Frequently Asked Questions
NOTE: This webpage is for reference only. The information contained within this site no longer applies since the pilot program has ended.
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Top Ten
Q. What do I do if I run out of compostable bags?
A. If you run out of compostable bags, you may purchase additional 2.6 gallon (10 liter) compostable bags on line or at certain local supermarkets (please call the store ahead of time to verify availability). Although we recommend using compostable bags, you may also reuse a plastic bag to line your kitchen pail. The City of San José will not provide additional compostable bags beyond the initial supply delivered to pilot program residents.
Q. What do I do if I did not receive a kitchen pail, supply of compostable bags, or green YT cart during the initial delivery period?
A. Please call our City of San José Customer Service Contact Center at (408) 535-3500.
Q. Can I participate even if I am not in a pilot area?
A. We apologize, but the pilot area households have already been selected and we are not able to accommodate additional participants. If you would like to subscribe to yard trimmings cart collection service, please call our contact center and we can set you up with cart service for a nominal fee. Food scraps and organics will not be accepted in your green YT cart; this is only allowed in the selected pilot areas.
Q. What if I normally have more yard trimmings than will fit into one cart?
A. If you have more yard trimmings than will fit in your cart, we ask that you please store them for the next week’s cart collection or for your once-a-month loose in the street collection day. If that is not possible, we will be more than happy to deliver up to two (2) extra 96-gallon YT carts, in addition to the initial cart delivered at the start of the pilot, at no extra charge.
Q. Will I be charged for YT cart collection service during this pilot program?
A. No, households within the pilot program areas will not be charged for YT cart collection service for the duration of the pilot program.
Q. What goes in the green YT cart?
A. Yard trimmings, along with bagged food scraps and organics, should be placed in the green YT cart. In addition, food-soiled pizza boxes can be placed directly into the green yard trimmings cart. Yard trimmings include: branches, sod (remove as much soil as possible), prunings, and clippings (flowers, grass, leaves, palm fronds). Food scraps and organics accepted include: fruit, vegetables, meat, dairy, egg shells, coffee grounds, used paper towels, napkins and paper plates.
Q. Can I return my 96-gallon yard trimmings cart or exchange it for a smaller size since I have a gardener take away my yard trimmings?
A. If you do not require yard trimmings collection service (e.g., a gardener takes your yard trimmings away, you compost at home), we will be happy to pick up the green cart. We can also exchange your cart for a smaller sized one, if you would like to use it only for your bagged food scraps and organics. We strongly encourage households to participate in the bagged food scraps and organics portion of the pilot.
Q. What do we do if neighbors are setting out their yard trimmings too early?
A. Contact Code Enforcement at (408) 277-4528 to report early set outs of yard trimmings. Yard trimmings piles should not be set out more than 24 hours before a pilot resident’s monthly loose-in-the-street collection day.
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Food Scraps & Organics
Q. Why do I have to bag my food scraps? Why can’t I place them directly in the green cart?
A. Food scraps and organics need to be bagged in order to allow for easy separation from yard trimmings at the materials recovery facility. The food scrap bags will be manually separated from the yard trimmings material. The materials will then be transported to a local composting facility, where they will be processed separately in order to maintain the high quality of your clean and green yard trimmings material. It is important to keep your yard trimmings free of food contaminants so this material can be used in agricultural and organic farming applications.
Q. Do I have to participate in the food scraps collection portion?
A. We strongly encourage households to participate in the bagged food scraps and organics portion of the pilot. Almost 50% of residential waste sent to landfills consists of food waste and organics; participating in the pilot will assist the City of San José in determining the best collection method for these materials. This pilot will lay the foundation for San José to become a “zero waste” city. If needed, we can exchange your green cart for a smaller sized one, if you would like to use it only for your bagged food scraps and organics.
Q. Can I opt out of this pilot program?
A. Yard trimmings are no longer being collected loose in piles on the street, except during your once-a-month loose in the street collection day. If you do not require yard trimmings collection service (e.g., a gardener takes your yard trimmings away, you compost at home), we will be happy to pick up the green YT. We can also exchange your cart for a smaller sized one, if you would like to use it only for your bagged food scraps and organics. We strongly encourage households to participate in the bagged food scraps and organics portion of the pilot.
Q. Won’t the kitchen pail smell bad?
A. The bag-lined kitchen pail is no different in its function than your bag-lined kitchen garbage can. Instead of placing food scraps in your kitchen garbage can, you will now place them in the kitchen pail. Smells should not be any greater than they were in the past. If the smell is still a concern, you can store the kitchen pail under your kitchen sink instead of on your kitchen countertop. In addition, you can bag your food scraps and place the bag in your green YT cart at more frequent intervals.
