Why Your Green Cart Smells Since California’s Food Scrap Law (and How to Fix It)
Since 2022, California law sends food scraps to the green cart. Meat, dairy, and leftovers sitting in a warm cart all week are why it smells. Here’s how to keep it under control.
Key takeaways
- SB 1383 took effect on January 1, 2022, and requires Californians to keep food scraps and other organics out of the landfill cart.
- In Danville, San Ramon, and most of Contra Costa County, food scraps now go in the green cart with yard trimmings.
- Meat, dairy, and leftovers break down fast in a warm, closed cart, and plastic bags aren’t allowed to contain them.
- Wrapping scraps in paper, freezing meat until pickup, and layering with yard trimmings all cut the smell.
- Once food goes in the green cart, it needs cleaning about as often as the trash cart does.
Your green cart smells because it’s now a food cart: since 2022, California law has required food scraps to go in the green organics cart instead of the trash. If you remember when the green cart only held leaves and grass clippings, you’ve probably noticed the difference by July.
This piece explains what changed, why food makes the green cart smell, and how to keep it manageable.
What changed in 2022
California’s SB 1383 took effect on January 1, 2022. It requires residents, businesses, and schools to sort organic material, meaning food scraps, food-soiled paper, and yard trimmings, out of the landfill. Cities and waste agencies adopted their own rules to match, including RecycleSmart in Danville and its neighbors, and the City of San Ramon.
The reason is methane. When food breaks down in a landfill, it produces greenhouse gases, and organic material makes up about half of what Californians throw away. Composting it keeps that out of the landfill.
So the green cart became the food cart. In Danville, that includes meat, dairy, bones and shells, cooked food, and leftovers.
Why food makes the green cart smell
Yard trimmings are mostly dry and slow to break down. Food is the opposite. A few things work against you:
- Protein and dairy break down fast. Chicken bones, fish skin, and old yogurt are the worst offenders, especially in heat.
- No plastic liners. Plastic bags aren’t allowed in the green cart, so food either goes in loose or in paper, and juices reach the cart walls.
- A week of waiting. Scraps added on pickup day sit in the cart for up to seven days.
- Summer heat. In Danville, San Ramon, and the rest of the Tri-Valley, a cart in the sun warms up fast, and warmth speeds up everything that causes odor.
The residue left after pickup matters too. Whatever sticks to the bottom keeps breaking down, even after the truck empties the cart. That’s why an “empty” green cart can still smell.
How to keep your green cart from smelling
- Wrap scraps in paper. Newspaper, paper bags, and BPI-certified compostable bags are all accepted in the RecycleSmart area. A wrapped bundle keeps juices off the cart walls. If you’re in San Ramon, check ACI’s current guidance.
- Freeze the worst of it. Keep meat, fish, and bones in a container in the freezer, and add them to the cart the night before pickup.
- Layer with yard trimmings. Put food between layers of leaves or grass clippings instead of on the cart floor.
- Use a kitchen pail. RecycleSmart residents can get a free 3-gallon food scrap pail from Republic Services at 925-685-4711, once every two years.
- Keep the lid shut and park the cart in the shade when you can.
- Clean it on a schedule. Once food goes in, treat the green cart like the trash cart: about every two weeks in summer, monthly the rest of the year.
What not to do
Don’t line the green cart with a plastic bag to keep it clean. It isn’t accepted, and it contaminates the compost. And if you hose the cart out yourself, don’t let the rinse water run into the gutter. In Contra Costa County, only rain is allowed down the storm drain.
When it’s time for a real cleaning
If the cart smells when it’s empty, or you see flies or maggots around the lid, residue is doing the work. It needs a deep clean with high-pressure water and a sanitizing, not a rinse. (If flies have already moved in, see how to keep maggots out of your trash bin.)
Bin Bliss cleans green carts along with trash and recycling carts across Danville, San Ramon, Alamo, Blackhawk, and nearby communities, the day after pickup, and captures the wash water. Text CLEAN to (888) 888-8888 to book.
The law changed what goes in the green cart. It didn’t change who has to open it.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to put food scraps in the green cart?
Yes. Under SB 1383, in effect since January 1, 2022, and local ordinances in RecycleSmart cities and San Ramon, residents are required to sort food scraps and other organics out of the landfill cart.
Can I put meat and bones in the green cart?
In Danville and the rest of the RecycleSmart area, yes. The Town’s guidance includes meat, dairy, bones and shells, cooked food, and leftovers. Remove any packaging first.
Why can’t I use plastic bags in the green cart?
Plastic doesn’t break down in compost and contaminates the finished material. Use newspaper, paper bags, or BPI-certified compostable bags.
How often should I clean my green cart?
Once it holds food, about every two weeks in summer and monthly the rest of the year. Clean it sooner if it smells when empty or attracts flies.
Does freezing food scraps really help?
Yes. Frozen scraps don’t break down or leak until they thaw, so adding them the night before pickup cuts the time they spend rotting in a warm cart.
Keep reading
How to Keep Maggots Out of Your Trash Bin This Summer: A Danville and Tri-Valley Guide
Maggots start as fly eggs laid on food residue, and in warm weather they can hatch within about a day. Here’s how to keep flies out of your bins in a hot Tri-Valley summer, and what to do if they’re already there.
How Often Should You Clean Your Trash Bin? A Simple Schedule for Every Household
Most households should clean their trash bin about once a month, and every two weeks in hot weather or if you toss meat, diapers, or pet waste. Here’s how to set your schedule.
The Day-After-Pickup Checklist: 6 Things to Do When Your Trash Bins Are Empty
The day after pickup is the only time your bins are truly empty. Here’s a six-step checklist that takes about ten minutes and keeps odor, flies, and residue from building up.
Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes and reflects the information available to us when it was written. It isn’t medical, health, or professional cleaning advice. Always follow the directions on any cleaning or disinfecting product’s label, never mix cleaning chemicals, and check your city’s rules before letting wash water run into a street or storm drain. We make no warranty as to accuracy or completeness and provide this content “as is.” Product names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.