 City of La Mesa Mandatory Recycling Ordinance
In the early 1990’s, in response to State Assembly Bill (AB) 939, the City of La Mesa adopted a mandatory recycling ordinance, making it a requirement for all residences and businesses in the City to separate recyclable materials from their trash for collection and removal (La Mesa Municipal Code Chapter 7.22).
 What is the recycling requirement?
The La Mesa ordinance (Municipal Code Section 7.22) states that all recyclable materials must be separated from trash for collection. It applies to all residents and businesses and went into effect on July 1, 1994. Recyclable materials include: newspaper and mixed paper, cardboard, tin cans, aluminum, plastic bottles, glass bottles and jars, appliances, and yard waste.
What is the penalty for violating La Mesa’s mandatory recycling ordinance?
Violation of the ordinance is considered an infraction and can result in a citation and fine of up to $250 per day of the infraction.
What if I don’t have room for recycling?
In some cases it will replace trash needs and new space will not be needed. If your property is small and does not have enough dumpster space to spare, smaller recycling carts can be added. Contact EDCO at 619-287-5696 ext. 4207 for help with locating your new bins.
How do you get recycling started?
Call EDCO at (619) 287-7555 and “We’ll Take Care of It!” To get your recycling program going, we will:
- Evaluate the benefits of a recycling program in your business.
- Develop a recycling collection program to include: outside BLUE recycling dumpsters or carts and on-site recycling presentations.
 - Once the program is in place, start recycling!
Additional Details:
 Businesses that divert recyclable materials from rubbish containers can potentially reduce trash collection costs. If your company or multi-tenant property is serviced on multiple waste collection days, or has more than one trash dumpster, you may be able to save money by recycling. Retail businesses, office buildings, restaurants, convenience stores, industrial centers, apartments and condominiums can all set up our simple and convenient recycling program.
EDCO offers recycling programs that allow your employees and/or tenants to collect a variety of recyclable materials. To ensure program success, your Service Representative can provide bilingual educational materials to support your program.
Here's What You Can Recycle
Mixed Paper & Cardboard
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- Writing Paper
- Computer Paper
- Newspaper
- Cardboard
- Parts Boxes
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- File Folders
- “Junk” Mail
- Telephone Books
- Magazines
- Post-It Notes
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- Shredded Paper
- Fax Paper
- Paper Packaging
- NCR (No Carbon Required) Forms
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Please DO NOT recycle:
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- Paper Plates
- Paper Cups
- Paper Towels
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- Tissue
- Carbon Paper
- Plastic Bags (NO plastic grocery sacks or newspaper delivery bags)
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Recyclable Containers
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- Aluminum Cans
- Glass Bottles & Jars (all colors)
- Steel (tin) Cans
- Rigid Plastics, such as bottles and jugs, marked
 to  , or labeled “CA Redemption Value”
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Please DO NOT recycle:
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- Plastic Bags
- Ceramics
- Drinking Glasses
- Mirrors
- Styrofoam
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- Wax-Paper Milk or Juice Cartons
- Disposable Cups/Plates
- PVC Pipe
- Vinyl Siding
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How much paper and cardboard is your business tossing into its trash container?
An average office worker can dispose of 1/2 pound of waste paper each day. Use the following equation to see how much paper you could be recycling:
___ number of employees x 0.5 lbs. of paper per day x 240 working days ÷ 2000
= ___ tons of paper your company discards annually
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La Mesa’s Mandatory Recycling Ordinance Frequently Asked Questions