StopWaste

What StopWaste does

StopWaste is a public government agency of Alameda County, California, founded in 1976 (originally as the Waste Management Authority) and headquartered in Oakland. The agency partners with residents, businesses, schools, and local governments to reduce waste, increase recycling and composting, and promote environmental sustainability. Its service portfolio spans free household hazardous waste disposal at four permanent drop-off facilities and ~12 annual one-day events, countywide compost hub distribution, food waste reduction and recovery (supporting a network of 100+ food recovery organizations), K-12 school programs including reusable foodware grants of up to $50,000 per school, and compliance support for California state waste laws, most notably SB 1383. The agency is structured as a public utility, with services provided free of charge to end users and operations funded through a forthcoming regulatory fee on garbage bills (effective July 1, 2026) and grant funding.

The agency's core technology offering is the RE:Source Guide, an online directory used by 49K+ residents annually to find how to recycle, reuse, repair, or safely dispose of more than 400 item types, with city-specific curbside service information. StopFoodWaste.org serves as a companion food waste reduction campaign site, and a schools portal centralizes program requests and curriculum resources. The agency conducts multi-year applied research, notably a carbon farming partnership with UC Merced and the cities of Dublin and Pleasanton measuring soil carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions from compost application in urban parks, and convenes the Bay Area Reuse and Repair Network as a regional ecosystem coordinator. GTM motion is community-led and event-driven, with services delivered through direct technical assistance, workshops, training sessions, grants, and community events across the county.

The business model is that of a government agency rather than a commercial enterprise. Revenue is sourced from public funding mechanisms — primarily the upcoming countywide regulatory fee on garbage bills and grant programs ($330K+ deployed in 2025-26 for food recovery and waste prevention) — with the agency also running multifamily energy efficiency programs on behalf of the Bay Area Regional Energy Network (BayREN). Customer segments are residents, businesses and nonprofits, K-12 schools, and local governments, all served free of charge, positioning StopWaste as a trusted, mandated resource rather than a discretionary vendor.

Name

StopWaste

Legal name

StopWaste

Website

https://stopwaste.org

Company type

Public

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

StopWaste is a public government agency serving Alameda County, California, providing free waste reduction, recycling, composting, household hazardous waste disposal, and SB 1383 compliance support to residents, businesses, schools, and local governments since 1976.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Waste Management and Environmental Sustainability Services

NAICS

Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (924110), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (92411), Waste Collection (56211)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Sanitary Services (4950), Hazardous Waste Management (4955)

akta.pro primary industry

Solid Waste & Recycling Services Administration (BPAIACAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Organics & Composting Programs (Food Waste, Green Waste) (BPABALAC), E-waste & Universal Waste Collection/Transfer (Electronics, Lamps, Batteries) (EUAIABAG)

Keywords

• Waste reduction programs
• Recycling and composting
• Household hazardous waste
• Food waste prevention
• Sustainable materials management

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Regulatory Fees on Garbage Bills: Starting July 1, 2026, a StopWaste Regulatory Fee will appear on customer garbage bills in Alameda County. The fee funds programs required by California to keep compostable and recyclable materials out of landfills, reduce food waste, recover surplus edible food for donation, and prevent plastic bag pollution.
2. Grant Funding: StopWaste receives and distributes grant funding for environmental programs. The organization invested $330K+ in food recovery and waste prevention grants for equipment, infrastructure, and community-based programs in 2025-26.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

StopWaste is a public government agency that delivers waste reduction, recycling, composting, and environmental sustainability programs to residents, businesses, schools, and local governments in Alameda County. Its core offerings include free household hazardous waste drop-off facilities, the RE:Source Guide online disposal directory, food waste reduction and edible food recovery programs, school curriculum and reusable foodware grants, compost hub distribution, and SB 1383 compliance support.

