On this page
Palo Alto was early to the idea of zero waste. The City Council adopted the goal in 2005, years before California's statewide organics law. Since then the city has closed its landfill, added a compost cart for every home, banned plastic straws and produce bags and set a target of 95% diversion by 2030. For residents, the plan shows up as everyday rules: what goes in which cart, what a café can hand you and what kind of bag you get at the store.
This guide explains the goals and plans, the city's foodware ordinance, the state bag law that took effect in 2026 and where Palo Alto's waste goes today. It draws on the city's mission and goals page and related zero waste pages, checked in November 2026. For the carts themselves, see our trash and recycling guide.
The goals
The city defines diversion as all waste prevention, reuse, recycling and composting, everything that keeps material out of a landfill. Zero waste itself is the long-run aim. The city's own page admits it is very difficult to achieve, so it has set stepping-stone targets:
| Year adopted | Target | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Zero waste as the overall goal | City Council |
| 2005 | 73% diversion by 2011 | Zero Waste Strategic Plan |
| 2005 | 90% diversion by 2021 | City Council |
| 2016 | 95% diversion by 2030 | Sustainability and Climate Action Plan |
GreenWaste of Palo Alto's material guide pairs the 95% diversion goal with an 80% cut in greenhouse gases by 2030, which comes from the city's wider climate plan. The goals page does not publish a current diversion rate. The city's zero waste section has a separate progress report page for that.
The plans behind the goals
Palo Alto has written three zero waste plans, all posted on the goals page:
- 2005 Zero Waste Strategic Plan, approved by the City Council in October 2005.
- 2007 Zero Waste Operational Plan, completed in June 2007 and approved on September 17, 2007. It turned the strategy into programs.
- 2018 Zero Waste Plan, begun in 2017 because many of the 2007 ideas were already in place. The council accepted it on August 27, 2018.
The 2018 plan is the latest one the city lists. We found no adopted update to it as of November 2026. Watch the agendas in our city council meetings guide for any new plan or ordinance.
The disposable foodware ordinance
Palo Alto's Disposable Foodware Items and Other Disposable Products Ordinance, in Chapter 5.30 of the municipal code, took effect on January 1, 2020. It covers restaurants, bars, delis, grocery stores, food trucks, hotels, convenience stores and third-party delivery platforms serving the city. According to the city's foodware ordinance page:
- Banned: plastic straws, plastic utensils, plastic stirrers, plastic beverage plugs and plastic produce bags.
- Upon request only: businesses may offer reusable or compostable utensils, straws, stirrers and drink plugs only when a customer asks or at a self-serve station.
- No bundling: since January 1, 2022, under the state's AB 1276, utensils and condiments may not come bundled in one pack.
- Delivery apps: online ordering can offer an opt-in for utensils and condiments.
- Produce and bulk bags: bags for produce, meat and bulk food must be accepted in the city's compost program, meaning paper or compostable plastic meeting ASTM D6400 or D6868 or certified by the Biodegradable Products Institute.
Anything compostable has to be accepted by the city's compost program, so it can go in the green cart after use.
Reusable foodware
The city states that its long-term plan is to eliminate disposable foodware. As of November 2026, though, its foodware page does not list a requirement that restaurants serve dine-in meals on reusable dishes. It does not mention a charge for disposable cups either. Some Bay Area cities have adopted those rules. In Palo Alto, the practical steps are voluntary for customers: bring a mug, decline utensils in delivery apps and ask for no extras. Our takeout guide covers ordering in town.
Businesses can get free help with compliance from GreenWaste of Palo Alto, including site visits, staff training and signs. Call (650) 493-4894.
Shopping bags
The city keeps its own page on disposable plastic bag requirements. A statewide change arrived in 2026. GreenWaste's spring 2026 newsletter explains that California's SB 1053 took effect January 1, 2026:
- Grocery stores, retail stores with a pharmacy, convenience stores, food marts and liquor stores may no longer provide plastic bags at checkout.
- Recycled-content paper bags may be provided for at least 10 cents each, including for self-checkout, pickup and delivery.
- Bags handed out before checkout, such as produce bags, must be recycled paper or compostable plastic that is BPI certified or printed with the word Compostable.
Keep a few reusable bags in the car or by the door. Shops that sell staples by refill are listed in our zero waste and refill shops guide.
