Effective July 1, recycling and composting will be mandatory for all businesses, institutions and multi-family homes in Alameda County, according to the Mandatory Recycling Ordinance and the Plant Debris Landfill Ordinance. 

Recyclable material includes paper products, glass bottles and jars; aluminum and metal; and plastics with recycling labels one through seven. Compostable materials, which must be placed in the green organics bin, include food scraps, food-soiled paper and yard trimmings.

The long-term goal of Alameda County is to limit the amount of recyclable and compostable materials to less than 10 percent of material sent to the landfill.

The ordinance will be enforced by a routine inspection program. Inspections will take five to 10 minutes. Violators of the ordinance will receive an official notification letter, which will request a correction of the violation.

To find out more, visit Recycling RulesAC.org or call 891-6575.