Business Recycling & Composting

Waste Reduction Assistance for Businesses

The City of Renton is helping local businesses recycle more and waste less. Through personalized outreach, the city is providing businesses with tools and expertise to reduce their garbage bills, prevent waste, and comply with new state waste laws. Outreach will prioritize businesses that serve or are staffed by Spanish or Vietnamese speakers because these are the most commonly spoken languages by Renton residents who don’t speak English very well.

Free Customized Support

Businesses will receive free customized waste prevention support. Outreach staff from Cascadia Consulting Group will set up waste containers, review what can be composted or recycled, post waste signage and stickers, and provide a limited supply of compostable bags and bag dispensers.
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How Outreach Staff Will Support Businesses

  • Right-size waste service levels and calculate cost savings for reducing garbage service
  • Help businesses subscribe to recycling or organics (food and yard waste) collection 
  • Educate business staff in English, Spanish, or Vietnamese about which materials are recyclable or compostable
  • Provide additional interior recycling or organics containers (with or without lids) as appropriate
  • Locate interior waste containers more conveniently
  • Provide a limited supply of compostable bags and bag dispensers
  • Post laminated multilingual signs near interior and exterior waste containers
  • Relabel exterior waste containers as necessary
  • Make follow-up visits to troubleshoot arising issues and continue staff education

New Food & Yard Waste Laws

In 2022, Washington passed the Organics Management Law, which requires many businesses to start separating their food and yard waste from their garbage. In 2024, the state passed another organics management law, House Bill 2301, which added more requirements for organics collection. The City’s waste reduction assistance project will help businesses prepare for these organics separation requirements and aid businesses in reducing the amount of recyclable and compostable materials being landfilled.

Timeline

Outreach is currently scheduled through summer 2025.

Funding

Project funding comes from three grants: a 2023-2025 Department of Ecology Local Solid Waste Financial Assistance program grant, a 2023-2024 King County Waste Reduction and Recycling Grant, and a 2023-2024 King County Re+ City Grant.

Resources 

Participating businesses may receive tools to help them sort and collect recyclables and organic waste. These tools include plastic containers in different sizes, container lids, compostable bags, wheeled trolleys, and multilingual posters and container labels.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How can my business receive help?

  • Businesses can contact Meara Heubach, the City of Renton’s Solid Waste Program Manager, at [email protected]. The City is prioritizing businesses that generate a lot of waste (at least 4 cubic yards of waste a week) and that serve or are staffed by Spanish or Vietnamese speakers, but any licensed business in Renton may receive support from this program.

  • Republic Services, the contracted waste hauler for Renton, also provides waste prevention education and support to businesses. Republic Services staff can provide site visits to review existing services, determine recycling potential, and assess space constraints for adding waste containers. Call Republic Services at 253-872-7220.

How will the Organics Management Law and House Bill 2301 impact my business?

  • All businesses and commercial waste generators (such as restaurants, stores, offices, schools, and churches) will need to separate organic waste from their garbage. Organic waste includes waste from food (such as fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy products, fish, shellfish, and grains) and plants (such as debris from landscape work and untreated lumber).
    • The timeline to comply with the laws depends on how much waste per week a business generates:
      • January 1, 2024: Businesses generating at least 8 cubic yards of organic waste per week must separate organic waste from their garbage.
      • January 1, 2025: Businesses generating at least 4 cubic yards of organic waste per week must separate organic waste from their garbage.
      • January 1, 2026: Businesses generating at least 96 gallons of organic waste per week must separate organic waste from their garbage.
      • April 1, 2030: All businesses must have organic waste collection service.
    • There are several ways businesses can separate organic waste from their garbage, such as:
      • Subscribe to organic waste collection through a local waste hauler:
      • Donate or sell the organic materials to another business (for example, donate edible food to a food bank).
      • Compost the organic materials on site
    • For more information on the 2022 Organics Management Law, House Bill 2301, or how to separate organic waste from commercial garbage, email [email protected] or call 509-960-1290.

Contact

Want help with recycling or food waste at your business? Contact Meara Heubach, Solid Waste Program Manager, at [email protected] or 425-430-7389.

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