Recycling and Composting

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San Francisco’s Mandatory Recycling and Composting Ordinance requires residents to separate their recyclables, compostables, and landfill trash. Find tools and resources to help you and your household compost and recycle so our city can reach zero waste.
San Francisco’s Mandatory Recycling and Composting Ordinance requires everyone in San Francisco to separate their refuse into recyclables, compostables and landfill trash. Whether you work in a restaurant, hotel, office building, or anywhere in the city, San Francisco's recycling and compost collection program is available.
Every event held in San Francisco is required to offer recycling and composting at the event. We offer special assistance and signage to help events comply with San Francisco's Mandatory Composting and Recycling Ordinance.
San Francisco City and County employees are leaders in environmental protection and are helping achieve our goal of zero waste by 2020. We offer free tools to help our city employees prevent waste, reuse, recycle, compost, and buy green to conserve resources and save money.
Additional Information for Recycling and Composting
Energy
A dynamic city like San Francisco requires the efficient use of clean, renewable energy to meet the needs of today and future generations. Our innovative policies and programs help San Franciscans use energy wisely, while saving money and reducing environmental impacts.
Transportation
SF Environment aims to reduce travel-created carbon by getting people out of cars and instead traveling by walking, biking or public transit. We also are greening the City fleet of vehicles and encourage the public to reduce their impact by supporting cleaner fuels and vehicles.
Zero Waste
Imagine a world in which nothing goes to landfills or to incinerators. We think it is achievable, and SF Environment is doing everything we can to make it happen.
Toxics & Health
As the first city to adopt the Precautionary Principle, San Francisco strives to protect the health of its residents, visitors and the local environment. SF Environment develops programs and policies to help individuals and businesses make safer choices in products, practices and services.
Buildings & Environments
San Francisco is habitat for 800,000 people – meeting needs for space to work, play, and learn; for food, water, and air; for community with local flora and fauna. SF Environment provides support for urban agriculture and forestry and green buildings, helping residents and businesses harness environmental opportunities.
Education & Equity
SF Environment focuses on building community capacity - engaging people throughout the City’s neighborhoods and providing them with the tools, education, and job opportunities to ensure that the places where we live, play, learn, and work are safe and healthy.
Climate Change
Reducing carbon emissions is central to ensuring a sustainable future for San Francisco. Climate change will bring unstable weather, rising sea levels and damage to our city’s natural habitat and infrastructure. SF Environment is committed to mobilizing the City to deal with Climate Change.