MuniEnvironmental has engaged with the City of Garden Grove to provide assistance to meet compliance and implement the mandatory outreach and technical assistance program requirements of AB 341 and AB 1826.

“With the advent of AB 341, Mandatory Commercial Recycling, and AB 1826, Mandatory Organics Recycling, municipalities’ recycling and reporting efforts have become mandatory programs that include citywide participation, monitoring and reporting to the State of California,” says MuniEnvironmental CEO and Principal Consultant Jeff Duhamel. “MuniEnvironmental is well-positioned to offer insightful, strategic guidance to the City of Garden Grove as the community navigates compliance with these complex laws.”

California Assembly Bill 341, now in effect, is designed to divert waste from landfills and to reach California’s recycling goal of 75 percent by the year 2020. In addition to requiring certain commercial businesses, public entities and multi-family housing complexes to adopt recycling practices, the law requires local jurisdictions to inform businesses about the requirements, to keep track of the level of recycling within the business community and to report progress to Cal Recycle, the state agency that oversees recycling and solid waste.

Assembly Bill 1826, Solid Waste: Organic Waste, requires businesses to recycle organic waste and requires local jurisdictions to implement an organic waste recycling program to divert organic waste generated by businesses. Organic Waste includes food and food-soiled paper waste along with green, landscape and pruning waste, as well as nonhazardous wood waste. Organic waste, including food and green waste, is recyclable through composting, mulching and anaerobic digestion, which generates renewable energy and fuel.

Mandatory recycling of organic waste is the next step toward achieving California’s aggressive recycling and greenhouse gas emission goals, says Duhamel. “California disposes of approximately 30 million tons of waste in landfills each year. Of this, more than 30 percent qualifies as organic waste.”

MuniEnvironmental’s project for the City of Garden Grove will provide access to resources that will enable the City to implement the mandatory outreach and technical assistance program requirements of AB 341 and AB 1826, targeting all qualified local commercial generators. This will include conducting research and compiling relevant information; communicating with commercial businesses, public entities and multi-family housing complexes to inform and educate about the regulations; tracking and monitoring compliance; providing technical on-site assistance; and report to City Staff and City Council.

The City of Garden Grove, in northern Orange County, is home to a diverse community of nearly 171,000 residents. The mission of the City of Garden Grove is to provide responsible leadership and quality services as they promote safety, cultural harmony and life enrichment.

With proven expertise in the Solid Waste, Recycling and Stormwater Industries, the experienced professional staff of MuniEnvironmental provides consulting services to municipalities, governmental agencies and certain private sector businesses such as nonprofit organizations and associations, universities, hospitals and campus-style facilities attempting to implement mandated regulatory requirements while striving to preserve their leadership and administrative role with their contract service providers and the business community. MuniEnvironmental has helped municipal clients including the Cities of Bellflower, Corona, Hawaiian Gardens, Industry, Irvine, Lomita, Paramount and Santa Fe Springs—and now, Garden Grove—achieve recycling goals, reduce disposal costs, update ordinances and manage complicated franchise agreements.