Commercial Recycling and Composting in San Francisco: A Property Manager’s Guide

Every San Francisco business is required to properly separate recyclables, compostables and trash. For commercial property owners and managers, compliance involves more than ordering three containers. The property must provide adequate service, convenient color-coded bins and recurring education for tenants, employees, contractors and janitorial staff.

Understand the three-stream system

• Blue: accepted recycling
• Green: accepted compostable material
• Black or gray: landfill trash

Commercial property owners should provide enough capacity for all material generated at the property. Overflowing bins or repeated contamination can indicate that service levels, signage or tenant education need improvement.

Assess the property before changing service

Document current container sizes, pickup frequency, tenant types, food-service operations, cardboard volume, landscaping waste, shared kitchens, public-facing waste stations, recurring overflow, contamination notices and enclosure access.

Provide convenient, labeled containers

Place indoor recycling, compost and trash containers together wherever waste is commonly generated, including break rooms, copy areas, conference rooms, lobbies, food courts, employee kitchens, loading areas and tenant suites.

Train tenants and service staff

San Francisco requires commercial property owners and managers to provide education at least annually to tenants, employees, contractors and janitors. Training should also occur at move-in, during employee onboarding, after a contamination notice and whenever containers or accepted materials change.

Pay special attention to food service

Food vendors using disposable service ware or takeout containers must provide properly labeled collection bins for customers and visitors. Back-of-house kitchens may need separate containers for food scraps, food-soiled paper, cardboard, bottles and cans, used cooking oil and grease-trap material.

Reduce contamination

Common problems include plastic bags in recycling, food in recycling containers, nonaccepted “compostable” products, recyclables inside black bags, liquids left in containers and trash placed in green bins.

Review service capacity

Ask the collector about container sizes, pickup schedules, locks, extra service, bulky items, cardboard options, compactors, enclosure requirements, contamination charges, missed pickups and diversion discounts.

Questions to ask a commercial waste provider

• What service is available at this address?
• Which materials belong in each stream?
• Can you perform an onsite assessment?
• Do you provide signs and training?
• How are contamination charges documented?
• What happens after an overflow or missed pickup?
• Are diversion or compliance reports available?

Find commercial waste providers

SF Bay Area Commercial Services helps businesses and property managers find commercial waste, recycling, compost, janitorial and grease-management providers.