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ORDINANCE NO. 25-1759
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF NORWALK AMENDING NORWALK
MUNICIPAL CODE CHAPTERS 8.48 AND 8.5 RELATING TO SOLID
WASTE HANDLING AND RECYCLING AND ORGANIC WASTE
DISPOSAL REDUCTION
WHEREAS, the City of Norwalk’s commercial waste accounts currently utilize a mixed waste collection system, with materials processed at Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) to extract recyclables; and
WHEREAS, the City currently meets CalRecycle’s high diversion facility standards; and
WHEREAS, CalRecycle’s diversion requirements are becoming increasingly stringent, resulting in most facilities in California no longer qualifying as high diversion facilities; and
WHEREAS, transitioning from mixed waste collection to source-separated collection is necessary to maintain compliance with State mandates, reduce reliance on MRF processing, and ensure the City’s waste management practices remain sustainable; and
WHEREAS, implementing source-separated collection supports more environmentally conscious waste management practices by improving the quality of recovered recyclables, reducing landfill disposal, and minimizing greenhouse gas emissions.
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWALK DOES ORDAIN AS
FOLLOWS:
Section 1.Section 8.48.030 – Definitions, Self-hauler is amended in its entirety to read as shown in Exhibit “A,” attached hereto and incorporated herein by this reference.
Section 2. Section 8.48.260 titled Self-haul exclusion is hereby amended in its entirety and replaced as shown in Exhibit A attached hereto and incorporated herein by this reference.
Section 3. Section 8.48.270 titled General requirement is hereby amended in its entirety and replaced as shown in Exhibit A, attached hereto and incorporated herein by this reference.
Section 4. Section 8.50.030 titled Definitions is hereby amended in its entirety and replaced as shown in Exhibit A, attached hereto and incorporated herein by this reference.
Section 5. Section 8.50.030 Definitions, is hereby amended to remove the definition of “Two container collection service” in its entirety.
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Section 6. Section 8.50.050(B)(1) “Requirements for commercial businesses,” is hereby amended and replaced as shown in Exhibit A, attached hereto and incorporated herein by this reference.
Section 7. Section 8.50.090(A)(2) “Requirements for haulers and facility operators” is hereby amended and replaced as shown in Exhibit A, attached hereto and incorporated herein by this reference.
Section 8.If any section, clause or phrase of this Ordinance is for any reason held to be unconstitutional, or otherwise invalid, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining sections of this Ordinance. The City Council hereby declares that it would have passed this Ordinance and each section, subsection, sentence, clause and phrase thereof irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, sentences, clauses or phrases may be declared unconstitutional.
Section 9.This Ordinance shall take effect 30 days after its adoption. The City Clerk is directed to certify to the enactment of this Ordinance and to cause this ordinance to be published and/or posted as required by law.
PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED this ______ of ___________ 2025. ______________________________
TONY AYALA
MAYOR
ATTEST:
______________________________
THERESA DEVOY, CMC
CITY CLERK
Ordinance No. 25-1759 Page 3 of 5
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EXHIBIT A
TITLE 8
HEALTH & SAFETY
CHAPTER 8.48
SOLID WASTE HANDLING AND RECYCLING SERVICES
AND
CHAPTER 8.50
ORGANIC WASTE DISPOSAL REDUCTION
“Section 8.48.030 – Definitions.
Self-hauler" means a person, single family resident, or company who hauls their own organics, recyclables and waste to a facility operation, activity, or property that processes or recovers the waste, rather than using a collection service provided by another hauler. Self-hauler also includes a person who back-hauls waste, or as otherwise defined in 14 CCR Section 18982(a)(66). Back-haul means generating and transporting organic waste to a destination owned and operated by the generator using the generator's own employees and equipment, or as otherwise defined in 14 CCR Section 18982(a)(66)(A).
To qualify, the person, single family resident or company must haul only waste they generated themselves. They must also separate generated organic waste from non-organic waste on site and haul the organic waste to a solid waste facility operation, activity, or property that processes or recovers the waste. Businesses that self-haul their organic waste must keep a record of the amount of organic waste delivered to each solid waste facility or activity that recovers it.
Section 8.48.260 – Self-haul exclusion.
Self-haul/back-haul exclusions. In addition to the authority granted by Section 8.48.210, nothing in this chapter shall prevent a commercial/industrial business owner or residential householder from, on a regular basis, collecting and disposing of solid waste generated in or on their premises, in lieu of availing themselves of the services of the authorized collector. No residential householder or commercial/industrial business owner shall employ or engage any solid waste enterprise, other than the collector, to haul or transport such materials to a transfer station, material recovery facility, landfill, or other waste processing or disposal facility. Any residential householder or commercial/industrial business owner who pursuant to this section seeks to on a regular basis collect and dispose of solid waste generated in or on their premises, must first obtain a self-haul/back-haul permit from the City, and must comply with procedures for self-hauling/back-hauling established by the City.
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Section 8.48.270 – General Requirement.
In all cases where the right to an exclusion pursuant to this chapter is exercised, disposal shall be made at a transfer station, material recovery facility, landfill, or other waste processing or disposal facility which meets all applicable regulatory requirements. Any such disposal by a person exempted under this chapter shall not relieve such person from any obligation or liability imposed by this chapter or any other City ordinance, resolution, rule or regulation for the payment of the solid waste and recyclables collection fees charged by the collector, or of payment of any other applicable rates or fees.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the following shall be exempt from the payment of the solid waste collection rates imposed for use of the services provided by a collector: (A) any person with a valid self-haul/back-haul permit obtained pursuant to Section 8.48.260 who does not use the solid waste or recyclables collection services offered by a collector; and (B) any owner of vacant property who does not use the solid waste or recyclables collection services offered by a collector, for the period of time the property is vacant. For purposes of this Section 8.48.270, vacant property means any real property in the City which, for a period of 30 days or longer, shows no activity on the water meter.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, any person with a valid self-haul/back-haul permit who does not use the solid waste collection services offered by a collector, but who does use the recyclables collection services offered by a collector, must pay the applicable rates and charges for such recyclables collection services.
Section 8.50.030 – Definitions.
“Prohibited container contaminants" means the following: (1) for three- container collection service, discarded materials placed in the blue container that are not identified as acceptable source separated recyclable materials for the City's blue container; (2) discarded materials placed in the green container that are not identified as acceptable source separated green container organic waste for the City's green container; (3) for three-container collection service, discarded materials placed in the black container that are acceptable source separated recyclable materials and/or source separated green container organic wastes to be placed in city's green container and/or blue container; and (4) excluded waste placed in any container.
Section 8.50.030 Definitions, remove “Two container collection service.” Section 8.50.050(B)(1) – Requirements for Commercial Businesses For generators receiving three-container service, generator shall place source separated green container organic waste, including food waste, in the green container; source separated recyclable materials in the blue container; and black container waste in the black container. Generators shall not place materials designated for the black container into the green container or blue container.
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Section 8.50.090(A)(2) Requirements for haulers and facility operators For three-container service, transport source separated recyclable materials and source separated green container organic waste to a facility, operation, activity, or property that recovers organic waste as defined in 14 CCR, Division 7, Chapter 12, Article 2. Notwithstanding the foregoing, hauler shall not be required to transport any containers with prohibited container contaminants to a facility, operation, activity, or property that recovers organic waste.”