La Mesa Green Bins Take Food Scraps and Soiled Paper: A Guide for Residents

LA MESA, San Diego County — Homeowners and renters trying to keep waste out of landfills have a specific local option: La Mesa’s residential organics program accepts food scraps and food-soiled paper along with yard trimmings in eligible green EDCO collection bins.

According to the city’s official residential recycling guidance, the accepted examples include eggshells, bones, banana peels, used napkins and pizza boxes contaminated by food. These materials belong in the organics stream rather than ordinary trash under the city’s SB 1383 implementation program. Residents should still follow the collection provider’s sorting instructions; not all packaging or disposable tableware qualifies as compostable.

What about apartments and businesses?

La Mesa says multifamily properties with at least five dwelling units and businesses must arrange recycling and organics collection services. Managers and landlords should coordinate with EDCO and ensure residents know where to separate waste. Single-family households can request a free kitchen caddie through EDCO to collect scraps before transferring them to the outdoor bin.

The city explains that EDCO processes organic materials at an anaerobic digestion facility, generating resources and helping limit methane from landfill disposal. La Mesa’s climate-action work targets diverting 75% of waste through recycling, composting and donation; this is a goal, not a measured success rate for an individual household.

Before disposing of unfamiliar items such as coated paper, food-service containers or pet waste, residents should consult the EDCO recycling guide rather than guess.

Source: City of La Mesa — Residential Recycling and Organics.

Illustrative recycling photograph, not a La Mesa collection site. Photo: Nareeta Martin / Unsplash.

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