South Pasadena tutorial: how the city’s new three‑stream waste system works under SB 1383

Timothy, a government affairs manager at Athens Services, and Danielle, City of South Pasadena staff, presented a roughly 25–30 minute informational tutorial explaining the city’s transition from a two‑stream to a three‑stream waste collection system required by state law.

The change separates trash, recycling and organics into distinct containers so the city can meet state requirements aimed at cutting methane from landfills and recovering food for distribution. "This is a state mandate from the state of California," Timothy said, explaining the rationale behind the rollout and its focus on reducing landfill organics.

Why it matters: The new system requires households, multifamily buildings and businesses to sort materials into three containers and gives residents guidance and options to avoid contamination. City staff and Athens outlined container sizes, what commonly accepted materials are, and where to take hazardous items such as medication and electronic…