Information for Property Managers

Waste Collection Service

The City has an exclusive franchise waste agreement with Recology Davis to collect trash, recyclables, organics, yard material piles, and perform street sweeping within the city limits. A variety of bin sizes and service levels are available. ore information on monthly solid waste rates. Billing for these services is handled by the City's Finance Department.

Waste Collection For Businesses and Multi-Family Properties

Recology Davis offers basic organics collection service (one 95-gallon recycling cart serviced weekly) and unlimited recycling service no extra cost to all customers that subscribe to garbage service. Additional organics carts and more frequent service are available for a fee.

Recycling and organic waste collection carts should be located in or near the waste enclosure. There are two different recycling carts: one for mixed paper and one for plastic, glass and metal containers. Cardboard boxes should be emptied of all packing materials and flattened. Some businesses have a cardboard recycling bin. For those that do not, place flattened cardboard on the ground next to the recycling carts (there should be a space designated for cardboard recycling).

Waste Collection For Single-Family Properties

Curbside residential garbage, organics and recycling collection is an automated cart system. Garbage and organics carts are available in 95, 65, and 35-gallon sizes. Curbside residential garbage rates are based on the size of your garbage cart and include recycling service (via 64-gallon split-recycling carts) and one organics cart (available in 32, 65 and 95-gallon sizes). Additional organics carts are available for a fee. Additional split-recycling carts are available upon request at no extra charge. Cardboard boxes larger than 2 cubic feet should be emptied of all packing material, flattened, and placed flat on the ground next to the recycling carts on collection day. If there is any materials in the carts, roll them out to the curb for pick-up every week, even if they are not full.

Waste Diversion Requirements for Businesses and Multi-Family Properties

Recycling is not just the right thing to do, it's also the law.

New Statewide SB 1383 Organics Regulations require all businesses to follow certain rules regarding waste sorting, collection, and education. These rules also apply to all property owners and managers. While having access to recycling and organics recycling service has been required by State and local law for a number of years, new statewide regulations under SB 1383: Short-Lived Climate Pollutants will require significant changes to the way that businesses and residents statewide manage their waste.

SB 1383 Information for Residential Property Managers (PDF)
SB 1383 Information for Property Managers (PDF)

Businesses and Multi-family properties are required to either:

Subscribe to recycling and organic waste collection service levels that are sufficient to allow all recyclables and organic wastes to be collected from their property.
- Recycling service: Properties in Davis that have trash collection service through Recology Davis receive unlimited recycling service at no additional cost (the cost is already included in trash service fees).
- Organic waste service: Trash collection service also includes one 95-gallon organics cart that is serviced once per week. Additional carts and more frequent service are available for a fee. Depending on the amount of organic waste generated, properties may need additional organics carts or more frequent service.
- Organic waste and recycling carts must be located at each trash enclosure. There must be a sufficient number to collect all recyclables and organics generated onsite.
- All waste enclosures must have either a cardboard recycling bin or a designated area for cardboard recycling.
  - Properties that have space in their waste enclosure can contact Recology to request a cardboard recycling bin for free.
  - If there is not space for a cardboard bin, properties must set aside an area in or near the waste enclosure and clearly mark it for cardboard recycling. The City has free cardboard recycling signs that can be posted to meet this requirement. You can request them via this online form. After setting up an area for cardboard recycling, contacting Recology Davis to request to be added to the cardboard recycling route, in order to ensure that your cardboard is collected regularly. There is no charge for this. Unlimited cardboard recycling service is included in the price of your regular garbage fees.
OR

Self-haul recyclables and organic waste to a recycling center, composting facility, community composting program, and/or other collection activity or program. If this option is chosen, there are specific reporting requirements that must be followed. Properties must ensure that recyclables and organic waste materials are kept out of the trash and must keep and submit records to show that this is occurring. Please see the wavier webpage for details.

