Trash Collection and Recycling
Marin Sanitary Service
Marin Sanitary Service is the authorized collector for businesses, residences, and government agencies providing garbage service for those in the Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District. Marin Sanitary Service also serves the City of San Rafael and where jurisdictions overlap with the District, or co-exist, the city has the authority and responsibilities for regulating solid waste, recyclable, and organic material.
- Contact Marin Sanitary Service directly for questions on garbage service for your home or business.
- https://marinsanitaryservice.com/ | (415) 456-2601
Ordinance 196 - Amending Chapter 1, Title 4
Effective January 1, 2025
Changes to rates and customer owned carts filled with compostable material.
Please see the attached Ordinance.
Ordinance 196 Executed.pdfUpdated District Code Title 4 Chapter 1
Short-lived Climate Pollutants Law (SB 1383)
Residents and businesses are required to follow statewide organic waste recycling and surplus food recovery laws beginning January 1, 2022. For more information, please visit the Marin Sanitary Service web page at https://marinsanitaryservice.com/laws/
Commercial and Multi-Family Residential Dwellings may qualify for a waiver from the organic composting requirements of SB 1383. Click here to complete a fillable waiver form from Marin Sanitary Service.
Zero Waste Marin also has information on how businesses must comply with California’s Mandatory Commercial Recycling & Composting Laws, including:
- SB 1383 Short-Lived Climate Pollutants Food Donation
- AB 341 Mandatory Commercial Recycling (MCR)
- AB 827 Mandatory Front of House Organics and Recycling Containers
- AB 1826 Mandatory Commercial Organics (MORe)
Need to submit a complaint about an entity that is not compliant with SB 1383? Please click on the link below to fill out the form:
Zero Waste Marin Events
Repair Fairs:
San Rafael Repair Fair - Saturday, January 10th, 2026 from 1-4PM at the San Rafael Community Center
Sausalito Repair Fair - Saturday, January 31, 2026 from 10 am - 1 pm at the Sausalito City Hall Edgewater Room
Sustainable Winter Wardrobe
During the chilly months many of us are grabbing our warmest clothes or looking for a new winter wardrobe staple. However, fast fashion and ever-changing trend cycles led to vast amounts of clothing waste. Studies have found that 80 billion items of clothing are purchased globally every year, with the average clothing item only being worn 7 times!
Instead of buying new items this winter you can prevent textile waste and still acquire
stylish items by taking these actions instead:
- Mend and Repair: Have a hole in your favorite sweater or a broken zipper on your
coat? Instead of tossing those items, learn to repair these items using sewing
materials that can be found at your local craft store. You can find quick YouTube
tutorials or find a sewing workshop to attend.
- Shop second hand: Before heading to the mall or shopping online for a new item,
check your local thrift store. Thrift stores are full of coats, warm pants, and boots
that can be given a second life. You can also check out online secondhand stores
such as Buy Nothing groups, Ebay, or Depop.
- Host a Clothing Swap: Looking for an indoor activity to do with your friends? Have
everyone bring clothing items they no longer wear and host a clothing swap party!
Shopping your friends’ closets is a fun way to get something “new”.
For more information, check out the Reducing Clothing Waste page on the Zero Waste
Marin website.
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Food Recovery Organizations (FROs) and Food Recovery Services (FRSs)
As of September 25, 2025, there are no FROs/FRSs available in the Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District jurisdiction. LGVSD will update and create a list of FROs/FRSs in the event one becomes available in our jurisdiction in compliance with 14 CCR § 18985.2(a)(1).
Composting
Composting is one of the easiest ways to make a big impact on the environment and your garden! By composting your food scraps, yard trimmings, and soiled paper, you can help reduce landfill waste and methane emissions. At home, adding finished compost into your garden can improve soil health, increased water retention, and reduce the need for synthetic!
Here are some tips to get started with at-home composting:
1) Ensure you have compost service at your residence. All homes and apartment complexes are required to have compost service. If you do not, consider reaching out to your local waste hauler or apartment management team to get this service added to your residence.
2) Get a kitchen countertop container. Having a small green pail or container on the counter makes composting simple – just toss in food scraps while cooking. You can also keep a small container in the freezer to avoid any “ick factor”, and then empty directly into your curbside green bin.
3) Consider setting up a backyard composting system. If you have extra outdoor space, backyard composting is a rewarding way to produce your own compost at home. Explore the different methods, from low-maintenance compost bins to hands-on systems, to find the one that suits your needs. Learn more here: https://zerowastemarin.org/composting-in-marin/
Don’t Trash it, Marin! What to Do with Hazardous Items
Are cans of unused paint, household cleaners and old electronics taking up space in your garage? It’s good to clean out the clutter, but not everything can go in the curbside carts. Some materials, known as Household Hazardous Waste (HHW), are toxic to you and/or to the environment and need to be dropped off at special facilities. HHW materials include Electronics, Paint, Batteries, Light Bulbs, Household Chemicals, Personal Care Products, Gardening Products and Auto Care Products.
- For details about HHW and how to get rid of it, visit ZeroWasteMarin.org/HHW
- Visit Zero Waste Marin for more information.