Reducing Organic Waste: Yard, Food and Soiled Paper

Font Size: + -

Feedback Print

For more information about the City's refuse programs (trash, recycling, organics, hazardous waste collection, bulky-item pick-ups, etc.) please click here to visit the Public Works Department.

Residential Curbside Organics Program

Food Waste, Yard Waste and Soiled Paper

The green residential curbside Waste Management cart is the "Organics" cart - for food, yard waste and soiled paper (think used paper towels or wet newspaper). Manhattan Beach residents can order an Organics cart at no additional charge by calling Waste Management at (310) 830-7100.

Beginning July 1, 2020, food waste, yard waste and soiled paper should be placed loosely in the green Organics cart. The residential program transitioned to a curbside composting program as of July 1, 2020. The material in the green Organics cart will be transported to a commercial composting facility. It's easy to participate - just put all food scraps, yard waste and soiled paper waste loosely in the green cart!

No plastic - do not bag anything in plastic bags as of July 1, 2020.

It's easy! Place YARD WASTE, FOOD WASTE and SOILED PAPER in the curbside green Organics cart! No need to bag anything, just mix it all in.

Tip: Worried about odor?

If you don't want food waste to be loosely tossed in the Organics cart, fold it inside some newspaper or put in a paper bag and place on top or inside some green waste that's already in the container (soiled-paper is accepted).
Residents can also store their food scraps in a bag/container in the freezer throughout the week and then empty the contents into the Organics cart on collection day. This will keep food scrap storage off your countertops and help prevent any worries about curbside cart odor.

ACCEPTED YARD WASTE: Grass clippings, leaves, pruning, branches (3” diameter or smaller), brush, garden trimmings and unpainted/untreated wood

ACCEPTED FOOD WASTE: All food scraps including fruits, vegetables, meat, cheese, eggshells, coffee grounds, small bones, bread, pasta, rice and tea bags

ACCEPTED SOILED PAPER WASTE: Food-soiled paper including napkins, paper towels, coffee filters, paper plates, greasy pizza boxes and greasy paper bags

NOT ACCEPTED: Do not place yucca, iceplant, rock, dirt, palm fronds, pet waste/feces, cat litter, dirt, rocks, concrete, logs or stumps, waxed, coated paper such as coated paper plates, coated paper cups or paper takeout containers, liquid, glass, metal, or plastic of ANY kind, including biodegradable/compostable plastic, construction material of any kind in the green Organics cart. For additional FREE green organics cart(s) call Waste Management directly at (310) 830-7100.

Commercial Food Waste Program

For commercial customers, Waste Management will conduct a site visit and setup a custom collection system best suited for the individual business. Please contact Waste Management Customer Service at (310) 830-7100 to request a food waste program site visit. This program will provide compliance for any business required to participate under AB 1826. Click here for more information about AB 1826.

The City wishes to thank the businesses currently participating in the Food Waste Recycling Program and encourage all businesses in the city to sign up.

At-Home Backyard Composting Program

The City also offers a Backyard Composting Program for residents who like to create natural fertilizer for at-home gardens. For Manhattan Beach residents, there are free backyard composting classes year-round and a discount bin purchase program through the City's hauler, Waste Management.

Worm composting bins are $65 each and backyard compost bins are $45 each. There is a purchasing limit of two per household each calendar year. Complete your purchase at one of the Backyard Composting Classes (cash or check) or year-round by calling Waste Management directly at (310) 830-7100.

Free Backyard Composting Workshop Information

Time: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM (Question and Answer session at the end)

Location: Manhattan Beach Botanical Garden in Polliwog Park (on Peck Avenue, just north of Manhattan Beach Boulevard)

During the workshops, Manhattan Beach residents may purchase Composting Bins or Worm Composting Bins at a great discount. The basics of residential food waste recycling, curbside recycling and yard waste recycling will also be covered. Can't attend the class? Manhattan Beach residents may purchase discounted bins year-round by contacting Waste Management directly at (310) 830-7100.

2026 Backyard Composting Workshop Schedule

May 2, 2026

July 11, 2026

October 10, 2026

Green Garden Tips

Your lawn and your grass catcher don’t make such a great couple after all.

It seemed like a good idea at the time: attaching a grass catcher to your mower. But, as it turns out, leaving those clippings over the lawn is actually better for the lawn, the environment, and you.

The process is called grasscycling. And grasscycling is a very common sense thing to do. For starters, leaving clippings returns valuable nutrients and organic matter back to the soil. (Besides the nutrient value, grass is 80-85% water, so you get an irrigating effect, too.) And when you grasscycle during the spring and summer months, you can reduce the added expense of organic fertilizers. More good news: grasscycling hands you a nifty refund in time and money. Just think - no more bagging, no more schlepping the bags to the curb. Plus, you’ll save on fertilizer, save on water. You can live with that, right?

