The city of Santa Clarita and GreenSantaClarita.com acknowledges the progress the residents of Santa Clarita have made embracing organics recycling.

Thanks to your commitment and efforts, the city of Santa Clarita has established a successful food waste recycling program and looks forward to improving it for many years to come.

In 2023, the city introduced the new food waste recycling program as a result of California’s Senate Bill 1383, which is aimed at reducing organic waste and methane production in landfills. This year, from Jan. 1 through June 30, Santa Clarita residents and businesses have recycled approximately 16,904 tons of organic waste through the franchised waste hauler recycling program. This includes food waste and yard waste.

Looking forward to the holiday season, studies show that Americans waste significantly more food during this time of year, particularly between Thanksgiving and the New Year. Below are some tips to help plan ahead in order to minimize food waste and how to recycle the rest.

Planning ahead is essential. Take the time to meal plan and purchase only what you need. There are many helpful tools online, including this “Guest-imator” that can calculate how much food you need based on the guests you invite, saving you money and potential waste.

Think ahead about how you plan to utilize leftovers so you can properly store them before they have a chance to spoil. Encourage guests to bring reusable containers to take food home, making it easier for everyone to enjoy your hard work while avoiding waste.

In 2023, food recovery organizations in Santa Clarita reported receiving over 1,528,000 pounds of edible food donated by local grocery stores and restaurants. This food was sorted and redistributed back into the community, in order to support the food insecure. This food recovery program is in addition to the many residents and organizations that actively host and participate in food drives to donate all kinds of edible food, as well as volunteer their time at local food pantries and non-profit organizations. This holiday season and beyond, let’s keep that momentum going. Reach out to local nonprofits, churches and schools to find opportunities to donate excess ingredients or food from your gatherings.

Food scraps that can’t be eaten, or spoiled food not fit for consumption, should be bagged and placed in your green organics container for collection. Items like fruit and vegetable peels, eggshells, bones and food-soiled paper can all be included. Don’t forget about leftover turkey bones and Halloween pumpkins, too.

Visit GreenSantaClarita.com to reference a residential organics recycling guide for a list of what belongs in your organics cart. A reminder that since food waste is processed differently than yard waste, it must be bagged before being placed in your organics cart. We recommend reusing plastic bags from food packaging, produce, or grocery trips, to give them a second life.

Thank you for your ongoing commitment to the community’s sustainability initiatives which aim to protect and improve the local environment.

If you have any questions about the food waste recycling program or need assistance, visit GreenSantaClarita.com or call the Environmental Services division at (661) 286-4098.