Claremont residents are reminded that beginning Monday, January 3, as per state law “all residential customers must begin recycling their food scrapes,” placing said scrapes in a green container with a green lid instead of the trash container with a black lid.

“Items placed in the green container will be composted for more sustainable processing,” the city wrote in a news release on December 16. “The program will meet new state mandates (Senate Bill 1383) aimed at reducing harmful methane emissions from landfills.”

Food scrapes that can be placed in the bin for collection include “fruits and vegetables, grains, meat and bones, dry/solid dairy products, eggshells, and coffee grounds.” Food scraps may also be mixed with “green waste, which includes grass clippings, leaves, plant prunings, flowers, twigs, and small branches (less than 4 inches in diameter and 4 feet long).”

The city wrote that residents who compost at home can continue to do so.

Animal and pet waste, palm fronds, cacti, succulents, dirt and / or rock should not be placed with items mentioned above as they are not compostable. “Palm fronds in particular are a significant source of contamination, which can lead to increased costs,” the city wrote.

To help the city’s organic recyclers keep things neat when sorting, the city suggests residents to place food scrapes in clear or transparent plastic bags. The bags do not have to be biodegradable, just clear enough to tell what’s inside. The city also wrote, “residents may also consider alternative methods such as layering food waste between green waste or freezing food scraps until close to collection day.”

The city offers residents the option to purchase a two-gallon countertop composting pail (for $5 each) to aid with food scrape collection. Those interested in purchasing a pail can reach the community services department at (909) 399-5431.

Food scrapes were already part of the city’s weekly trash collection, so the only thing changing for residents is where they throw them away — going from the black bin to the green bin.

For more information on organic recycling or the city’s new recycling program, visit www.ci.claremont.ca.us/organicsrecycling. Residents who have questions regarding the program can contact the community services department or email sanitation@ci.claremont.ca.us.

“If everyone in the United States composted their food waste, the impact would be equivalent to removing 7.8 million cars from the road,” the city wrote online.