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Organic/Food Waste Recycling

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By recycling your organic material, you can help reduce global warming gases and reduce the impacts of climate change in our lifetime

Mascot with apple for recyclingFood Waste Recycling Program1-Fork-It-Over w logo

Collect food waste in your home by scraping plates and placing food scraps and food soiled paper items into a container separate from your trash and recycling.

Empty the food waste from the pail or container into your green organics waste cart as needed.

Your green cart is now your organics waste cart since it includes both green waste (grass and leaves) and food waste. Your green organics waste cart will be picked up weekly.

KITCHEN FOOD SCRAP COLLECTION PAILS AVAILABLEKitchen Food Waste Bin

Organic waste is collected weekly for all customers. The organic recycling program is required by state law, Senate Bill 1383, which mandates all organic waste be diverted from the landfill and recycled. Californians throw away nearly 6 million tons of food scraps each year, accounting for 15-20% of all landfilled material. The organics recycling program will turn these food scraps into nutrient dense compost.

The City offers City of Galt residential customers a free kitchen countertop food waste pail to collect food scraps for curbside organic waste recycling. Kitchen pails (pictured here) are available to pick up at one of the city offices during normal business hours:

  • Dept of Public Works at 495 Industrial Drive
  • Dept of Finance, City Hall, 380 Civic Drive

For more information please email publicworks@cityofgalt.org or call (209) 366-7260.

How to Use Your Kitchen Food Waste PailMascot-with-food-waste-bucket

  • Set up your kitchen pail in a convenient location – on your kitchen counter or under the sink. You can line your pail, but DO NOT put any plastic bags into your food/green waste container.

  • Collect all food waste scraps and place in pail.

  •  Remove stickers, twist ties, rubber bands, and plastic wrap from food scraps.

  • Empty your kitchen pail, as needed, into your green waste/food organics cart for recycling (without plastic bags). Do not put kitchen pail out for pick up.

  • Place your green organics cart at the curb on your weekly service day, 3 feet from other carts and any obstacles.

    Recycling Food Waste at Home

TIPS TO CONTROL ODORSCal Recycle Fight Food Waste

Sprinkle baking soda inside food waste pail

Empty food waste pail daily

Drain liquid before adding food waste to pail

Use newspaper or paper towels to absorb liquid

Freeze food waste or keep in fridge and empty weekly into your Organics Cart

Layer food with your green waste in your Organics Cart