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Businesses in Washington may need to divert their organic waste from disposal if they generate 96 gallons or more of organic waste per week, as required by the organics management laws.
By July 1 each year Ecology is required under RCW 70A.205.545 to determine and post on our website areas in Washington where businesses must arrange organics management services to reduce their organic waste. These Business Organics Management Area or BOMA determinations are valid for the following calendar year beginning January 1.
This map shows the organics collection areas in effect for the 2027 calendar year, with blue areas indicating where collection services are available for businesses.
A Business Organics Management Area represents those parts of the state where Ecology has determined two conditions exist:
Businesses have access to year-round curbside food waste and organic materials collection, and these materials are delivered to an organics management facility such as a compost facility or anaerobic digester for processing.
These facilities have capacity to accept increased volumes of organic materials from businesses.
Organics collection requirements for businesses
Only businesses located in a BOMA who dispose of 96 gallons or more of organic waste per week are impacted under this law. Other businesses may be impacted by the Organics Recycling Collection Area requirements.
You can see if a particular business is in a BOMA by using the address search bar in the top right corner of the BOMA map.
Learn more about the Business Organics Management Area requirements and how to use the map.
If you are a business with questions about whether you are exempt from this law, please refer to the FAQ section below.
Strategies for reducing organics waste at businesses
Businesses can save money and reduce waste by diverting food and yard waste from the landfill through food waste prevention, donation, and recovery strategies.
Repurpose edible food: Check out Use Food Well webpage for business resources on food waste prevention.
Donate edible food: Locate local hunger relief organizations on Ecology’s statewide Food Rescue Map.
Establish curbside collection for inedible organic waste: Refer to the Setting Up Organics Service guide for step-by-step assistance.
Manage organics on-site: Explore the options for on-site compost systems or anaerobic digesters, where organic waste is managed. Refer to our Compost webpage for more details.
Self-haul organic waste: Self-haul food and yard waste in your local area. Check your city or county’s website for a list of self-haul locations.
What can businesses put in their compost bin?
Your first step should be to contact your local service provider (sometimes referred to as “hauler”) to know what materials are accepted in your area. You can also visit your city or county’s website, which provides this information.
Frequently asked questions for businesses
The term “business” is defined in RCW 70A.205.545 as a for-profit (private or public) or nonprofit entity including, but not limited to, a partnership or corporation that is organized as a for-profit or nonprofit entity.
Businesses include restaurants, hotels, retail stores, grocery stores, food processors, distribution centers, event stadiums, museums, recreational facilities, correctional facilities, government buildings, and assisted living facilities. This definition also includes nonprofit organizations, such as schools, animal shelters, places of worship, and hospitals.
“Business” under this definition does not include multifamily residential buildings, such as apartments, condominiums, and townhomes.
Organic materials are defined as anything that comes from plants and animals and can break down naturally. This includes manure, yard debris, food waste, food processing waste, wood waste, and garden waste.
More specifically, food waste includes waste from fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy products, fish, shellfish, nuts, seeds, grains, and similar materials that result from the storage, preparation, cooking, handling, selling, or serving of food for human consumption.
We always recommend contacting your hauler, city, or county to understand the materials accepted in your area as it varies widely across the state.
Check the BOMA map to see which areas are affected by the law’s requirements. This map identifies the impacted areas for the recent calendar year and is updated annually. For more information on how to use the BOMA map, watch our video tutorial.
If a business is in a blue shaded area on the map, then it is likely subject to the requirements of the law. Each business address is considered separate when assessing the 96-gallon threshold. We have been directed by law to generate a list of businesses likely impacted by BOMA requirements. Stay tuned about the availability of this list, currently slated to be published on this webpage in fall 2026.
Any business located in a BOMA will have access to organics collection services. This may be provided by a local service provider (sometimes referred to as “hauler”) that also picks up your garbage and recycling. However, you may choose any local provider - note that service features and rates are variable. Check with your local hauler to see if they provide organics collection. If they don’t, we recommend looking up your city or county website for local hauler information, or a quick internet search should help you find a hauler that does.
If a business is not located in a blue shaded area on the BOMA map, it is exempt. If a business is located in a blue shaded area but generates significantly less than 96 gallons of organic waste, it is exempt. There is no statewide exemption process for businesses. If the county or local health jurisdiction determines a local exemption process, businesses will be notified directly.
Jurisdictions (counties and some cities) or local health jurisdictions may enforce the requirement that businesses must arrange for organics materials management services if they are located in a BOMA.
The jurisdiction must issue two written notices prior to issuing penalties, and they must not charge businesses a fee associated with the administration and enforcement of these requirements. Penalties range from $500 to $1,000 per day based on the number of violations in process.
Currently, jurisdictions have a strong focus on technical assistance rather than enforcement to ensure businesses are aware of this law. Please reach out to your county if you have questions about enforcement.
When looking for resources to help support businesses in complying with the BOMA requirements, looking locally is the best first step. Some waste collection service providers (sometimes referred to as “haulers”) provide educational materials or programs and may help with securing equipment like bins for collection.
The business’s city or county solid waste management program may also have resources in the form of technical assistance and education. Reach out to your city or county public works department to understand if these resources are available. These resources may assist in conducting a waste audit or training your staff.
We can provide technical assistance by answering questions and guiding businesses to compliance. We also provide an outreach toolkit for businesses and jurisdictions to use. Reach out to our Organics team with questions at organics@ecy.wa.gov.
Yes, we are developing an Organics Management Guide for Schools and a comprehensive FAQ for Schools. These resources will be available in fall/winter 2026. Please email organics@ecy.wa.gov if you have any questions related to schools.
The business must adjust collection services to account for seasonal variability. If they exceed 96 gallons of organic waste in any week, then the business must subscribe to the appropriate service levels or manage their organic material using another method outlined in the law. Please check with your local organics hauler to see what your service options are.
Your business may use other methods to be exempt from the law, which includes:
Food waste prevention.
Food rescue.
Organic materials are managed onsite.
Organic materials from growing food or fiber are used offsite by a business for growing food or fiber.
Organic materials are sold or donated to another business for offsite use.
Organic materials are self-hauled to an organic materials management facility.
If you have another way of managing your organics but are not sure if it is exempt, feel free to email organics@ecy.wa.gov.
Businesses are primarily responsible for determining if the requirements apply to them. We have a toolkit and resources available for businesses on our Use Food Well webpage. In addition, many counties and cities have resources to support businesses.
In fall 2026, we will publish an annual list of businesses likely impacted by the law on this webpage. The goal of this list is to provide clarity for businesses to know if the requirements apply to them and for local governments to support technical assistance, outreach, and enforcement.
Before the updated list is published, if you have questions about how much waste you generate, please email organics@ecy.wa.gov.
Visit our ORCA webpage for more information about the requirements. We have also developed a fact sheet describing the differences between these two laws.
There are no reporting requirements in the law for businesses located in the BOMA. If a county or local health jurisdiction creates reporting requirements for businesses, businesses will be notified directly.