Businesses and Multi-family properties are also required to:

Supply and allow access to an adequate number, size, and location of recycling and organic waste containers for all employees, contractors and tenants to ensure that all organic wastes and recyclables are kept out of the trash.
- The City has free waste bins and labels available to Davis businesses while supplies last.
Require that any contract or work agreement with a gardening or landscaping service specify that yard trimmings be kept out of the trash/landfill.
Place recycling and organic waste bins next to all trash bins provided for tenant use in common areas (hallways, club rooms, gyms, etc.). The bins must be of a sufficient number and size to collect all recyclables and organic wastes generated onsite. If there is a trash bin in an area that does not generate any recycling or organic wastes, then it does not have to provide recycling and/or organics containers in that particular area. For example: A trash can in an examination room at a doctor’s office may not need a paper recycling bin if there is no paper waste generated in that room.
- The City has free waste bins and labels available to Davis businesses while supplies last.
Provide restrooms in common areas with an organics bin to collect paper towels, if paper towels are present.
- The City has free waste bins and labels available to Davis businesses while supplies last.
Ensure that all bins for customers, employees, contractors and tenants meet either the color OR labeling requirements listed below.
- Color requirements: Bins must be color-coded (trash = gray or black, recycling = blue, organics = green). Either the lid and/or the body of the container must be color-compliant. Existing bins do not need to be replaced until January 1, 2036, but all new bins purchased after January 1, 2022 must be color-compliant. Businesses can continue to use their existing waste bins for customers, regardless of the color, as long as they are clearly labeled to show what can be placed inside.
- Labeling requirements: Bins must be clearly labeled with what can and cannot go inside the bin.
Annually provide information to all employees, contractors, and tenants on waste diversion requirements and how to properly sort recyclables and organic waste into the correct bins. The City has fliers, videos and other resources that can assist with this.
- These materials can be provided to residential tenants to meet the education requirement.
- These fliers and videos can be provided to commercial tenants and employees to meet the education requirement:
  - Waste sorting information:
    - Waste Sorting Flier for Businesses (PDF)
    - Multi-Lingual Recycling Flier (PDF)
    - Multi-Lingual Waste Sorting Poster for Restaurants (PDF)
    - This video can be shared with employees and commercial tenants to meet the education requirement. This video is also available in Spanish and Chinese.
  - SB 1383 Information:
Prohibit employees from placing organic waste and recyclables in the wrong bins.
Periodically inspect recycling and organic waste bins for contamination. If waste collection bins are found to be contaminated, businesses need to inform employees of the requirement to sort waste properly and ensure that proper sorting of waste occurs. The City has fliers, videos and other resources that can assist with this.
Provide information to new tenants about their requirements to sort waste properly within 14 days of occupation of the premises. The City has fliers, videos and other resources that can assist with this.
- Information for residential tenants:
- Information for commercial tenants:

Additional information on laws regarding waste diversion:

Waste Diversion Requirements for Single-Family Rental Properties

Statewide SB 1383 Organics Regulations require everyone in California to follow certain rules regarding waste sorting. While having access to recycling and organics recycling service has been required by State and local law for a number of years, new statewide regulations under SB 1383: Short-Lived Climate Pollutants require everyone in California to recycle all organic waste, including paper, cardboard, yard materials, food scraps, and food-soiled paper. Do you manage a single-family rental in Davis? Please see the specific requirements for single-family properties below.

SB 1383 requirements for single-family rental properties

Property owners/managers must ensure that the rental property has to adequate recycling and organics collection service. Single-family properties must either subscribe to and participate in the City’s recycling and organics curbside collection service or petition to self-haul their recycling and organic waste.
- Owners/property managers must ensure that their tenants have access to recycling and organic waste cart service through Recology Davis. Tenants must sort out their recyclables and organics waste from the trash.
- Property owners/property managers must ensure that they have subscribed to a recycling and organics recycling service level that is sufficient to allow all recyclables and organics to be separated from the trash. Trash collection service through Recology Davis includes unlimited recycling service at no additional cost (the cost is included in trash service fees). Additional recycling carts are available upon request. Trash service also includes one organics cart, additional organics carts are available for a fee. Depending on the amount of organic waste a tenant generates, they may need additional recycling or organics carts or more frequent service.
- Owners/property managers can petition to self-haul their recycling and organics, share carts with a neighbor, or request an exemption due to lack of physical space. Learn more about recycling and organic waste collection waivers.
Property owners/managers must annually provide information to employees, contractors and tenants on waste diversion requirements and how to properly sort recyclables and organic waste into the correct bins. The City has fliers, videos and other resources that can assist with this.
- These materials can be provided to residential tenants to meet the education requirement.
- These fliers can be provided to employees and contractors to meet the education requirement:
  - Waste sorting information:
  - SB 1383 Information:
Property owners/managers must provide information to new tenants about their requirements to sort waste properly within 14 days of occupation of the premises. The City has fliers, videos and other resources that can assist with this.

