Davis residents will soon be seeing garbage and recycling carts in new colors.

The city announced Friday that Recology’s new cart colors — blue, green and gray — are part of the ongoing implementation of new state regulations under SB 1383.

That law aims to slow climate change by reducing methane gas, including the methane emissions from landfills that are caused by decomposing organic materials (paper, cardboard, yard materials, food waste). In order to make sure these materials stay out of landfills,

SB 1383 contains strict laws regarding waste sorting, including what color waste collection containers must be used statewide.

The regulations require all new waste hauler collection containers statewide to be color-coded (either just the lids or the entire container) to reflect what can go inside. Recycling containers must be blue; organics containers must be green: and trash containers must be grey or black.

Some of Recology Davis’ containers already meet these new standards. Others do not and are steadily being replaced, such as the new, single-family split recycling carts with a dark blue lid for paper and a light blue lid for containers and the new recycling carts for businesses and apartments that are dark blue for paper and light blue for containers.

While the state law does not require that existing containers be replaced until 2036, any new container that is purchased needs to meet these criteria. Since Recology regularly replaces broken or damaged containers, its most recent orders of recycling carts this past year are the brand-new colors.

As more older carts are damaged or broken are replaced, residents will see more of these new cart colors in Davis. Some of the old containers that are replaced will be reused, while bins that are damaged or cannot be reused will be recycled. Customers can contact Recology at 530-756-4646 or RecologyDavis@Recology.com to request that a damaged cart be repaired or replaced.

In addition to the new colors, these carts come with full-color labels on the lids that have pictures of what can and cannot go into the bin. The new labeling is also molded into the lid, so it will not peel off like the stickers used on the old recycling carts. Although the carts will look new, nothing is changing about the way waste is sorted in Davis.

“Davis has had a citywide organics collection program since 2016, so we have been prepared for the new state SB 1383 regulations,” said Mayor Lucas Frerichs.

“What goes in the recycling and organics carts has not changed,” Frerichs said, “and much of what we throw away can be composted or recycled. Very little ‘garbage’ should be going in the trash. By keeping organic waste out of landfills, we can all make a positive impact.”

— Reach Anne Ternus-Bellamy at aternus@davisenterprise.net. Follow her on Twitter at @ATernusBellamy.