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Three-Cart System
On January 23, 2023, CMSD’s Board of Directors approved an amendment to the solid waste agreement with CR&R Incorporated, establishing the three-cart waste collection system. This amendment is one step among many in CMSD’s compliance with Senate Bill (SB) 1383, a statewide effort to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants. Learn more about SB 1383.
This means there will be some changes in how customers sort their waste and in how CMSD’s waste hauler, CR&R, collects and processes organic and recyclable materials.
Image: Currently, 39% of all waste within CMSD’s service area is sent to the landfill. With the new three-cart system, CMSD aims to reduce this to 25%.
What does this mean for you?
CMSD is partnering with CR&R to provide safe and reliable curbside collection services for customers. Once the three-cart curbside collection program is debuted, you will simply sort recyclables in your new Recycling Cart with a blue lid instead of placing them in the Mixed Waste Cart. Here's what you can expect with the three-cart implementation process: you will continue to dispose of organic waste in your existing Organics Cart with a green lid. One of your existing Mixed Waste Carts will be removed and replaced with a new Recycling Cart with a blue lid, while the other remaining Mixed Waste Cart will be relabeled to become a Landfill Cart designated for non-recyclable items such as Styrofoam, pet waste, diapers, and palm fronds. The new Recycling Cart will be designated for recyclables such as clean paper, cardboard, glass, aluminum and tin cans, and plastic.
Town Hall Meetings
Costa Mesa Sanitary District will be hosting a series of town hall meetings to share information on CMSD’s transition to a three-cart waste collection system and address any questions you may have. The meetings will be held on the following dates:
- August 7, 2024 at 6 p.m. – CMSD Headquarters (290 Paularino Ave., Costa Mesa)
- August 10, 2024 at 9 a.m. – CMSD Headquarters (290 Paularino Ave., Costa Mesa)
- October 2, 2024 at 6 p.m. – Norma Hertzog Community Center (1845 Park Ave., Costa Mesa)
- October 5, 2024 at 9 a.m. – Norma Hertzog Community Center (1845 Park Ave., Costa Mesa)
Three-Cart System Flyer (English) | Three Cart System Flyer (Spanish)|Three-Cart Announcement Postcard|CMSD Recycles Postcard
Frequently Asked Questions
A focus on recycling organic materials is central to California’s efforts to combat climate change. When organic materials such as food scraps and yard trimmings decompose anaerobically (without oxygen) in a landfill, they produce methane, which is one of the most potent climate pollutants in the atmosphere and a major contributor to climate change. In addition to requiring organic material recycling, SB 1383 requires jurisdictions with a two-cart system to transition to a three-cart system when their waste is not processed at a high diversion waste processing facility. The CMSD Board elected to move forward with a three-cart system since upgrading the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) that processes CMSD's waste would be cost-prohibitive.
- Beginning in fall 2024, CR&R will exchange one existing Mixed Waste Cart with a new 95 gallon blue-lid Recycling Cart.
- The remaining Mixed Waste Cart will be relabeled to become a Landfill Cart of the same size.
- The first recycling collection will be one week after delivery of the new Recycling Cart.
- The green-lid Organics Cart(s) will be left in place and continue to be used for green/yard waste and food waste.
Standard curbside collection service will include:
- One Recycling Cart
- One Landfill Cart
- Up to two Organics Carts
Customers can request a second Landfill or Recycling Cart or a third Organics Cart (subject to additional fees of $9.00 per cart per month).
The new three-cart system will begin rolling out in the fall of 2024. The exact rollout start date is yet to be determined.
Prior to the rollout of the new system in fall 2024, all customers will receive a mailing asking them to confirm their current number of carts and the cart sizes they wish to receive during the new system rollout. Cart size options include 35-gallon, 65-gallon, and 95-gallon. Additionally, customers will be able to submit requests for alternative cart sizes and additional carts (which are subject to additional fees) any time after the system rollout.
Prior to the rollout of the new system in fall 2024, all customers will receive a mailing asking them to confirm their current number of carts and the cart sizes they wish to receive during the new system rollout. Customers will have the option to choose from three cart sizes (35-gallon, 65-gallon, and 95-gallon) to best accommodate their disposal needs and space constraints. Additionally, customers will be able to submit requests for alternative cart sizes any time after the system rollout.
Most customers currently have a total of four carts: two Mixed Waste and two Organics Carts. Therefore, the transition to a three-cart system will likely result in less total carts (one Recycling, one Landfill, and one Organics Cart) or the same total number of four carts (one Recycling, one Landfill, and two Organics Carts).
- Aluminum and tin cans
- Cardboard
- Clean paper
- Glass
- Plastic
- Bread, rice, grains
- Coffee grounds, tea and coffee filters
- Compostable and brown paper bags
- Cooking oil and grease
- Dairy products (cheese, eggs, milk, yogurt)
- Food-soiled paper (e.g. used napkins and paper towels, greasy pizza box)
- Fruits and vegetables
- Grass clippings
- Leaves and flowers
- Meat and seafood*
- Pruning and weeds**
- Snack foods (chips, nuts, crackers, etc.)
**Palm fronds should be placed in the Landfill Cart rather than the Organics Cart.
- Broken glass/mirrors
- Diapers
- Fish and meat bones
- Flexible packaging (such as plastic bags, plastic film, drink pouches, etc.)
- Palm fronds
- Pet waste and cat litter
- Styrofoam
- Other landfilled and non-recyclable materials
Organic waste is any material that is biodegradable and comes from either a plant or an animal. Biodegradable waste is organic material that can be broken into carbon dioxide, methane or simple organic molecules.
After organic waste is collected, it is sent to a local composting facility or an Anaerobic Digestion (AD) Facility, where it is turned into Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) to power CR&R's collection vehicles.
Recovered organic waste products can:
Recovered organic waste products can:
- Benefit local communities and spaces
- Improve soil and air quality
- Support local environmental initiatives, such as Climate Action Plans
- Compost
- Mulch
- Renewable Energy (Transportation Fuel, Heat, and Electricity) from Anaerobic Digestion and Electricity from Biomass Conversion
Yes, everyone is required to participate and properly sort discarded materials into the correct carts. If you choose not to participate, you may receive contamination charges. The State of California has mandated that beginning January 1, 2024, jurisdictions must issue Notices of Violation and fines for residents and businesses who are not participating.