Q. Will I see an increase in critters?
A. The bag-lined kitchen pail is no different in its function than your bag-lined kitchen garbage can. Instead of placing food scraps in your kitchen garbage can, you will now place them in the kitchen pail. Problems with critters will not increase due to placing food scraps in the kitchen pail. If you are still concerned, you can store the kitchen pail in the location of your choice. In addition, you can bag your food scraps and place the bag in your green YT cart at more frequent intervals. In regards to critters curbside, as long as the bagged food scraps are placed directly in the green YT cart and the lid is closed properly, there will not be issues with critters. We strongly encourage households to participate in the bagged food scraps and organics portion of the pilot.
Q. What do I do with liquids?
A. Liquids should not be placed in the bag-lined kitchen pail. Please continue to dispose of liquids as you did prior to the start of this pilot program.
Q. Can I place my fruit tree branches, with fruit, directly in my yard trimmings cart?
A. We ask that you please remove and bag the fruit as you would bag food scraps in your kitchen pail.
Q. What happens to these food scraps and organic materials?
A. The materials are delivered to a San José materials recovery facility for initial sorting, in which the food scrap bags are separated from the yard trimmings. The materials are then transported to a local composting facility, where after four months, the materials are converted into nutrient-rich compost. The new Food for the Earth compost is then used in landscaping applications, so the cycle can continue again and again.
Q. My kitchen pail broke, can I get a replacement?
A. The City-issued kitchen pail is not required to participate in the collection of food scraps and organics. You can use any similar sized bucket or empty ice cream tub and line those with bags to collect food scraps and organics. If you do not have access to another container, we can send you a replacement kitchen pail. Please be advised that the replacement kitchen pail will not be delivered with a new supply of compostable bags. It is up to the resident to provide bags for the kitchen pail beyond the initial supply.
Q. Can I get additional kitchen pails?
A.The City-issued kitchen pail is not required to participate in the collection of food scraps and organics. You can use any similar sized bucket or empty ice cream tub and line those with bags to collect food scraps and organics. If you are generating a large amount of food scraps and organics, you should consider bagging your food scraps and placing the bags in your green YT cart at more frequent intervals. If these two suggestions do not solve your capacity concerns, please call the customer contact center to discuss receiving an additional kitchen pail. Please be advised that additional kitchen pails will not be delivered with a new supply of compostable bags. It is up to the resident to provide bags for the kitchen pail(s) beyond the initial supply.
Q. Why doesn’t the city use larger sized compostable bags for this pilot program? The bags provided are too small.
A. Our pilot program was partly modeled after other cities’ food scraps programs. These cities found that the small kitchen pail and bag system showed increased participation, along with decreased amounts of garbage material in the food scrap bags. Since this is a pilot program, we welcome all feedback on how to make the program better. These suggestions will be considered when and if we decide to roll the food scraps program City-wide.
Q. Can we place raw meat, poultry scraps and bones in the kitchen pail?
A. Yes. Unlike home composting where meats and bones should be avoided, our program accepts all meats (raw or cooked) and bones. The large scale composting process that we utilize is able to break down these items.
Q. Can we place non-liquid cooking and baking ingredients (sugar, flour) in the kitchen pail?
A. Yes. Non-liquid cooking and baking ingredients are accepted.
Q. Can pet waste be placed in the kitchen pail?
A. No. The organics accepted in this program are strictly limited to food scraps (fruit, vegetables, meat, dairy, egg shells, coffee grounds), kitchen organics (food-soiled paper towels, napkins, plates and pizza boxes) and yard trimmings (branches, sod, prunings and clippings). Pet waste is not accepted.
Q. Do food-soiled paper products have to be bagged or can they be placed directly in the green cart?
A. All food scraps and kitchen organic waste must be bagged prior to placing it in the green cart. Having the materials bagged is a very important component of this program since it allows for easy separation of food scraps and kitchen organics from the yard trimmings. This ensures that each material is recycled for their best possible use.
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Program Basics
Q. Why do I have to bag my food scraps? Why can’t I place them directly in the green cart?
A. Food scraps and organics need to be bagged in order to allow for easy separation from yard trimmings at the materials recovery facility. The food scrap bags will be manually separated from the yard trimmings material. The materials will then be transported to a local composting facility, where they will be processed separately in order to maintain the high quality of your clean and green yard trimmings material. It is important to keep your yard trimmings free of food contaminants so this material can be used in agricultural and organic farming applications.