Product overview

StopWaste is a public government agency serving Alameda County that offers a broad portfolio of environmental sustainability programs rather than a single unified product. The core offerings center on waste reduction, recycling, and composting through multiple interconnected programs: the RE:Source Guide (online search tool for material disposal), StopFoodWaste.org (food waste reduction campaign), Schools Portal (educational resources request system), Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off Services (four permanent facilities and one-day events), Compost Hubs network (free compost distribution), and various community programs including repair events, workshops, urban farm volunteering, and the Bay Area Reuse and Repair Network. Additional services include technical assistance for composting, compliance support for SB 1383 regulations, and grant funding programs. These programs are delivered through digital platforms (websites, portals, newsletters) and in-person services (facilities, events, workshops).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RE:Source Guide: Online guide providing answers on how to recycle, reuse, repair, and safely dispose of items in Alameda County.
• StopFoodWaste
• SWEET (StopWaste Environmental Educator Training)

Products and services

• RE:Source Guide Alameda County's online directory for finding how to recycle, reuse, repair, or dispose of items, with city-specific curbside service information on what goes where.
• StopFoodWaste.org Campaign website providing meal planning ideas, food storage tips, and recipes to help residents waste less food and save money.
• Schools Portal Online portal for K-12 schools to request programs, field trips, and classroom resources from StopWaste's schools team.
• Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off Facilities Four free drop-off facilities across Alameda County (Fremont, Hayward, Livermore, Oakland) accepting household hazardous waste year-round with no appointment needed.
• HHW One-Day Collection Events Free one-day hazardous waste drop-off events held approximately 12 times per year at rotating locations throughout Alameda County, also accepting medications.
• Food Waste Reduction Programs Programs helping residents reduce food waste, including food donation and recovery resources, food saving tips, and edible food recovery support.
• Compost & Soil Health Programs Programs providing free compost and mulch access, composting guidance, trainings, workshops, and landscape management support for Alameda County residents.
• Schools Programs K-12 educational programs and curriculum helping students reduce food waste, switch to reusables, sort properly, and take environmental action.
• Reducing Waste Programs Programs promoting reusable alternatives, reuse and repair resources, environmental protection, and grants for waste reduction initiatives.
• Recycling & Disposal Programs Guidance on proper sorting for curbside bins, hazardous waste disposal, tools and signage for businesses, and compliance with recycling regulations.
• Buildings & Construction Programs Programs promoting sustainable building materials, energy efficiency, and electrification for residential and commercial buildings.
• Rules & Compliance Services Free compliance assistance for businesses, nonprofits, schools, and multifamily properties on recycling, composting, food donation, and plastic bag regulations including SB 1383.
• Grants & Funding Programs Grant funding for organizations implementing waste prevention, reuse, repair, food waste prevention, and food donation equipment projects in Alameda County, including $330K+ invested in food recovery and waste prevention grants.
• Newsletters (At Home E-News, Schools Newsletter, Agency Update) Email newsletters delivering practical sustainability tips, program updates, event announcements, and educational content to residents, schools, and government staff.
• Bay Area Reuse and Repair Network Network connecting Bay Area businesses and nonprofits focused on reuse, repair, and redistribution, providing resources, meetings, facility tours, and workshops.
• Repair Events Calendar Calendar listing repair workshops, fix-it clinics, and community repair events across Alameda County where residents can learn hands-on repair skills.
• Compost Workshops & Events Calendar Calendar of gardening workshops, composting classes, and community events across Alameda County hosted by StopWaste and partner organizations.
• Volunteer with Urban Farms Volunteer opportunities at urban farms in Alameda County where volunteers can learn hands-on gardening and composting skills while supporting local food systems.

