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Businesses generate 64 percent of Mountain View's total waste stream, and are vitally important to helping our community achieve Zero Waste goals.  By State law (AB939), Mountain View must divert at least 50 percent of its waste away from the landfill by waste reduction, recycling, reuse, and composting methods.  State laws mandating commercial recycling and organics require businesses to participate.  The City's environmental policies are consistent with or exceed State mandates.  Fortunately, the City offers free business recycling and other related services through our exclusive hauler, Recology. When properly implemented, City programs and services will help your business save money, conserve resources, and keep recyclables from entering the landfill.

To date, Mountain View has far exceeded the minimum 50 percent diversion goal thanks in large part to the efforts of the business community through the City’s progressive recycling and zero waste programs (operated by Recology and the SMaRT Station municipal partners).  The City's diversion rate was 75 percent for calendar year 2018.

State Mandatory Recycling & Organics Laws

As of July 1, 2012, Assembly Bill 341 requires businesses, schools, and apartments to recycle to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from wastes disposed at landfills.  In 2014, Assembly Bill 1826 requires businesses, schools, and apartments meeting certain threshholds of waste to participate in organics programs. 

The City offers free business recycling and other related services through our exclusive hauler, Recology, to help ensure your compliance with the State's mandatory recycling law.  When properly implemented, City programs and services help your business save money, conserve resources, and keep recyclables from being disposed in the landfill.  See below for more information and contact Recology for assistance with recycling and compliance. 

Recycling & Food scraps Programs

  

Services are available to large and small businesses, schools and apartments to help increase diversion under an exclusive collection services agreement between the City and Recology.  

  • Free mixed recycling and cardboard collection service from outdoor bins. 
  • Free indoor containers:  desk-side mini-bins and slim jims.  Please return any indoor containers to Recology if you move out of the City.  
  • Free posters, a detailed list or the what goes where app.
  • Food Scraps collection service and carts and bins offered at a discount
  • Free technical assistance and waste audits to help businesses, schools and apartments recycle better
  • Competitive debris and recycling box rates for construction and demolition activities through the City's exclusive hauler, Recology Mountain View
  • Clean Up Programs
  • Collection services by vehicles fueled with compressed natural gas (CNG) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
  • For all of these services, contact Recology's Waste Zero Specialist at (650) 967-3034
  • For utility bills, contact City of Mountain View Finance and Administrative Services Department at (650) 903-6317
  • Visit these links for small business hazardous waste disposal, green business certification, and awards

It is very important for users and janitorial staff to learn what is recyclable.  Contaminated recycling will be charged as trash.

Clean-Up Programs

Recycling Clean Out Service is a free service for schools and businesses needing a large clean out once a year.  Recology delivers extra recycling containers for a one-week period at no charge for regular mixed recyclables only, such as office paper, cardboard, and beverage and food containers.  This service is not available for apartments.

Bin for a Day is for clean up projects that are too small for a debris box or may involve lots of loose items.  For a fee, Recology delivers a 4-yard dumpster to your property.  You load it up and they pick it up within 7 days after delivery.

RecycleMyJunk is for clean up projects where you want Recology to do the heavy lifting and removal for you.  Recology provides fee estimates for your consideration.  This service is available to all businesses, schools, apartments, and homes. 

Contact Recology at (650) 967-3034 for more information about the above services for businesses, schools and apartments. 

Small Business Hazardous Waste Disposal

Does your business have batteries, old paint, solvents, motor oil, MAPP gas cylinders, propane tanks, or other chemicals around the building? 

If your business generates less than 27 gallons or 220 pounds of hazardous waste per month, you may be able to use the Santa Clara County Small Business Hazardous Waste Disposal Program.  The fees associated with this program are determined by the type and quantity of the materials to be collected.  It's simple and inexpensive to use.

If you would like to find out if your business is eligible, call the County Small Business Hazardous Waste Disposal Program at (408) 299-7300, or visit their web site for more information.

Exclusive Hauler

Recology is the City’s exclusive franchised hauler for trash and recycling, including debris and recycling boxes for construction activities.

If a roll-off box is used for debris or recycling, you must use Recology service because they are the City's exclusive franchised hauler and meet the insurance and performance bond required to carry out that service safely and efficiently.

In consideration for that privilege, Recology pays the City a franchise fee, which is returned to the utility rate base to help keep rates low.

No other hauler may be used, but there are a few exceptions.  State-licensed contractors, roofers and landscapers are allowed to self-haul wastes and recycling from job sites IF:

  • The hauling is an incidental part of their overall services (usually roofers, landscapers and small contractors using their own vehicles registered in the contractor's name with the CA Department of Motor Vehicles.)
  • The hauling does not involve sub-contracting for roll-off box (also known as debris box, recycling box) services. 
  • If a roll-off box is used, it must be hauled by that contractor using a vehicle registered in the contractor's name with the CA Department of Motor Vehicles and DOT.  There is no exemption for roll-off boxes owned by the contractor but hauled by another company.

Contractors, roofers or landscapers needing to sub-contract hauling services must use Recology Mountain View, the only hauler approved by the City for trash or recycling services.

All other haulers have been notified by the City about the exclusive franchise.  Building plans are stamped and a notice is provided to the owner/builder to help educate them and avoid citations.

Contact Recology Mountain View (650) 967-3034 to set up services.

Green Business Certification


Businesses apply to become a certified Green Business through our partnership with the County of Santa Clara's Green Business Program and ABAG (Association of Bay Area Governments). Businesses save money on utilities, gain a marketing advantage with consumers, and improve business operations with innovative resource conservation practices.

For Certification, contact the City at (650) 903-6311 or visit the Green Business Program.

Certified business are also listed in the Green Business Directory where savvy consumers go to find environmentally responsible businesses located here.  Consumers and businesses are encouraged to Shop Mountain View to keep your sales tax coming back to your community.

trash & Recycling Services Contacts

Waste Reduction/Recycling Awards

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