Q. Who do I contact to voice my opinions regarding this pilot program?
A. Please feel free to call our City of San José Customer Service Contact Center at (408) 535-3500 to let us know your opinion about the pilot program. Resident feedback and customer satisfaction is a very important component of this pilot program. Your opinion, and those of your neighbors, will help shape current and future program changes.
Q. Why did I receive a green yard trimmings cart and kitchen pail?
A. You have been selected for a City of San José pilot program where yard trimmings (YT), along with bagged food scraps and organics, will be collected in the green YT carts. Yard trimmings will no longer be collected loose in piles on the street in pilot areas, such as yours, except during your once-a-month loose in the street collection day. Information packets explaining the program were sent out and should have been received January 27-29, 2010. Please call the City of San José Customer Service Contact Center if you did not receive the information packet.
Q. Why is the City doing this pilot program?
A. A pilot program is the best way to make program changes on a small scale before implementing citywide. Data gathered from this pilot program will assist the City in redesigning the Recycle Plus program to meet our goal of Zero Waste by 2022.
Q. What is the City testing or piloting?
A. This pilot program will test which is the most effective method of collecting food scraps, organics, and yard trimmings (loose-in-the-street vs. cart collection). This pilot will be the first time San José will be attempting to capture food scraps and organics from the residential waste stream. Data received from the pilot will help us determine operational challenges, customer satisfaction, and cost effectiveness. Currently, the City offers residents a combination of weekly loose-in-the-street and cart collection which is the most expensive way of collecting yard trimmings. In addition, we are also testing if discontinuing weekly loose-in-the-street collection will result in less vegetation in the storm drain system.
Q. How does this pilot help the City of San José reach their Zero Waste goal?
A. The City’s goal is to divert 100% of our waste from the landfills. Currently, almost half of the residential waste going to landfills is organic matter such as food scraps, coffee grounds, and food-soiled paper napkins and plates. Yard trimmings, food scraps, and other organic material can all be composted into a rich natural fertilizer instead of taking up space in landfills. The data collected during this pilot will assist the City of San José in a future redesign of the Recycle Plus program in order to meet our Zero Waste goal.
Q. How were residents selected?
A. Pilot areas were selected based upon the following: collection day, collection route, proximity to stormwater catch basins, differences in area vegetation (light vs. heavy), Hauler district, and Council District. We chose areas that would best provide us with information and data representative of the entire City.
Q. How many households were selected for this pilot program?
A. 5,126 households citywide were selected for this pilot program. Approximately 1,300 of the households already subscribe to yard trimmings cart collection service.
Q. Why does my neighbor, across the street, not have to participate in the pilot?
A. The pilot program only involves approximately 5,000 households citywide and may or may not include neighborhoods and streets adjacent to your home. It is possible that one side of a street is participating in the pilot, while the other side of the street is not.
Q. What if I don’t want to participate?
A. If you generate yard waste and need it collected by the City of San José, then you will have to participate in the pilot program by using the green YT cart for collection of yard trimmings. Yard trimmings are no longer being collected loose in piles on the street, except during your once-a-month loose in the street collection day. If you do not require yard trimmings collection service (e.g., a gardener takes your yard trimmings away, you compost at home), we will be happy to pick up the green YT cart on your next collection day. We can also exchange your cart for a smaller sized one, if you would like to use it only for your bagged food scraps and organics. We encourage households to participate in the bagged food scraps and organics portion of the pilot, but it is not a requirement.
Q. What if I continue to place yard trimmings loose in the street?
A. The green YT cart is now required for collection of yard trimmings. Yard trimmings are no longer being collected loose in piles on the street in pilot program neighborhoods such as yours, except during your once-a-month loose in the street collection day. Piles placed in the street on any other collection day will not be picked up and a non-collection notice will be left.
Q. Will my collection day remain the same?
A. Yes, your garbage and recycling collection day will remain the same.
Q. Will curbside setout of all other items remain the same?
A. Curbside placement of garbage, recyclables, and used motor oil and filters will remain the same.
Q. What should I do about leaves on the street?
A. Leaves on the street directly in front of your home should be raked up and placed in the green YT cart. Street sweeping will still occur once a month on your sweep day, but the best way to keep your street clean is to have each household rake up leaves in the street and place them in the green YT cart.
Q. Will Christmas trees still be collected?
A. Yes, free Christmas tree collection will occur between December 27, 2010 and January 28, 2011. Residents will be asked to cut the trees into 5-foot lengths and place in a pile one foot from the curb for pick up on their collection day. All other yard trimmings must be placed in the green YT cart. Extra yard trimmings can be placed in piles on the street only if it is your scheduled monthly loose in the street collection day.
