Editor’s note: This is the second in a multi-part series about waste disposal in the Modesto area.
In Modesto, managing your garbage isn’t as simple as tossing it out.
The city has strict rules for sorting waste — from food scraps to milk cartons — and regular inspections are performed to ensure everyone is following the guidelines.
A Modesto Bee reader asked our reporters, who are answering questions about waste disposal : “When do the inspections start?”
Here’s what officials with the city of Modesto said:
When does Modesto conduct garbage can inspections?
In a email statement to The Bee, the city said garbage can inspections are performed to comply with state regulations aimed at reducing container contamination.
Senate Bill 1383 , which went into effect in 2022, requires cities, counties and other jurisdictions to “provide organic waste collection services to all residents and businesses,” according to the California Department of Resources, Recycling and Recovery.
The city of Modesto carries out random container inspections in neighborhoods “to ensure people are sorting waste into the appropriate containers,” it said.