Other zero waste rules
- Recycling and Composting Ordinance: homes, apartments and businesses must sort recyclables and compostables. Multifamily buildings must provide all three types of containers.
- SB 1383: the state organics law, enforced locally since 2024, which also requires larger food businesses to donate edible surplus food.
- Deconstruction Ordinance: covers how buildings are taken apart and materials salvaged; see our building permits guide.
- Zero Waste Event Guidelines: requirements for events held in the city.
Where Palo Alto's waste goes today
The city's landfill on the bay opened as a formal sanitary landfill in 1954 and closed in 2011 after reaching capacity. Capping was completed in 2015 and the site is now Byxbee Park, beside the Baylands Nature Preserve. From 1993 most of the city's garbage went to the SMaRT Station in Sunnyvale, shared with Mountain View and Sunnyvale. That contract ended on December 31, 2021.
Since January 1, 2022, the flow has run through GreenWaste. The city's solid waste flow page describes it:
| Stream | Destination |
|---|---|
| Blue cart recycling | Sorted and baled at the GreenWaste materials recovery facility in San Jose |
| Green cart compost | Digested at the Zero Waste Energy Development Company in San Jose, then composted at Z-Best in Gilroy |
| Black cart garbage | Processed at the GreenWaste facility in San Jose to recover recyclables and compostables, then sent to the Monterey Peninsula Landfill |
| Construction and demolition debris | Sorted at the Zanker Resource Recovery Facility in San Jose |
Most recyclables stay in North America. The city's FAQ says cardboard is the only material sent overseas, while PET clamshells go to Mexico and everything else is recycled domestically.
.jpg){kind=link}
How residents can help
- Sort carefully. Your garbage bill is set by your black cart size, so better sorting can save money. The city's What Goes Where tools answer item questions.
- Compost food scraps. See our composting guide for the green cart and free backyard bins.
- Repair and reuse. Free Repair Cafés, the hazardous waste Reuse Zone and Clean Up Day reuse pickups are covered in our repair and reuse guide.
- Join the Block Leaders. Zero Waste Block Leaders answer neighbors' questions and some host party packs of reusable foodware to lend. Contact [email protected] or your neighborhood association.
- Come to the Earth Day Festival. The 2026 festival ran April 19 at the Palo Alto Art Center.
Good to know
- Goal: 95% diversion from landfill by 2030.
- No plastic straws, utensils or stirrers from Palo Alto food businesses since 2020.
- No plastic checkout bags at grocery and similar stores statewide since January 1, 2026.
- Palo Alto's garbage now goes through GreenWaste in San Jose, not the SMaRT Station.
- Questions: Zero Waste Palo Alto at (650) 496-5910.
Frequently asked questions
What is Palo Alto's zero waste goal?
The City Council adopted a zero waste goal in 2005. Because true zero waste is very hard to reach, the city set measurable targets: 73% diversion by 2011, 90% by 2021 and, since 2016, 95% diversion from landfill by 2030 under the Sustainability and Climate Action Plan.
Are plastic straws banned in Palo Alto?
Yes. Under the city's Disposable Foodware Items and Other Disposable Products Ordinance, in effect since January 1, 2020, food businesses may not provide plastic straws, utensils, stirrers or beverage plugs. Compostable or reusable alternatives must be offered only on request or at a self-serve station.
Does Palo Alto require restaurants to use reusable dishes for dine-in?
The city's foodware page, checked in November 2026, does not list a dine-in reusables requirement. It says the long-term plan is to eliminate disposable foodware. Today the rules ban plastic accessories, require compostable alternatives on request only and bar bundled utensil and condiment packs.
Can stores give out plastic bags in Palo Alto in 2026?
Not at checkout in most grocery and similar stores. California's SB 1053 took effect January 1, 2026. It bars plastic carryout bags at grocery stores, retailers with a pharmacy, convenience stores, food marts and liquor stores. Recycled paper bags cost at least 10 cents each.
Where does Palo Alto's garbage go?
Garbage goes to the GreenWaste materials recovery facility in San Jose, where recyclables and compostables are pulled out. The rest goes to the Monterey Peninsula Landfill. Recycling is sorted at the same San Jose facility. Compost goes to the Zero Waste Energy Development Company digester in San Jose and then Z-Best in Gilroy.