San Francisco Refuse Separation Ordinance 101
What the ordinance requires of every commercial property in San Francisco — in plain English.
About this module
The Mandatory Recycling and Composting Ordinance (Chapter 19 of the San Francisco Environment Code) requires every property to separate refuse into three streams. This module walks through what the law actually says, who enforces it, and what triggers a noncompliance notice.
What's inside
- 1
Overview & what you will learn
A 5-minute primer on San Francisco Environment Code Chapter 19: who must comply, what the three-stream mandate requires, and what noncompliance costs.
5 min · Included with access
- 2
Core material
The legal duties translated into operational rules: bins, labels, training, records, and who owns what across owner, manager, tenant, janitorial, and hauler.
5 min · Included with access
- 3
Apply it: checklist & SOP
A one-page monthly compliance checklist your property manager can run in 15 minutes, plus a starter signage pack.
5 min · Included with access
You'll leave with
- A working understanding of the relevant San Francisco ordinance section
- Decision rules your staff can apply during a shift
- A downloadable checklist or SOP for the property
- A knowledge check + completion certificate per seat
Certificate of completion
To earn this module's certificate, you must complete every lesson and pass each lesson's knowledge check with a score of 80% or higher.
- Complete all lessons in the module
- Pass every knowledge check — score 80% or higher on each one
- Receive a downloadable, shareable certificate verifying your completion
This certificate is issued by Better Waste Streams Academy and documents your completion of this training module. It is not a government-issued credential.