Long Beach’s green bin roll out is underway. Here’s what you need to know

Long Beach residents are getting new green bins as the city rolls out a new recycling program for food waste.

The final phase of the rollout in L.A. County’s second-largest city is set to wrap up by the end of the year. It comes three years after a state law went into effect that mandates food waste be kept out of landfills.

Officially called SB 1383, the law requires all cities, counties, institutions, residents and businesses to divert food and other organic waste from landfills. Instead, that waste will be composted, donated, or turned into fuel. California is the second state in the U.S. after Vermont to pass such a law.

The reason? Landfills are filling up and much of the stuff in them is food waste. Food waste in landfills across the U.S. has tripled since the 1960s, and when it decomposes, it releases methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that heats up the planet. Because of that, landfills are California’s third largest source of methane emissions.

How the program works

The city of Long Beach took a different approach to rolling out its program from most major cities — they started requiring businesses to use the bins first. That program has been in action since 2023.

 ”They are one of the largest food generators and also there are fewer accounts,” said Dalia Gonzalez, with the city’s public works department, of the reasoning.

On the residential side, the city rolled out its pilot program for single-family homes last year in October. Now they’re in the final phase of rolling out green bins to homes and apartments across the city, with the expectation that everyone will have green bins by October, Gonzalez said.

“We wanted to make sure that this program was implemented the right way and that we didn't just roll out carts across the whole city,” Gonzalez said, adding that the city has worked on staffing for the program, as well as community education and outreach.

It also took time to negotiate new contracts with waste haulers and identify where all the food waste will go, Gonzalez said.

All of the food and yard waste in the city’s new green bins will go to three large-scale composting facilities, according to the city:  Recology Blossom Valley Organics near Bakersfield, Sage Ranch Compost in Riverside County and American Organics in Victorville. Those facilities then sell the compost to nearby farms.

As part of the program, the city’s purple bins for recyclables will be retired and recycled, then replaced with blue bins. That rollout will start in early 2026.

How to use the green bin

Long Beach residents simply need to toss all their food waste — vegetable scraps, chicken bones, coffee grinds, egg shells and any other organic waste — into the green bin.

You can store the waste in your freezer to prevent smells, and toss it in the bin in a paper bag, which can also be composted. Plastic bags may contaminate the compost, so officials urge residents to put their food waste in paper bags, paper towels or go without a bag instead.

So-called “compostable” bags are also a no-no — the composting facilities are unable to break that material down, Gonzalez said.

Read LAist’s full guide on how to compost, with answers to frequently asked questions, here.

Will my bills go up?

Yes. Diverting food waste is more expensive than tossing it in a landfill, so trash rates are going up across California. At the same time, SB 1383 is an unfunded state mandate, so cities have to figure out how to cover the cost themselves.

In Long Beach, rates are going up about $15 this month and depend on bin size.

Gonzalez said the city is urging residents to try out their new bin for at least two weeks before requesting a smaller green bin.

“It does take a while to get used to this new service,” she said. “We don't want them to get a smaller bin and then realize, actually I did need that size.”