly more potent greenhouse gas in the short term.

Illegal Scavenging

Stealing glass, plastic bottles or aluminum cans out of recycling containers is illegal in the City of Milpitas. Scavenging is dangerous and increases the cost of recycling services. Report scavenging immediately! Call the Milpitas Police Department at (408) 586-2400 when you witness scavenging with the following information:

• Time and location the scavenging occurs or usually occurs;
• Description of scavenger (height, clothing, etc.);
• Direction scavenger is traveling;
• License plate number, if this can be safely obtained.

Illegal Dumping

To report suspicious discharges into the storm drain, call 9-1-1 immediately. The City of Milpitas Fire Department responds to reports about illegal dumping into storm drains. Remember: Anything other than rain water is an illegal discharge to our storm water conveyance system, our creeks and South San Francisco Bay.  

If hazardous waste has been dumped on your business property, please email the County of Santa Clara’s Household Hazardous Waste Program to ask for suggestions pertaining to illegal dumping prevention and tips.