Q. I am moving out. How will the next resident know they are participating in the pilot program?
A. Since you will be leaving the kitchen pail and green YT cart at the premise after you move out, the new resident will participate by using that same kitchen pail and green YT cart. When the new resident calls the City of San José to start their Recycle Plus services, the customer contact center will see that the premise is in a pilot area and will advise the new resident of program details.
Q. Why can’t the City do a loose-in-street YT collection only pilot program?
A. The City of San José has offered loose-in-the-street yard trimmings collection service since the early 1990s and no longer requires additional data on the program.
Q. Why not continue with the way things are? It will be cheaper to keep things the same.
A. The City currently offers residents a combination of loose-in-the-street and cart collection which is the most expensive way of collecting yard trimmings, since two sets of equipment are needed for collection. In addition to finding the most cost effective way of collecting yard trimmings and other organic material, the City needs to make major program changes to Recycle Plus services in order to meet our Zero Waste goal by 2022.
Q. Are there other pilot programs besides this one?
A. Yes, the City is implementing three (3) different pilot programs citywide involving a total of 16,500 residents. Pilot area residents will receive communication materials specific to the program they have been selected for.
Q. Does this mean the City will eventually require carts Citywide?
A. No decisions have been made in regards to future plans for yard trimmings collection. This and other pilot programs will help the City make future decisions and redesign the Recycle Plus program.
Q. Will there be only one survey sent out?
A. There will be multiple surveys sent out during the pilot program. Resident feedback is very important to us and the surveys are a great way to gauge customer satisfaction on the pilot program. In addition to the surveys, there are other ways to communicate with us:
City of San José Customer Contact Center
(408) 535-3500
Pilot Program Email Address
Pilot Program Website
www.sjrecycles.org/pilot
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Monthly Collection
Q. Why are you providing monthly loose in the street collection of yard trimmings?
A. In response to resident and Council Office feedback, we have supplemented the pilot program with scheduled loose in the street collection. Residents can place yard trimmings material loose in piles on the street for collection once-a-month. This service will be in addition to the YT cart collection and is meant for excess yard trimmings material that will not fit in the yard trimmings cart.
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Carts
Q. What if I need a replacement YT cart?
A. Service recipients will still be entitled to the replacement of one (1) lost, destroyed, or stolen YT cart per year at no charge. Replacements in excess of once per year will be subject to a charge.
Q. I requested additional YT carts for the fall season. Is it free to have these additional carts removed from my premise?
A. We kindly ask that you store the extra carts for the next fall season. If this is not possible, the City of San José Customer Service Contact Center will be more than happy to setup a request to remove the additional carts at no additional charge.
Q. I already subscribe to YT cart service, but now I see everyone getting a larger size YT cart. Can I get a larger one?
A. Yes, we will be more than happy to exchange your 32 or 64 gallon YT cart for the larger 96-gallon YT cart at no charge. It is important to make sure that you are choosing the size that best fits your needs, since exchanges in excess of once per year will be subject to a charge.
Q. What if I want to exchange my initial YT cart for a different size?
A. We recommend trying out the 96-gallon YT cart for at least one month before deciding to downsize. If downsizing is necessary, service recipients are allowed to exchange for a different size at no charge. It is important to make sure that you are choosing the size that best fits your needs, since extra yard trimmings
will not be picked up if placed in piles on the street, except during your once-a-month loose in the street collection day.
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Costs
Q. What if I already subscribe to yard trimmings cart service?
A. You will not be charged for the YT cart for the duration of the pilot program.
Q. Will I be charged for exchanging my YT cart for a different size?
A. We recommend trying out the 96-gallon YT cart for at least one month before deciding to downsize. If downsizing is necessary, service recipients will be allowed to exchange for a different size at no charge. It is important to make sure that you are choosing the size that best fits your needs, since extra yard trimmings will not be picked up if placed in piles on the street, except during your once-a-month loose in the street collection day.
Q. Will I be charged for a replacement YT cart?
A. Service recipients will still be entitled to the replacement of one (1) lost, destroyed, or stolen YT cart per year at no charge. Replacements in excess of once per year will be subject to a charge.
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Service
Q. Our neighborhood does volunteer clean-ups of medians and park strips, often collecting large amounts of trimmings. How can neighborhood groups deal with collection for volunteer clean-ups?
A. Pilot area residents are allowed up to two (2) additional 96-gallon YT carts per premise, at no additional charge, while participating in the pilot. Neighborhood groups are welcome to call the City of San José (408-535-3500) and request additional carts as long as the person calling is a pilot area resident. In addition, there will be collection of loose-in-the-street overages during your neighborhood once-a-month loose in the street collection day.
