Environmental Resources FAQ

Contact the Environmental Resources Division at (805) 385-8060 or email us at recycle@oxnard.org.

Contact utility billing at (805) 385-7816 or CLICK HERE for more information.

As a reminder, single-family residential customers no longer alternate recycling and organic collections. All three carts can be placed out every week starting January 2022. Check out the collection schedule HERE.

In Oxnard, all single-family residential properties have had curbside yard waste collection services for years but the service was alternating every other week between yard waste and recycling. Starting Monday, January 3, 2022, single-family residential collections will change from every other week service (recycling and green waste rotating weekly) to weekly service for all three carts (all 3 carts every week). Single-family residents are now instructed to place bagged food scraps in the green or yard waste cart, which is now being called the “organics” cart.

For single-family residential customers, you can collect your food scraps in a small container (pail with a lid) in your kitchen and store it on your countertop or under your sink. You can line your food waste container with a plastic bag, which can be securely closed and placed in your yard waste container on your collection day. You can also store your food scraps in a bag in your freezer, which can help avoid odors for certain foods that are not meant to be left at room temperature. On your collection day, simply place the bagged food scraps inside your organics cart with the green lid. If you do not have a green waste cart, please call (805) 200-2206 to request one. For commercial businesses or multi-family properties that subscribe to commercial service, food scraps can be placed in the 64-gallon food scraps carts with the yellow lid.  For more information on food scraps recycling, please CLICK HERE. 

For single-family residential customers, the answer is No. All food scraps must be bagged and securely tied before being placed in the organics cart. Food scraps that are placed directly in the organics cart will contaminate all of the organics the city collects and contribute to noncompliance and inefficiency in collection and processing. After collection, the bagged food scraps will be separated at the Del Norte Regional Recycling and Transfer Station. Workers will separate the bags of food from the green waste. Food scraps will be sent to one facility that will process it into either a soil amendment or biofuel. The green waste will be sent, as it always has, to Agromin for composting. Therefore, it is imperative that these two materials are not commingled. Commercial businesses are not required to bag their food waste, although, bagging it may extend the life of the cart, prevent messiness and odors, and in general can be easier to manage. For commercial businesses and multi-family properties that subscribe to commercial service, food scraps are to be placed in the 64-gallon food scraps carts with the yellow lid. Food scraps collected in these carts will be hauled directly to one of Agromin’s facilities for processing.

Oxnard asks that residential customers use plastic bags to dispose of food waste. Simply place all food waste inside any type of plastic bag that you already have (plastic bread bags, grocery bags, Ziploc bags, or regular garbage bags) and dispose of it with the loose yard waste in your green cart.

Most single-family residential customers already have conforming collection carts (gray for trash, blue for recycling, and green for organics).

For residents living in multi-family units, additional containers with yellow lids will be provided to the property owner or property manager who will notify residents how and when to use them.

If you live in a residential community that uses single-family style carts but only currently have recycling and trash because your HOA or condo association pays a gardener to transport green waste, the city will not be starting automatic service at this time. Please reach out to the Environmental Resources Department by email at recycle@oxnard.org or by calling Sarah Ahern, Outreach/Education Specialist at (805) 200-2206 to inquire about starting service. HOA’s and property owners can also inquire about possible eligibility for a Physical Space Waiver. If you live in a multi-family property or you are a tenant that is not the authorized point of contact on the account, contact your property manager/owner to request service if they have not already done so. Multi-family customers will be provided a 64-gallon cart for food waste only (not to combine with green waste). City staff is here to assist property managers/owners with the education and proper disposal methods. Property managers/owners can inquire with the city about possible eligibility for a Physical Space Waiver.

Food waste includes meat, bones, poultry, seafood, non-liquid dairy, cooked eggs, eggshells, pasta, grains, coffee and tea grounds and used filters, tea bags, fruits, and vegetables.

This is a State Law regulated by CalRecycle. All jurisdictions in California are subject to the requirements of this law. For more information about what CalRecycle requires of local jurisdictions, CLICK HERE.

Yes. Some types of food waste such as meat, bones, seafood, grains, snack foods, liquids, like FOG (Fats, oils, and grease), and dairy are not ideal for a backyard compost bin, but these items can be processed through the food waste recycling program. Any food waste that does not go in your backyard compost bin must be bagged and placed in your yard waste bin. Backyard composting is still encouraged as a great option to divert waste from the landfill, avoid the environmental impacts of transporting the organic waste, and create a finished product that you can use in your garden. **It is important to emphasize that dairy products, meat, seafood, oily foods, too much paper and/or any coated paper, and even compostable products will not break down in a backyard compost pile or bin. Only commercial-scale composting facilities or electric compost machines are capable of breaking down these materials and therefore should be placed in the organics container. Because of this, the food scraps collected from residents or businesses using either the curbside organics cart or the 64-gallon food scraps carts are required to be sent to a commercial composting facility where they can be properly processed.

Starting in 2022, residents will be able to purchase countertop and backyard compost bins at a discounted rate once the program has been relaunched. This program was placed on hold during the height of the pandemic and is scheduled for a relaunch in the new year. Suppliers have had issues with inventory, which has made it difficult to re-launch the program. Stay tuned for more details about this program as it becomes available.

If you pay for extra carts, you can place all of them at the curb, as long as the placement conforms with the City Ordinance. If you do not have sufficient space to place all of your carts weekly, rotate them. Residents pay for the number of carts they have, not the frequency that they are used.

Oxnard businesses and multi-family properties need to enroll in recycling and organics services per state law and local ordinances. If you have previously been contacted by the Environmental Resources Division and have yet to establish recycling and/or organic services or you are currently using 3rd party hauler for recyclables and organics, you must contact our Division to establish service or fill out the Alternative Certification Form. Any businesses that have not subscribed to services or made an effort to contact our Division may receive a Notice of Violation and could possibly face a fine. Call 805-200-2206 or email recycle@oxnard.org.

Waivers are available on a case-by-case basis. Call 805-200-2206 or email recycle@oxnard.org for more information. You can also find more information about waivers on our website HERE.

No. This new weekly collection of all three carts and food waste bagging system will not increase your bill. If you are a commercial business or multi-family property that currently does not have a food scraps cart, there is an additional monthly cost.