Carts

Recology Davis provides trash, recycling, and organics containers to customers for weekly waste collection. SB 1383 regulations require any container purchased by a waste hauler on or after January 1, 2022, to meet certain requirements:

Cart colors: Trash bins must be grey or black, recycling bins must be blue, and organics bins must be green. Either the lid and/or the body of the waste bin must be the correct color.
- Recology will update their waste containers when they need replacement.
Cart labels. Waste bins must be clearly labeled to show which materials are allowed and prohibited in the container.
- While all Recology containers currently indicate what can go into them, all new carts and bins will have updating labeling with pictures and a list of what can and cannot go inside.

When will my tenant's recycling and organics carts be changed out?

The current carts will likely be replaced when they are broken and/or in need of repair. The regulations require that all carts be color and label complaint by January 2036, so that gives the City plenty of time to update all the carts through normal attrition.

More information on the organic waste collection requirements of SB 1383: https://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/organics/slcp/collection

Resources Available

Downloadable posters/bin labels are available on our website: https://www.cityofdavis.org/city-hall/public-works-utilities-and-operations/solid-waste-and-recycling/recycling-downloads

CalRecycle has developed fliers, posters, signs and stickers that can be downloaded and printed: https://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/Recycle/Commercial/Organics/PRToolkit/

Move-Out Waste Reduction

June and August are typically busy, messy times for residential rental properties in Davis. Some residential property managers request extra 30 to 40 yard dumpsters from Recology Davis to haul away the extra waste that is generated from tenants moving out and new tenants moving in. Much of the stuff that is thrown in these dumpsters is either reusable or recyclable. We have a few tips to help tame that turnover mess and reuse and recycle as much as possible!

Free Summer Move-Out Kit

To encourage the responsible management of unwanted items as residents are moving out, the City has developed a toolkit for property managers with downloadable graphics, social media posts, fliers and more. Here are the tools that we have developed for property managers:

Printable posters: If you manage a multi-family property, these posters can be placed around your property (by the mailboxes, laundry room, club room, etc.) to encourage residents to handle their unwanted items responsibly. Download the poster here
Shareable graphics for social media, newsletters, and other electronic communication: We are running a full advertising campaign using these graphics and we’re sharing them with you! You can download these graphics and social media posts from our website.
Flier for your residents: We have a flier that you can give to your residents that are moving. These fliers also detail how to properly dispose of hazardous wastes (fluorescent bulbs, electronics and more). Download the flier here.
Printable signs for dumpsters: If you have ordered a large dumpster from Recology Davis to deal with turnover waste, we have some signage that might help you! Our signage is customizable and allows you to add your property name, so that it’s clear that the dumpster is only for residents at your property. It also identifies what is and what is not allowed to go in the dumpster. Download the signs here.
Website: share our move-out webpage with your residents for tips on how to reuse, recycling and safely dispose of unwanted items when moving.
Lawn signs: We have lawns signs for multi-family and apartment communities to post around their property to encourage residents to handle their unwanted items responsibly. You can see what the lawn signs look like here. These signs are available on a first-come first-served basis to properties with 5 or more units only (limit of 4 signs per property). Please email PWWeb@CityofDavis.org to request a lawn sign. If you received lawn signs from us last year—please use the ones you have rather than request new ones.

Other Useful Downloads for Turnover:

Move-Out Waste Reduction Flier (PDF)
Move-Out Waste Reduction Poster (PDF)
No Cardboard in Dumpster Sign (PDF)
Customizable Dmpster Sign for Multi-Family Properties (PDF)
Donation Station Signs (PDF)

Bulky Waste Voucher

Another way your residential tenants may be able to get rid of unwanted items as they move is via the Bulky Waste Voucher. The voucher will allow Davis residents to dispose of one free load of bulky waste at the Yolo County Central Landfill. The voucher is their ticket for the program, so please remind your residents to watch their mail, be sure to hold onto their voucher and bring it with them when they go to the landfill. This voucher is valid only for City of Davis residents; commercial haulers and business materials will not be accepted. Only one voucher will be accepted per household. Proof of residency will be required that matches the address on the voucher; no charge to participate. For details, please visit the Recology Davis website.

