Frequently Asked Questions

Registration

How does an organization regain access to the reporting system if they lose access?

To avoid this, the department advises that at least two people should have access to each registered organization/site at any given time. If necessary, contact CalRecycle to restore access.

Will my existing WebPass work with RDRS?

Yes, you may use your existing CalRecycle WebPass to access RDRS.

Are out-of-state companies who only receive materials from California subject to reporting as well?

No.

What is the difference between requesting an inactive registration status and requesting a reporting exemption?

An inactive registration status indicates that the facility is closed for business, whereas a reporting exemption indicates that the facility is open, but is conducting non-reportable material handling activities or is otherwise permanently exempted from having to file a quarterly RDRS report. A reporting entity who is registered but has cumulative tonnages below reporting thresholds for a reporting period shall notify the Department that they have nothing to report for the reporting period by going to the Quarterly Reports Module, filing a quarterly report indicating that they did not meet or exceed the applicable de minimis tonnage threshold, and submitting the report.

Reporting

Methods

How do we report if we receive or send material in cubic yards?

Methods for reporting amounts can be found in section 18815.9(g) of the RDRS regulations.

Do we report tonnages sent or received in wet or dry tons?

Report the tons as measured when you receive or send it.

Will I be able to upload a spreadsheet in lieu of manually entering data?

No. We understand that the option to upload data to the system would be more convenient for some reporting entities, however, the system is not designed to allow uploading of data. Data from an upload would have to be immediately incorporated into a report and the system would be more vulnerable to attack by viruses or other malware. Additionally, standardizing data uploads for numerous entities is a significant challenge.  We continue making efforts to simplify the reporting system, and we welcome your suggestions for simplifying data input methods.

General Reporting

May I revise my report?

Yes. Select the Organization/Site upon which the reporting entity whose report you wish to revise the report is located. Then click on the “Quarterly Reports” button on the left-hand navigation pane. On the page labeled “Quarterly Report Search”, click “Select” on the submitted report in the table. Then you can go to the Review and Submit tab and click “Revise Report”. Make the changes and then resubmit. Excessive revisions may result in referral to Enforcement.

I am exempt this quarter but I accidentally chose “required to report” on the Add Report page. How do I change my report to exempt?

Click the Edit button on the Review & Submit tab of your quarterly report and then select a quarterly exemption reason. Now you can click “Submit” on the Review & Submit tab.

I corrected the flags on my quarterly report, but the flags are still “Open” on the Review and Submit tab. What do I do?

If there are flags requiring correction on the Review & Submit tab and you have made changes to correct the flag issues, you need to click the “Review” button again so that the flag status is updated.

Do we only report on the transfer of material types that are over 100 tons?

No. The 100-ton de minimis tonnage threshold is for all combined reportable material handling activities. If you are required to register and report, you must report on all reportable outflows for that quarter, not just those that exceeded 100 tons.

As a reporting entity, we do not meet the de minimis tonnage every quarter. Do we still report quarterly if we do not meet the de minimis tonnage?

Yes. In RDRS, you only need to indicate that you are not required to report tonnages this quarter.

Can an entity submit a quarterly report if they were under the quarterly tonnage threshold?

Yes. A reporting entity may choose to submit a quarterly report even if they did not meet or exceed the quarterly de minimis tonnage threshold.

I cannot find a specific material type on the list. The materials list does not correspond to the way in which I sell or transfer materials. The material types listed are more granular than the way in which I sell or transfer materials.

The material type list is not intended to be comprehensive or an exhaustive list of all materials. CalRecycle recognizes that there are myriad material types and combinations thereof. RDRS regulations require a reporting entity to report material type at the level of segregation when the reporting entity sells, transfers, or, in some cases, disposes material. No further sorting or characterization is required beyond the level of handling at the time of sale, transfer, or disposal for RDRS reporting purposes.

If the third level of detail (i.e. “Bottles” in RDRS Material Type “Plastic – PET – Bottles”) is reasonably similar to the grade or specification as sold or transferred, use this option.