Q. How do other cities handle yard trimmings collections?
A. San José is just one of a very few cities, and the only large city in the U.S., that offer loose-in-the-street yard waste collection. Other large cities, such as San Francisco and Oakland, collect yard trimmings solely in yard trimmings/organics carts.
Q.What are the advantages of yard trimmings cart collection?
A. Advantages of yard trimmings cart collection include cleaner looking streets, ease of parking constraints, mitigation of early setouts, and lowered costs to the City due to a single collection method. This pilot program will help determine additional advantages and disadvantages of YT cart collection.
Q. What if I am physically unable to push the YT cart out to the curb?
A. The City has a service called “on premise service” in which the driver goes onto the property to collect the cart and returns it once the material has been loaded into the vehicle. Currently, this service comes at a $50 premium to the customer so that the City can recover the costs to pay the hauler for the extra service. However, for residents who are physically unable to wheel their garbage, recycling, and yard trimmings carts out to the curb for collection, the City provides this on-premise service option at no extra charge. There is an application that needs to be filled out and we require a physician's certification to qualify. If you are interested, please call the contact center at (408) 535-3500 to obtain an application. You can also get more information about special rates at http://www.sjrecycles.org/residents/special_rates.asp.
Q. What do we do about large branches and palm fronds that won’t all fit in the YT cart?
A. Yard trimmings, such as branches and palm fronds, need to be cut down to sizes that will fit loosely in the green YT cart and allow the lid to close. If you still have more yard trimmings than will fit in your cart, we ask that you please store them for the next week’s cart collection or for your once-a-month loose in the street collection day. If that is not possible, we will be more than happy to deliver up to two (2) extra 96-gallon YT cart at no extra charge.
Q.What about the heavy volumes of yard trimmings at specific times, e.g., in autumn?
A. There will be collection of excess piles of yard trimmings during the scheduled once-a-month loose in the street collection days. In the fall season (November 2010–January 2011), a second loose in the street collection has been added to accommodate the increase in leaves.
Q. What if the hauler did not collect my pile of yard trimmings?
A. Since you reside in a pilot area, loose-in-the-street yard trimmings are no longer being collected in your neighborhood, except during your once-a-month loose in the street collection day. We ask that you please place the pile of yard trimmings in the green YT cart and setout the cart on your next collection day for pickup. If your pile did not get picked up on your scheduled once-a-month loose in the street collection day, please call us to report a missed pickup.
Q. Will this pilot program affect early setouts?
A. This pilot program does not change rules for setout times. Yard trimmings carts should be setout no more than 24 hours before your scheduled collection day.
Q. How many households currently subscribe to YT cart collections service?
A. Approximately twenty-five percent (25%) of single family homes citywide subscribe to YT cart collections service.
Q. How can you tell me to store my extra yard trimmings for next week’s collection? What about next week’s yard trimmings?
A. If you routinely have more yard trimmings than will fit in your cart and are unable to store them for the next week’s collection or your once-a-month loose in the street collection day, we will be more than happy to deliver up to two (2) additional 96-gallon YT carts at no extra charge.
Q. When can I setout my YT cart?
A. Pilot area residents can setout their green yard trimmings cart no more than 24 hours before their scheduled collection day. The cart must be setout by 6 AM on the collection day and removed from the curb by the end of the day immediately following collection.
Q. What about illegal dumping by landscapers?
A. Illegal dumping in the streets can be reported by calling (408) 277-4373. Illegal dumping in storm drains can be reported by calling (408) 945-3000.
Q. What does not go in the green YT cart?
A. Only yard trimmings, pizza boxes, bagged food scraps and organics should be placed in the green YT cart. The following items should not be placed in the green YT cart: garbage (non-organic materials), recycling, lumber, concrete, rocks, pet waste, and ashes.
Q. Why does my street sweeping day not fall right after our monthly loose-in-the-street collection day?
A. Due to some months beginning and ending with partial weeks, it was not always possible to have street sweeping days fall on the weekday after monthly loose-in-the-street pickup. Some pilot areas have street sweeping prior to their loose collection day while some areas have street sweeping the day after collection.
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Program End
Q. What was the outcome of this pilot program?
A. At the end of the 18-month pilot program, City of San José staff will evaluate information and data gathered during the pilots and decide the best method for collection of yard trimmings, food scraps, and other organics based upon customer satisfaction, tonnage, costs, and stormwater catch basin data.
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