For violations, the worker leaves a tag on the container that says, \u201cOOPS! We noticed something wrong in your cart,\u201d and notes the problem.<\/p>\n
\u201cA few examples of contamination include putting a plastic bag in the recycle container, food in the trash container, and an aluminum can in the organics container,\u201d the city wrote.<\/p>\n
A city worker in Brea, California, inspects trash bins for violations. December 2025. (City of Brea)<\/p>\n Brea says the inspections are required<\/a> under California Senate Bill 1383<\/a>, a 2016 law that mandates organic waste recycling (and enforcement) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.<\/p>\n Homeowners could be assessed contamination or noncompliance fees starting at $50, the city said.<\/p>\n Reaction to the social media post was \u2013 by and large \u2013 critical of the city\u2019s enforcement efforts.<\/p>\n \u201cMy tax dollars pay for this? Wow,\u201d wrote one user. Another added, \u201cAre there no bigger issues in the city to deal with? I feel like this should be on the bottom of the list of things that need attention.\u201d<\/p>\n Some users pointed out that random people, not just homeowners, sometimes place items into the bins.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause we can control when people walk by and dump their crap into our containers\u2026 why not invest that time and money in actually educating people on what belongs where and why, because clearly people have no clue,\u201d one user wrote.<\/p>\n The violation notice placed on trash bins in Brea, California. December 2025. (City of Brea)<\/p>\n A 2023 report from the Little Hoover Commission<\/a> oversight panel found that California\u2019s legally mandated organic waste recycling program was fraught with problems<\/a>, not reducing harmful emissions as intended, and should be put on hold or scrapped entirely.<\/p>\n CalRecycle, which manages the program, countered<\/a> that pausing it would \u201cthreaten years of climate progress\u201d and jeopardize millions of dollars in investments.<\/p>\n Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/p>\n For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. <\/a><\/p>\n![\"Brea](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/3abdf2ec3bdca6881c3759073bdb2a7d.jpeg\"\/)
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