If the second level of detail adequately describes the material type as sold or transferred (i.e. “PET” in RDRS Material Type “Plastic – PET – PET”), use this option.

If I am a jurisdiction, do I still need to send quarterly station notifications to my county’s local enforcement agency?

The requirement for a station to send a notification to the agency within which it is located (14 CCR § 18809.9) will sunset at the conclusion of reporting for DRS Quarter Two 2019: October 15, 2019. However, franchise agreements or local ordinances requiring continued submittal of certain data may still be in effect, so please contact your county or regional agency if you are uncertain.

What are the county’s reporting responsibilities with respect to RDRS?

Counties are responsible for reporting in RDRS only if they operate a reporting entity.

I don’t understand some of the terminology used in the system, where are these terms defined?

Many of the terms used in RDRS are defined in the regulations (14 CCR § 18815.2).

Inflows

What if the inflows reported as sent to my facility are slightly different than the amount I recorded accepting?

A transfer/processor or disposal facility may accept, modify, or reject incoming streams of material reported as having been sent to that facility. Small differences are expected. Large differences may require review or follow up with CalRecycle and the entity sending the report.

What if my facility does not send out all the inflows I received during a quarter (the inflow is not equal to the outflow)?

Inflows and outflows do not need to be equal in order to submit a quarterly report. If there is a significant difference between inflows and outflows, the system will generate a verification flag and ask you to verify the difference before submitting your report.

What if my facility accepts material as solid waste for disposal, but separates recyclables out of the solid waste load?

Report the tons of solid waste accepted and the tons of solid waste and separated recyclables sent to each facility, operation, or end user according to the methods specified in the regulations.

ADC green material is considered disposal for jurisdictions as of January 1, 2020. Should transfer/processors and disposal facilities begin identifying green material for ADC as solid waste?

No. Continue tracking the material as green material. When sent as potential beneficial reuse or used as ADC, jurisdiction of origin information will be tracked for green material in RDRS. Do not reclassify green material as solid waste. Green material ADC still does not count as solid waste subject to the Integrated Waste Management Fee.

Do I put my recyclable inflows under non-green and green material for potential beneficial reuse? I don’t see where else to add them.

Non-green and green material for potential beneficial reuse is only material that is sent to a landfill and will be used for ADC, AIC, construction, or landscaping and erosion control. This does not include green waste that will be transferred to a composter, metal or wood that is taken out of mixed waste to be further recycled, or any material going to an end use, recycler/composter, or broker/transporter outflow. CalRecycle is not required to track inflow of recyclable material, so you cannot report on the inflows of these materials. Your reported inflows of solid waste for disposal should only include 1) solid waste transferred from other facilities 2) solid waste that was direct hauled to your facility and 3) processing residuals that will be disposed from your facility. Often, your outflows will be greater than your inflows because you do not report on any inflows except non-green and green material for potential beneficial reuse; disaster debris; designated debris, and solid waste for disposal.

How do I report processing residuals?

For a transfer/processor or disposal facility: Input total tons of processing residuals accepted by the facility in the Inflows tab under the table “Total Material Accepted from Direct Haul at your Facility (Includes Processing Residuals).” Then, on the Disposal Origins tab, under the table labeled, “Direct Hauled Disposal Origins Accepted,” click the button “Add Host Assigned Waste.” Then, input the total tons of host-assigned waste accepted from direct-haul, including the tons of processing residuals generated by the facility into the “Tons Accepted” cell and click “Save.” Additional questions relating to the host-assigned waste will appear below the table. Click “Edit” to answer the questions about host assignment. Be sure to fill in all the form fields and click “Save.” RDRS may require you to verify large differences between inflows and outflows, but this will not stop you from submitting your report.

