Sacramento County is committed to the development of recycling programs as part our integrated waste management system.

State Recycling Law: The Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989 (AB 939) requires each City and County in California to reduce landfill waste by 50 percent. Those that do not meet this mandate are subject to $10,000 per day in fines. As a result, each community in Sacramento has developed recycling programs for residents and businesses.

Helping the Environment: Recycling helps the environment by reducing air and water pollution, conserving resources, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and reducing energy use. Recycling programs also help to create jobs in California in recycling collection, processing and manufacturing.

We Can't Do It Without You: Since we all contribute to the waste stream, we should all participate in recycling and composting. It is easy to help by reducing waste, recycling and composting at home and at work.

50 Percent Recycling Goal Achieved: After 13 years of planning, we can now claim victory in meeting State waste diversion mandates.

This achievement required a serious County commitment to develop, implement and maintain recycling programs as well as commitment from residents and businesses to participate. Also, changing from a system based on landfilling to one that relies on waste reduction and recovery required a tremendous shift in habits. Recycling has now become part of people's everyday habits.