Recycling / Environmental Programs

Composting is a natural recycling process that takes organic wastes (fruits, vegetables, and yard trimmings) and turns it into a dark, crumbly, sweet-smelling soil conditioner. There are several advantages to composting such as:

• Composting saves money. You can save money by lowering trash bills with less waste being generated and by replacing store-bought soil with compost.
• It helps gardens and houseplants. Compost can improve the fertility and health of the soil.
• Composting saves water. It helps the soil hold moisture and reduces the amount of water runoff.
• It saves valuable landfill space, which extends the life of our landfills, thus making it environmentally friendly.

The City conducts workshops throughout the year. Anyone may attend one of the workshops, however, only Ontario residents are eligible to receive a compost bin at a REDUCED RATE upon attending the workshop. Please contact (909) 395-2040 for additional information.

Is Home Composting for You?

A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO COMPOSTING FROM HOME 

Home Composting is a great way to transform your food and garden waste into a nutrient rich soil amendment for your garden or lawn. Compost could help reduce fertilizer costs and water demand.  It can take between 6-12 months to make mature compost depending on the mixture of material and how often you turn it.

DISCLAIMER: HOME COMPOSTING DOES NOT REPLACE PARTICIPATION IN THE CITY SERVICED FOOD WASTE COLLECTION PROGRAM.

Is Home Composting for You?

• Do you have a yard or unpaved outdoor space for a compost bin?
• Do you generate organic material from outdoor vegetation, houseplants and uncooked food scraps from fruit and vegetable cuttings?
• Do you have time to maintain the bin? Manual turning with a pitchfork or other tool is required. How often you turn will determine the speed of breakdown into mature or finished compost?

Steps:

• Step 1: Collect organic waste in your compost Bin. Both browns (carbon) and greens (nitrogen) are needed.
• Step 2: Layer materials in a ratio of 3 parts brown and 1 part green. Start with browns as your base. Add water and let sit for a few weeks.
• Step 3: Remember to add water and turn your compost every time you add to bin to help speed up the breakdown process. Proper moisture level is similar to a rung-out sponge.
• Step 4:  Finished compost will be dark crumbly topsoil that has an earthy smell. Use in potting mix or as a soil amendment to improve health of lawn or plants and reduce water needs.

Home Compost DO’s:

• Grass, leaves & plant trimmings
• Uncooked Fruits & vegetables
• Nut & Egg shells
• Small branches, wood chips & saw dust from untreated woods
• Straw & hay
• Coffee grounds & filters
• Paper tea bags (remove staples)
• Shredded paper, newspaper, clean cardboard

Home Compost DON’T’s:

*Please use city serviced food waste collection program for these items.

• Meat, fish, poultry & bones
• Dairy products
• Cooked or oily foods
• Bread, pasta, rice, grains
• Seafood shells
• Plastics or synthetic fibers
• Diseased vegetation or aggressive weeds

Home Composting | Myth Vs. Fact

• Myth: Compost creates odors and attracts pests.
• Fact: Properly building and maintaining compost using organic waste, almost never attracts pests and will smell like a humus-rich forest. Avoid adding meat, dairy, bread and cooked or oily foods from your backyard compost to prevent smells and pests.
• Myth: Composting requires a lot of work.
• Fact: Compost is a natural process. The elements of nature do the work. While it does require some work, you can turn the material once a week or once a month. Compost just happens!
• Myth: Compost is unsightly.
• Fact: Attractive, low-cost compost enclosures can be built or purchased. Ontario residents can purchase a compost bin at a reduced rate from the City by contacting (909) 395-2040.

Recycle your Tires FOR FREE!

The City of Ontario encourages residents to keep our neighborhoods clean by dropping off waste tires. All tires collected will be recycled.

For more information, please call the Ontario Municipal Services Center at (909) 395-2040.

Grasscycling is the practice of naturally recycling the grass by leaving clippings on the lawn while mowing. The advantages of grasscycling are the following:

• It saves time since there is no longer a need to bag and dump the grass into a refuse container.
• It saves money. Grass clippings decompose quickly and release valuable nutrients back into the soil, this way less fertilizer is needed.
• Encourages a healthier lawn. Lawn clippings contain nitrogen, which is a valuable nutrient for lawns.
• Grasscycling saves valuable landfill space with reduced waste being generated.
• It saves energy with less refuse collection trucks needed to haul lawn clippings to landfills.

Mandatory Programs - SB 1383, AB 1826, and AB 341

Effective January 1, 2022, SB 1383 mandates that all businesses and multi-family properties to arrange for organic waste recycling services (i.e., food waste and green waste) and that jurisdictions conduct education and outreach on organics recycling to all residents, businesses (including those that generate edible food that can be donated) haulers, solid waste facilities, and local food banks and other food recovery organizations.

• California adopted SB 1383 which requires communities to reduce organic waste disposal such as food waste by 75% by 2025. To achieve this mandate, the Integrated Waste Department is starting a Food Waste Recycling Program.
• SB 1383 APPLIES TO ALL RESIDENTS (single-family homes and apartments/condos). Starting January 1, 2022, your existing green waste bin will also be used to collect food waste.

Effective April 1, 2016, AB 1826 mandates organics recycling for qualifying businesses. 

Effective January 1, 2012, AB 341 mandates recycling for businesses that produce four or more cubic feet of solid waste per week and multi-family dwellings of five units or more.

Two easy ways to comply:

1.  Subscribe to City of Ontario Recycling and Organics Services. Please contact us at (909) 395-2050 to add services
    
2. Complete and submit a Waiver Application (download below) to IW_Environmental@ontarioca.gov or mail it to:
   City of Ontario, Integrated Waste Department
   1425 S. Bon View Avenue
   Ontario, CA. 91762

Questions on the waiver process and application? Please contact us at (909) 395-2040.