Quantifiable outcome

• 7,000 tons of edible food recovered annually, equivalent to 11.5 million meals
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• UC MercedcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Multi-year research partnership studying soil carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions from compost application in urban parks, combined field experiment, greenhouse study, and field survey of eight parks.
• City of DublincoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partner in carbon farming research collaboration measuring impacts of compost application on soil carbon and greenhouse gas emissions in city parks.
• City of PleasantoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partner in carbon farming research collaboration. Hosts the Pleasanton Compost Hub and collaborates on sustainable landscaping initiatives.
• Acta Non Verba Youth Urban Farming ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with urban farm in West Oakland that grows and distributes produce to neighborhood families. Hosts the Oakland Compost Hub. StopWaste supports the organization's composting and food donation activities.
• LEAF (Local Ecology and Agriculture Fremont)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with urban farm and community garden in Fremont that grows and donates produce to Tri-City organizations. Provides community workshops on sustainable living and regenerative agriculture.
• Gill Tract Community FarmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUrban farming and research collaboration between community farmers and UC Berkeley. Hosts the Albany Compost Hub. StopWaste supports through technical assistance and composting programs.
• UC BerkeleycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for urban agriculture research and education. Collaborates with Gill Tract Community Farm and supports student programs.
• U.S. Green Building CouncilsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking to embed embodied carbon, C&D, and materials credits into certifications, standards, and purchasing specs to help certify buildings countywide and shape LEED-based reach codes.
• Build It GreensecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting an ecosystem of small developers adopting sustainable materials on infill projects in the Bay Area.
• Builders for Climate ActionsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdapting estimating tools into easy-reference local guides for healthy, low-embodied-carbon products for Bay Area construction.
• Alameda County GSA/ARUPsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developing low-embodied-carbon purchasing specs and bio-materials analysis for industrialized construction.
• Alameda County Food Recovery NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConvenes a network of 100+ food recovery organizations, grantees, faith-based organizations, and housing agencies united by the goal of ensuring surplus edible food reaches those in need.
• Upstream SolutionssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational advocacy organization for reuse systems and policies. Collaborates on the Bay Area Reuse and Repair Network.
• Reuse AlliancesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorth Bay reuse network providing resource maps and hosting reuse events. Collaborates on the Bay Area Reuse and Repair Network.
• Alameda County Environmental Health DepartmentscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with county environmental health departments to provide resources and free personalized support for SB 1383 compliance for businesses and multifamily properties.
• Alameda County Resource Conservation DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in carbon farming initiatives beginning in 2017 to study how compost application on rangelands can help fight climate change.
• Bay Area Regional Energy Network (BayREN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of Bay Area's nine counties partnering to promote energy efficiency and electrification. StopWaste runs multifamily housing programs on behalf of BayREN.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Recology: Recology is the employee-owned Bay Area waste hauler that collects refuse, recycling, and organics for municipalities across Northern California including Alameda County. It is both a service delivery partner and the private-sector alternative that StopWaste's programs complement and sometimes compete with.
• South Bayside Waste Management Authority (SBWMA) / Recology San Mateo County: SBWMA is the joint powers authority for San Mateo County's franchised collection system, contracting with Recology for hauling. It mirrors StopWaste's role of administering franchise agreements, education, and compliance on behalf of member agencies.
• Alameda County Resource Conservation District: The Alameda County Resource Conservation District is a public partner organization working on carbon farming on rangelands since 2017. It is a direct peer as a co-convener of conservation programming within Alameda County, including joint initiatives with StopWaste.
• Rethink Waste (San Mateo County): Rethink Waste is the joint powers authority serving San Mateo County that provides recycling, composting, and waste reduction programs, education, and compliance support. It is structurally the closest analog to StopWaste as a county-level public waste authority in the Bay Area.

Broad incumbents

• Republic Services: Republic Services is one of the largest US non-hazardous solid waste management companies, providing collection, recycling, and disposal services. It represents the broad-incumbent private operator whose offerings overlap with StopWaste's compliance and education mandate.
• Waste Management, Inc. Waste Management is the largest waste services provider in North America, operating landfills, transfer stations, recycling, and organics processing. It is the broadest incumbent comparable for scale of waste infrastructure operations.
• CalRecycle (Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery): CalRecycle is the California state agency responsible for statewide recycling and waste reduction policy. It sets the regulatory framework (including SB 1383) that StopWaste implements at the county level, making it the upstream governing peer.

Others

• US Composting Council: The US Composting Council is the national trade and advocacy organization advancing composting standards, policy, and market development. It is a thematic peer in the organics and compost ecosystem that StopWaste's compost hub and carbon farming programs operate within.

Regional players

• GreenWaste Recovery: GreenWaste Recovery is a Bay Area and Central Valley waste and recycling hauler offering collection, organics processing, and construction and demolition debris services. It is a regional player serving parts of the same geography as StopWaste.
• Marin Sanitary Service: Marin Sanitary Service is a county-focused waste hauler serving Marin County with collection, recycling, and composting services. It is comparable to StopWaste as a regional provider that integrates hauling with diversion programming, though it operates as a private operator.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/stopwasteorg
• Facebookfacebook.com/StopWasteOrg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stopwaste.org
• Instagraminstagram.com/stopwaste
• Xx.com/stopwasteorg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about StopWaste