Shasta County residents face fines for improper waste sorting under new law
SHASTA COUNTY, Calif. — Starting December 8th, 2025, Shasta County residents could face fines for improperly sorting their trash, as part of a new waste management initiative. This change is driven by Senate Bill 1383, which mandates California residents to separate food scraps, food-soiled recyclables and yard waste from regular trash and recycling to reduce landfill contributions.
Beginning September 15th, Shasta County Waste Management users will receive a new 96-gallon green organics cart, accompanied by instructions on how to properly sort waste. The new organics service will commence on October 6, with weekly collections scheduled on the same day as trash pickup. Recycling services will shift to a bi-weekly schedule starting the same day.
To ensure compliance, Waste Management will implement smart truck technology, featuring mounted cameras that capture video of containers during collection. A team will review these videos to verify correct sorting and check for overflowing bins.
While Waste Management assures that this initiative will help the community stay environmentally friendly, some residents express dissatisfaction. Greg Ulrich, a Shasta County resident, said, “It’s a waste of time. I think it’s a government overreach I really do.” Kathy Ulrich added, “I don’t really think it’s a problem to start with. I don’t believe in this CO2 excess that they think that all this is creating. I just think it’s part of nature so it’s not really a problem to start with.”
Residents in Shasta County’s unincorporated areas, including Cottonwood, Palo Cedro, Bella Vista and the county area of Redding, will begin receiving their bins on September 15. Fines will be imposed after two warnings, with charges of $37.86 per incident for contaminated recycling or organic carts and $8.36 for overfilled bins, defined as lids lifted more than six inches.
Waste Management stated that this project is part of a new agreement with the county and is reflected in the subscription-based bundled rates.
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