Miramar Greenery accepts food waste generated from commercial venues that are pre-approved by the City of San Diego’s Environmental Services Department. Food waste loads are transported by a licensed hauler, in a tightly sealed container and delivered to the Miramar Greenery in an end-dump truck system.  Once at the Greenery, the food scraps are processed into a rich compost product that can be used as a soil amendment.  This soil amendment can improve soil texture, and increase both nutrient and water holding capacity.

Program Requirements

Commercial Food Scraps Composting Program participants must be located within the City of San Diego.  Participants must comply with the City's Recycling Ordinance.  This includes the recycling of all mandated materials by pairing well-marked recycling and trash containers and providing written information to staff and guests.

Participation in the program requires the following steps:

1. City staff meets with facility administrator, kitchen manager and/or maintenance supervisor;
2. City staff provides technical assistance for on-site logistics;
3. City staff trains kitchen, maintenance and administration staff;
4. Facility starts a "Pilot Program Phase" in which a facility representative is required to accompany City staff to inspect and evaluate the first three loads at the Miramar Greenery;
5. Once successfully completing the Pilot Program Phase, the facility becomes a regular program participant.

To determine the feasibility of starting a commercial food waste recycling program, call the Environmental Services Department at 858-694-7000 or email sdrecyclingworks@sandiego.gov. To learn more, please review our program guides.

• Commercial Compost Collection Guide
• Commercial Recycling Guide