Other tips to reduce waste during turnover

Place signs around waste bins and trash enclosures reminding your tenants NOT to throw furniture in the ordinary trash bins. If you have a large 30-40 yard dumpster, you may want to direct them to place broken furniture in that dumpster instead.
If you have a large 30-40 yard dumpster, place signs requesting that your tenants place their regular household garbage in the ordinary trash bins and ONLY place broken furniture and mattresses in the large dumpsters. The 30-40 yard dumpsters can often sit for a few weeks before they are emptied, so it household waste is tossed inside it can get very smelly and messy.
When new tenants are moving in and getting settled, a large percentage of the waste produced at your property will be cardboard. State and local law require cardboard to be kept out of the trash. When cardboard is flattened and stacked, Recology Davis can pick up all your cardboard for free. Be sure to remind your maintenance staff that cardboard left stacked on the ground cannot be placed in the trash.
If you manage a multi-family property you can consider hosting a community garage sale. Help your tenants to set up a community garage sale a few weeks before you are expecting a large turnover. This way your tenants can get rid of all the stuff they don’t want anymore, make some money off of it, and keep good, usable stuff out of the trash! People are much more likely to come to a garage sale if there are several people selling their stuff from the same location—it saves them the time of driving around to difference garage sales.
Instead of a community garage sale (or after the sale ends) you can consider collecting all of your tenants unwanted, usable items into one place and coordinate with a local non-profit group that can come to your property and collect the items for reuse.
You can designate a “reuse area” at your property and ask your tenants to leave reusable items there instead of throwing them in the dumpsters. This area can become a swapping station for tenants to take and leave times as they wish. Some apartments do this year round with a “free table” in their community room where tenants can take and leave small household items and clothing.

The best thing that you can do reduce mess during turnover is to talk to your tenants about reducing waste, donating unwanted items, and recycling. If you take the time to talk to your tenants, they are much more likely to try to donate their unwanted items and recycle their cardboard. Hauling away all the move-out mess as trash is expensive—save some money and get your residents involved in reusing and recycling!

Hazardous Waste

Does your property generate hazardous waste? Do you have leftover paint, pesticides, cleaning products, automotive fluids or other chemicals? Do you have batteries from fire alarms or fluorescent light bulbs and tubes? These are all illegal to throw away in the trash. See the Business Hazardous Waste page for information on proper disposal.

If you have commercial tenants (non-residential tenants), please see the Business Hazardous Waste page for information on proper disposal.

Please note: If you are collecting batteries from tenants, you are providing a service to your tenants and the batteries will then be considered business-generated waste. As such, you may NOT bring the batteries to the battery drop-off sites in Davis and you must dispose of them through alternate means. See the Business Hazardous Waste page for more information.

If you have televisions, computer monitors, microwaves, refrigerators or other “hazardous waste” items that are left by your dumpsters (car batteries, automotive fluid, cleaning supplies, paint, etc.), do NOT throw these away in the trash! These are all illegal to dispose of in the trash. When the dumpsters are emptied at the landfill, crews look for hazardous waste items that were thrown in. If they find these items in your dumpster, they WILL pull them out and they WILL charge you extra for it. To avoid extra landfill charges, please make sure that any appliances, electronics, tires or other hazardous waste items are disposed of properly.

Safely dispose of hazardous waste: Your residential tenants can bring their hazardous waste to a number of locations for free and safe disposal—this flier gives a full list of local options. We strongly encourage you to pass this information along to your residential tenants because if they leave their hazardous waste behind, it becomes your responsibility as a business to manage that hazardous waste. If your residential tenants leave hazardous waste behind, you can use the Yolo County landfill business hazardous waste program to safely dispose of the material. There is a fee, which is dependent on the amount and type of hazardous waste you have.

