On July 1, 2020, a 2019 California law requiring restaurants, malls and other businesses to make composting and recycling bins accessible to customers officially went into effect. Full-service restaurants are exempt from the bill if employees sort organic waste. However, quick or limited-service restaurants and all other businesses that generate organic waste and subscribe to recycling or composting services must make bins accessible to customers.
Assembly Bill 827 mandates that businesses that are already required to subscribe to recycling or composting services under previous laws (AB 341 and AB 1826) provide customers with access to recycling and composting bins. The recycling and composting bins must be clearly marked with educational signage indicating what is accepted in the local solid waste programs. The bill passed with a bipartisan vote in the California Assembly and State Senate in September 2019.