AB 341 - Mandatory Commercial & Multi-Family Recycling

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What is Assembly Bill (AB) 341?

In January 2012, Assembly Bill 341 (AB 341) was signed into law in California to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. AB 341, also called the "Mandatory Commercial Recycling Regulation," requires businesses and multi-family residential dwellings of five units or more, that generate four or more cubic yards of commercial solid waste per week to implement recycling programs, on or after July 1, 2012. The regulatory approach to this legislation has been designed to be extremely flexible.

The goal is to divert 75% (previously 50%) of California's waste stream away from the landfill and instead towards recycling by the year 2020.

Recyclables - Yes or No

To learn how to properly recycle, visit CalRecycle's new I Recycle Smart webpage. 

How do I arrange for Recycling Services?

The City of Placentia has an agreement with Republic Services, the exclusive franchise hauler. They offer businesses with programs to help reach our goals, such as commercial recycling, waste audits, and more. To implement a recycling program with Republic Services or if you have any further questions or concerns, please contact their Customer Service team at (714) 238-3300. You can view their brochure on AB 341 here.

If you would like further support with AB 341 compliance or if you would like to report your business’ diversion efforts, please contact Cathy Nguyen, Environmental Services Coordinator at (714) 993-8123 or by email at recycling@placentia.org. 

If you have received a noncompliance letter and would like to request an exemption, please fill out the AB 341 Exemption Request Form. 

Additional AB 341 Resources

Assembly Bill  (AB) 827 - Customer Access to Recycling

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

AB 827 is intended to educate and involve consumers in achieving the state’s recycling goals by requiring businesses subject to MCR and/or MORe to make recycling and/or organic recycling bins available to customers. This law targets businesses that sell products meant for immediate consumption. AB 827 states that businesses that generate 4 cubic yards or more of commercial solid waste must provide their customers with recycling containers that are visible, accessible, and adjacent to each trash container. While AB827 requirements only pertain to limited-service food establishment, full-service restaurants are required to provide properly labeled next to trash containers for employees to separate recyclables and organics for customers. 

The legislative text for AB 827 can be found here. Examples of labels made by CalRecycle can be used for compliance and can be found here.