SOME EASY WAYS YOU CAN MAKE A BIG DENT IN A BIG PROBLEM:

A little perspective: the average California lawn generates about a ton of grass clippings per every 1000 square feet, every year. (Almost as much as a VW bug weighs!).

Converting your landscaping to native drought-tolerant is best. If you're not ready for that change, try this:

Don’t cut more than the top third of grass each time you mow.
Mow every 5-7 days during spring and summer. Grasscycling only takes about half as long as bagging.
Mow your lawn when it’s dry.
Keep your mower blades sharp.
Only 1 inch of water is needed each week (including rainfall), or about 10 minutes of watering for healthy growth in the summer. Your lawn might require a little more or less water. A half-inch per week is enough for fall and spring. Water in the morning.
Apply slow-release fertilizers in the fall and spring for steady growth. Fertilizing in summer means more work for you.
Consider buying an electric mulching mower when it’s time for a new one.

Frequently Asked Questions About Curbside Organics Collection:

When did this program begin?

A pilot program began in 2012 as a requirement of the 2011 - 2020 Waste Management contract.

The citywide permanent residential program began on September 1, 2015. Kitchen pails were distributed to residents between September 14 - 25, 2015 to help them transition to saving food scraps in a container other than the trash can.

The citywide permanent commercial program began on August 1, 2015. Because the commercial program is established based on the businesses needs, interested participants should contact Waste Management Customer Service at (310) 830-7100 or email to request a food waste program site visit.

What happens to the food waste?

RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM:
The organic material (yard, food and soiled paper) are collected at the curb and taken to Waste Management's Carson Transfer Station to be weighed. Waste Management will then combine Manhattan Beach's organic material with others in a larger transportation container and deliver the organic material to Waste Management's South Valley Compost Facility in Tulare, CA. The fully permitted composting facility will then compost the organic material.

COMMERCIAL PROGRAM:
Since the commercial program accepts food only (landscape recycling is a separate service), the food waste is collected at the business and direct hauled to Waste Management’s CORe food waste recycling facility in Orange, CA. The CORe technology converts food waste into an Engineered Bioslurry (EBS). The Engineered Bioslurry is used to generate energy at the Los Angeles County Sanitation District facility in Carson, CA.

Do I have to participate in organic waste collection?

The program is not subscription-based, which means every customer is paying for the program as a part of their trash rate. As with other curbside programs such as recycling bulky-item pick-up, At Your Door hazardous waste pick-up, etc., residents can choose not to participate even though the program is included as part of the base rate.

All commercial businesses should determine if they are required to participate under the State of CA mandate AB 1826. Contact Waste Management at (310) 830-7100 to schedule a site visit to determine requirement or to set up this service.

What if I don't have a green organic waste cart?

I live in the sand section and I cannot accommodate a green organics waste cart, what can I do to participate?

Can plastic bags go in my green organics cart?

What CAN go in my green organics cart?

ACCEPTED YARD WASTE: Grass clippings, leaves, pruning, branches (3” diameter or smaller), brush, garden trimmings and unpainted/untreated wood

ACCEPTED FOOD WASTE: All food scraps including fruits, vegetables, meat, cheese, eggshells, coffee grounds, small bones, bread, pasta, rice and tea bags

ACCEPTED SOILED PAPER WASTE: Food-soiled paper including napkins, paper towels, coffee filters, paper plates, greasy pizza boxes and greasy paper bags

What CAN'T go in my green organics cart?

NOT ACCEPTED: Do not place yucca, ice plant, rock, dirt, palm fronds, pet waste/feces, cat litter, dirt, rocks, concrete, logs or stumps, waxed, coated paper such as coated paper plates, coated paper cups or paper takeout containers, liquid, glass, metal, or plastic of ANY kind, including biodegradable/compostable plastic, construction material of any kind in the green Organics cart. For additional FREE green organics cart(s) call Waste Management directly at (310) 830-7100.

I'm concerned about odors, what can I do?

If you don't want food waste to be loosely tossed in the Organics cart, fold it inside some newspaper or put in a paper bag and place on top or buried inside green waste that's already in the container (soiled-paper is accepted).

Residents can also store their food scraps in a bag or container in the freezer throughout the week and then empty the contents into the Organics cart on collection day. This will keep food scrap storage off your countertops and help prevent any worries about curbside cart odor.

If you have any questions about your residential organics or commercial food waste recycling containers, or how to participate in the program, please email Waste Management or call customer service at (310) 830-7100.