Santa Barbara businesses will be notified during the next few weeks of a rate increase in trash and recycling rates.

On Tuesday, the Santa Barbara City Council voted to approve the notifications, and a public hearing on the rate increases will be held Oct. 13. If the council approves the changes to the rate structures, they would take effect Nov. 1.

Santa Barbara businesses can expect to see a summary of the changes when they open their water and trash utility bills in July and August.

New rates would include discounts of 85 percent for recycling, green waste and food scrap collection for business customers, according to a statement from the city.

Businesses would see an increase if they don’t recycle at least 50 percent of their waste, and those that divert 50 percent of their waste from landfill placement would see a decrease in monthly trash bills.

“By separating recyclables, green waste and food scraps from the trash, most businesses will be able to divert 66 percent of their waste stream from the landfill,”  Environmental Services Supervisor Stephen MacIntosh said in the statement.

Residential customers are not affected by these changes.

— Noozhawk staff writer Lara Cooper can be reached at lcooper@noozhawk.com.