Business Organics Management
New Organics Collection Requirements
To help meet Washington state’s emissions and climate goals, the Organics Management Law was passed to reduce the amount of methane created when organic materials decompose in a landfill. To achieve this reduction, the bill established milestones based on 2015 disposal levels:
- Rescue 20% of previously disposed edible food for human consumption by 2025
- Divert 75% of previously disposed organic materials from landfills by 2030
Business Impacts
Based on available services and volumes of organic material and solid waste produced, businesses must arrange for organic materials collection following the schedule below:
- Jan. 1, 2024 -Businesses generating at least eight cubic yards of organic material waste per week must arrange for organic materials management service.
- Jan. 1, 2025 -Businesses generating at least four cubic yards of organic material waste per week must arrange for organic materials management service.
- Jan. 1, 2026 - Businesses generating at least 96 gallons of organic material waste per week must arrange for organic materials management service.
Following the schedule above, businesses must ensure that an organics management facility will process the organic materials taken off-site.
Frequently Asked Questions
Under the Organics Management Law, a business is defined as a commercial or public entity including, but not limited to, a firm, partnership, proprietorship, joint-stock company, corporation, or association organized as a for-profit or nonprofit entity. It does not include a multifamily residential entity.
Food waste: Any waste from fruits, vegetables, meats (includes bones), dairy products, fish (includes bones and shells), nuts, grains, and similar materials from storage, preparation, cooking, handling, selling or serving of food for human consumption.
Yard waste: Landscape and garden debris, including lawn clippings, leaves, small branches, twigs, and plants.
Other organic waste: Food processing waste and clean non-treated, non-painted, and non-stained wood.
Businesses are exempt from the Business Organics Management Law if...
- Organic materials are sold or donated to another business for offsite use.
- Organic materials are managed onsite.
- Organic materials from growing or harvesting food or fiber are used offsite by a business for growing food or fiber.
- Organic materials are generated from a natural disaster.
- Organic materials are self-hauled to an organics materials management facility.
- Preventing food and landscape waste:
This could include using tools to track and better manage food inventories and landscaping in ways that generate less organic waste to manage.
- Donating or selling food:
This could include participating in a local food rescue or recovery program or selling food or fiber to another business for off-site use.
Technical and educational assistance is available for businesses. Areas of assistance include:
- Assessing the amount of organic waste generated by your business
- Planning and strategizing an organics collection program
- Training for staff on your organics program
- Signage for waste and organic collection stations
- Other ways to improve recycling and waste reduction efforts
Fill out this form if you would like a Thurston County Waste Reduction and Recycling Specialist to contact you directly.
- Your business is actively working toward climate change solutions.
- Adding food and yard waste collection may allow you to reduce your garbage service and costs.
Thurston County does not provide or oversee curbside waste collection services. Contact the service provider in your area to set up services or ask a question.
| Waste Hauler | Service Area | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| City of Olympia | Within city limits | (360) 753-8340 |
| Butler's Cove | Cooper Point and Steamboat Island | (360) 923-0111 |
| Rural Refuse | Yelm and Rainier | (360) 923-0111 |
| LeMay Pacific Disposal | Lacey, Tumwater, Summit Lake, and the rest of unincorporated north Thurston County | (360) 923-0111 |
| Joe's Refuse | Bucoda | (360) 278-3525 Bucoda City Hall |
| Joe's Refuse | Tenino, Rochester and the rest of south Thurston County | (360) 736-4769 |
If you are a business (see definition of a "business" above) operating in Thurston County, then YES.
According to the Business Management Organics Areas (BOMA) map created by the Washington State Department of Ecology (DOE), all businesses in Thurston County are required to comply with the Business Organics Management Law.
See below for the BOMA map. Click here to access the interactive version.
For more information on the BOMA and how it was determined, visit the DOE's webpage here.
Helpful Links & Resources
Thurston County Resources
- Organics Management Law - Overview for Thurston County Businesses
- Curbside Organics Acceptance List
- Self-Haul Organics Information for the Waste & Recovery Center
- Food waste is only accepted for composting Monday through Friday. Saturday and Sunday, food waste is treated as garbage and charged regular garbage rates. Yard waste is accepted for composting 7 days a week.