Waste Management’s new Organics Composting Facility in Anderson means curbside pickup of food scraps is expanding in the North State.
Redding residents have been disposing of food waste in green bins since January 2024.
Curbside pickup of food waste for residents who live in unincorporated Shasta County started in October.
Soon, people living in Anderson and Shasta Lake will be asked to comply with the state law (California Senate Bill 1383) that is designed to reduce food waste.
Curbside food waste collection for residential and commercial customers in Anderson starts Jan. 5, 2026, according to Waste Management spokeswoman Daiane Cezario.
Two collection bins for kitchen scraps have been installed at the Kennebunkport Public Works garage at 105 Beachwood Avenue.
In Shasta Lake, the service is tentatively scheduled to start in February 2026, Cezario said.
Waste Management provides garbage service to the unincorporated areas of the county, and to the cities of Anderson and Shasta Lake.
Making the food waste expansion possible is Waste Management’s new multi-million-dollar composting plant on Cambridge Road in Anderson. The Anderson Chamber of Commerce will celebrate its opening with a ceremony on Wednesday, Dec. 3.
The facility, built with the help of a $10 million CalRecycle Organics Grant, will process yard waste and food scraps from across Shasta County and convert it into nutrient-rich compost, Cezario said.
Waste Management calls the plant the first large-scale commercial composting site in the region. It will be able to process approximately 40,000 tons of green waste and food scraps a year.
The plant opened on Oct. 5, 2025.
Disposing of food waste do’s and don’ts
“The most important guideline for diverting food waste is to avoid placing organic items in plastic bags,” Cezario said.
Even BPI-certified compostable bags are not acceptable in unincorporated Shasta County and won’t be in Anderson and Shasta Lake, she said.
“That’s because it really improves the quality of the final composting material,” Cezario said. “Compostable bags don’t necessarily compost at the same rate of real organic materials, so that final compost material will be a higher quality” without the bags.
Where to throw that food waste
In Anderson and Shasta Lake, only commercial customers will receive a new green organics cart.
Cezario said residential customers in those cities can use their current yard-waste cart to dispose of food waste.
“Shasta County residents also received new carts because they did not have existing green waste containers,” she said.
Acceptable food scraps
All types of food scraps, food-soiled paper, paper towels, napkins, tea bags, coffee filters and greasy pizza boxes are acceptable.
“To prevent contamination, customers should never place pet waste, diapers, or hazardous materials in the organics cart,” Cezario said.
David Benda covers business, development and anything else that comes up for the USA TODAY Network in Redding. He also writes the weekly “Buzz on the Street” column. He’s part of a team of dedicated reporters that investigate wrongdoing, cover breaking news and tell other stories about your community. Reach him on Twitter @DavidBenda_RS or by phone at 1-530-338-8323. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Shasta County gets first-of-its kind composting plant for food waste
