Businesses that produce at least 4 cubic yards of food and yard waste per week will soon need to divert those materials from curbside garbage bins and into curbside organics bins. Starting Jan. 1, 2025, Washington’s Organics Management Law requires businesses located within a designated business organics management area (BOMA) to comply with the law by signing up for curbside organics collection service.
The Washington State Department of Ecology encourage businesses to call their current garbage and recycling service providers and ask about curbside organics collection, or visit their city or county website for information about service options.
The business collection requirements began on Jan. 1, 2024, for companies producing at least 8 cubic yards of food and yard waste. The number of businesses required to manage their organic waste through a means other than landfilling is projected to increase each year as the law is gradually implemented.
When the law is fully implemented in 2026, the minimum threshold trigger requiring businesses producing food, yard, or woody waste in designated areas drops to 96 gallons per week.
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Four cubic yards is the equivalent of eight typical garbage bins.
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How to comply with 2025 requirements
A business needs to meet two conditions to be required to comply with the law: be located within certain ZIP codes across 10 counties, and produce 4 cubic yards or more of food and yard waste per week – the equivalent of eight typical 96-gallon bins.
If you are unsure about how much organic waste your business creates, contact [email protected].
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Updated yearly, areas of this map where businesses are required to comply with the law are shaded blue. They include areas of Whatcom, Skagit, Island, Snohomish, King,
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Who is exempt?
Some businesses are exempt from subscribing to curbside organics collection service and may not need to comply with the business collection requirements. For example, a business that makes organic waste from growing food or fiber crops can use that waste to grow more food or fiber. Other conditions that could lead to an exemption include:
– Managing food and yard waste onsite
– Selling or donating the material to another business for off-site use
– Waste generated from a natural disaster
– Self-hauling to an organic materials management facility
If you believe your business qualifies for an exemption, keep detailed information and records, such as an Ecology email approval of an alternative method or self-haul receipts to demonstrate compliance with the law.
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A truck unloads food and yard waste at a compost facility. |
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Businesses are part of the climate solution
According to the state Ecology Department, businesses that throw away organic materials such as food and yard waste may not know the impact that decision has on the environment. Organic material creates methane when it breaks down in an environment without oxygen, such as a landfill. Methane is a greenhouse gas that is 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide, in the short term, accelerating the impacts of climate change.
Businesses are part of Washington’s circular economy and have an opportunity to build healthy soils by composting their food and yard waste, Ecology said. Food and yard waste contain valuable nutrients that can be recycled into compost and returned to the land.
Resources for local governments and businesses
Local jurisdictions that work with businesses should review Ecology’s business organics management toolkit. These outreach materials were created to help businesses understand why they are required to subscribe to a curbside organics collection service and can help local governments with their business education.
Organics management for business webpage
Postcard – Business Organics Management Law (wa.gov)
The postcard can be used as-is or edited using Postcard Template – Canva to reflect local contact information and conditions. Spanish and Vietnamese versions are available on the webpage.
Public Notice – Business Organics Management Law (wa.gov)
Spanish and Vietnamese versions are available on the web page.
Business site assessment form – Thurston County example
Ecology will continue to develop resources and invite feedback and questions throughout 2025.
Do you have a success story or challenge to share? Write [email protected].
Contact Ecology’s organics team at [email protected] if you have any questions about how this law impacts your business.
This post was originally published on here