Electronics: Your residential tenants can recycle electronics such as TVs, computer monitors, CPUs, microwaves, printers and other electronic devices for FREE every day at the Yolo County Central Landfill. The landfill does charge a fee for businesses (including multi-family properties and property management companies) that bring in electronics for recycling, so please encourage your residential tenants to manage their electronics responsibly. The flier we created for moving out includes this information.
Appliances: Refrigerators, AC units, ovens, trash compactors, dishwashers, etc. can be recycled at the Yolo County Central Landfill. Fees may apply. Washing machines and water heaters can be recycled for free 24/7 in the scrap metal bin at Recology Davis (2727 2nd Street).

Other Recycling Opportunities

Encourage tenants to recycle their junk mail. Do you have a trash container next to your mailboxes? To reduce waste and save money, you can replace the trash receptacle with a free paper recycling cart from Recology Davis or apply a “junk mail only” label to turn that trash container into a paper recycling container. Junk mail is recyclable!
Free Mattress and Box Springs Recycling. Rather than fill a dumpster with mattresses and pay to have them hauled off for disposal, mattresses and box springs can be recycled for free. You can direct your residential tenants to bring their mattresses to one of the two locations listed below, or you can direct your residential tenants to stack mattresses and box springs at a location on your property and have your maintenance staff bring them to a recycling center later. If you have a space set aside for mattresses at your property, in order to prevent the unhygienic reuse of mattresses, consider asking your maintenance staff to use a box knife and cut the top of the mattresses.
- Recology Davis accepts mattresses and box springs for free drop off at their recycling center at 2727 2nd Street in Davis during the CRV center buy-back hours: Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Limit of 10 mattresses/box springs at a time).
- The Yolo County Central Landfill accepts mattresses and box springs for FREE recycling every day. Visit www.YoloCounty.org/Landfill for details.

*Items not accepted for recycling with mattresses: sleeping bags, pillows, unattached mattress pads and mattress toppers, car beds, crib or bassinet mattress, waterbeds, air mattresses that contain no upholstery material (such as a camping mattress) and sofa beds. No severely damaged, twisted, wet or soiled mattresses or mattresses with bed bugs or other organisms.

Kitchen Food Scrap Pails. If your residential tenants were given food scrap pails, please remind them to leave the pails behind when they move out. If you want more food scrap pails for your tenants, please contact our office at PWWeb@CityofDavis.org to arrange a time to pick up more pails for your residents. Please consider adding the food scrap pails to the check-out list so that tenants will leave them behind when they move-out and be responsible for their return. More information about the kitchen pails.

Recycling is good for the environment…and the pocketbook

Recycling saves energy and resources, but it may also save you money! There is no extra fee for recycling in Davis, so if you can recycle more and throw less away in the trash, you may be able to downsize your garbage service and save money. Unlimited recycling service is available to customers who had Recology Davis trash service. Recology customers also receive basic organics service at no additional cost. All Recology Davis customers receive one organic waste cart that is serviced once per week (restaurants have a smaller cart that is serviced twice a week). Additional organic waste carts are available for a fee.
Contact Recology Davis at 530-756-4646 to request additional recycling carts/more frequent recycling service for no extra charge.

Helpful Resources

SB 1383 Information

SB 1383 Training and Educational Resources

Information for property managers:

Information for tenants:

Free Recycling Bins, Labels and Other Supplies

Davis businesses can request free waste bins, labels and other supplies online while supplies last.

Free Waste Audits

Recology Davis offers free waste audits for Davis businesses. During a waste audit, Recology staff will look at current waste generation and sorting practices and offer suggestions about compliance with waste diversion laws and how to increase waste diversion. Contact Recology Davis at 530-756-4646 or RecologyDavis@Recology.com to set up an appointment. After performing a waste audit, Recology can distribute waste collection bins, posters, fliers, and stickers provided by the City (while supplies last).

Downloadable Resources

You can download signs, posters, bin labels and more on our website.

Contact Information

For all scheduling, service or pick-up questions, contact Recology Davis 530-756-4646
For general solid waste and recycling questions and questions about compliance with waste diversion regulations, contact the City of Davis Public Works Utilities and Operations Department 530-757-5686 PWWeb@CityofDavis.org.
For Billing Information, contact the City of Davis Finance Department 530-757-5651 FinanceWeb@CityofDavis.org

Current Solid Waste Rates

City of Davis, CA

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