For a recycling and composting facility or operation: On the Outflows tab, ensure the check-box for the “Solid waste for disposal” outflow stream type is selected. Press “Edit” to select from all possible outflow stream types and click “Save” when finished. Then, under the “Solid waste for disposal” table that appears, click the “Add solid waste for disposal outflow” button. Utilize this procedure to report the tons of material sent for disposal by material type pursuant to section 18815.9(a).

There is no place for me to enter my tonnages of inbound source-separated recyclables or green material/green waste. The inflow and outflow tonnages will not balance because it looks like more material is leaving the facility than was accepted.

RDRS regulations do not require a business, facility, or operation to report on source-separated materials (such as segregated recyclables and compostables) received by the facility unless that material is accepted as solid waste for disposal, potential beneficial reuse, disaster debris disposal, or designated waste disposal. As a result, RDRS does not allow a business, facility, or operation to report source-separated material received on the Inflows tab.

The goal of RDRS reporting is not to provide a mass balance between inflows and outflows. RDRS will not prevent a reporting entity from submitting a report showing a difference between inflow and outflow tons. The system may, however, require verification of large tonnage differences between inflows and outflows.

Jurisdiction of Origin & Source Sector

What does “Host Assigned” mean?

“Host assigned” means the jurisdiction of origin of solid waste or green material for beneficial reuse is assigned to the jurisdiction within which the reporting entity is located. Transfer/processors and landfills will designate material as “host assigned” in RDRS if the material is generated onsite or if they cannot determine the origin.

Which method should my facility use to assign a source sector? Can we use a combination of methods?

A transfer/processor or disposal facility may use any of the approved source sector methods in section 18815.9(c)(1)-(c)(6).

Outflows

How do I send more than one material type to a single destination? When I click “Add Outflow” and try to add another material type to a facility I’ve already entered, it gives me an error message.

Click the “Select” button on the line containing the reporting entity for which you wish to add more materials. This will take you to the “Outflow Details” page. Then, in the table labeled “Materials,” click the button “Add Material.” Enter the material type and the tons and click “Save.” Then, that record will be added. Repeat this step for each material type sent to each destination facility as applicable to your reporting requirements.

Reporting Deadlines

When are the RDRS reporting deadlines?

RDRS reporting deadlines can be found on the RDRS Reporting Schedule (PDF) document.

Can we enter data monthly?

No. Reports must be submitted on a quarterly basis.

Will extensions be granted for reporting deadlines?

No, the Department cannot offer extensions for any reason. RDRS regulations do not permit the Department to grant extensions.

Wastewater Treatment Plants

Under which reporting entity category should I register my wastewater treatment plant?

Wastewater treatment plants meeting/exceeding the lowest applicable de minimis tonnage threshold would register and report as a “recycling and composting facility or operation” reporting entity category (also known as a “recycler/composter” under these regulations) [18815.3(b)(4)(D); 18815.2(a)(65); 18815.2(a)(43)(B)].

I only produce grit and screenings. Do I need to register/report?

No. Grit and screenings are considered solid waste, not an organic feedstock or intermediate product; therefore, the facility would be exempt pursuant to 14 CCR § 18815.3(c)(5)(B): Wastewater treatment plants that do not sell or transfer organic feedstock or intermediate products off-site.

As a wastewater treatment plant, I only send material to a disposal facility (such as a landfill) for disposal or beneficial reuse. Do I need to register/report?

No. The facility would be exempt pursuant to 14 CCR § 18815.3(c)(5)(B): Wastewater treatment plants that do not sell or transfer organic feedstock or intermediate products off-site.

I send material to a broker, and they determine the final destination. How do I report?

This is a brokering/transporting outflow stream type. On the Outflows tab, ensure the check-box for the “Brokering/transporting” outflow stream type is selected. Press “Edit” to select from all possible outflow stream types and click “Save” when finished. Then, under the “Brokering/transporting” table that appears, click the “Add brokering/transporting outflow” button. Utilize this procedure to report the tons of material sent to each broker/transporter by material type pursuant to section 18815.9(a). The person to whom your material was sent may have a reporting obligation.

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