Three King City businesses received recycling recognition certificates on Thursday, May 21, from the Salinas Valley Solid Waste Authority (SVSWA), aka Salinas Valley Recycles, board of directors. McDonald’s, Tacos La Potranca De Jalisco and El Taquero Deli, all located on Broadway Street and Broadway Circle in King City, have successfully implemented a food waste collection program into their business.
SVSWA is a public joint powers agency that manages solid waste, recycling and resource recovery for the eastern half of Monterey County. Christian Thornley from Waste Management and Guillermina Gutierrez from SVSWA presented the awards.
Raymond Acosta, owner of the McDonald's in King City, attended the SVSWA board meeting.
“It's been a real challenge for McDonald’s because there are only 200 restaurants in the nation who use compostable packaging,” he said.
The King City McDonald’s implemented its food waste program back in March of 2021 and started with one 64-gallon cart and has since expanded to two, Acosta said. Most of what McDonald’s recycles are coffee grounds and egg shells; the store also uses biodegradable bags.
Francisco Chavez, owner of Tacos La Potranca De Jalisco, also implemented the food waste program in 2021 and also uses compostable bags.
El Taquero Deli, which opened at the start of 2025, implemented the food waste program from the start. Unlike the other two businesses, they don't use biodegradable bags but do compost vegetables.