What’s Up With Waste Cart Colors?

What’s Up With Waste Cart Colors?

If you see a black trash cart instead of the usual green this summer,

don’t fret – it’s just part of an ongoing statewide effort toward a uniform color system for residential waste bins.

State law mandates the uniform colors but gives trash haulers until 2036 for full implementation. Harrison Industries developed an orderly delivery plan that began with new developments. When your turn comes, you will be notified and receive instructions.

Based on the state rules:

* New black carts will replace the green ones now used for trash.

* Green carts will replace the tan ones now used for yard and food waste.

* Blue recycle carts will remain blue.

In the meantime, please choose the correct cart for disposal. Remember, the blue cart is for recyclables ONLY. Yard and food waste goes in the tan cart (first put food waste in plastic or paper bags and secure them tightly). All other trash goes in the green cart, or the new black cart if you have one of those.

We’re now picking up all three carts weekly, giving you more room to recycle all that you can.

For more information about waste cart guidelines and the state legislation that mandates it, visit ejharrison.com/guidelines

 

Food Waste Recycling: An Urgent Matter

Food Waste Recycling: An Urgent Matter

Food Waste Recycling: An Urgent Matter

Within the next 10 years, our planet’s temperature is likely to reach the point of no return unless we take widespread action to reduce global warming, the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned in a March report. Heat waves, famines and other extreme climate disasters could kill millions of people, and at that point there will be little we can do about it, the report found.

Food waste recycling graphic july 2022

So, what can you do immediately and easily to fight climate change? The answer is simple: Recycle food waste and other organic materials.

The state of California began last year to require the diversion of food waste from landfills, because anaerobic decomposition of organic materials at landfills creates methane, a greenhouse gas 84 times more potent than carbon dioxide when it comes to global warming.

Greenhouse gas pollution emitted by U.S. landfills is equivalent to that produced by 66 million gas-powered passenger vehicles a year, or by 79 coal-fired power plants, the nonprofit, nonpartisan Environmental Integrity Project said in a May report called “Trashing the Climate: Methane from Municipal Landfills.”

“Food waste, in particular, is a growing problem that can be addressed,” says the report, noting Americans throw out about 40 percent of their food. “If wasted food were a country, it would be the third-largest emitter of global greenhouse gases, behind China (21 percent) and the United States (13 percent),” the report says.

Knife-cutting-Food-waste-recycling-kitchen-scraps

Harrison Industries began a pilot program

for commercial food waste recycling years ago and added a residential program in 2022. Participation is not only mandatory – it’s an urgent necessity.

“We’ve faced two droughts in 10 years, fires and now floods. We have to work together to fight climate change in every way we can,” Rachel Machi Wagoner, director of the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, recently told the Sacramento News & Review.

“Not everybody’s going to be able to go out and buy an electric vehicle tomorrow,” she said, but “everybody can throw their organic waste” in a recycling bin.

For more information about food waste recycling and the state legislation that mandates it, visit ejharrison.com/food-waste.

 

E.J. Harrison Industries Earns New County Agreements

E.J. Harrison Industries Earns New County Agreements

The Ventura County Board of Supervisors has chosen E.J. Harrison & Sons, Inc. to provide residential waste collection in most of the county’s unincorporated areas after a long, thorough selection process.

The board at its May 16 meeting approved the county Public Works Agency’s recommendation to choose Harrison to serve three of the county’s four unincorporated zones.

Supervisor Jeff Gorell praised Harrison’s local roots and community involvement since its founding 91 years ago and made the motion to approve the staff recommendation. Gorell said Harrison “has a reputation for excellence and for service, and they are so connected to the community.”

Board Chairman Matt LaVere seconded the motion, and the board passed it unanimously. “I don’t know that there is another business in this entire county that gives more back to the community it serves,” LaVere said.

Harrison was chosen for the northern zone that includes the Rincon, unincorporated areas of Ventura and the Ojai Valley, and the remote northeastern part of the county; the central zone of unincorporated areas around Santa Paula, Fillmore, Camarillo and Oxnard; and the southwest zone between Thousand Oaks, Point Mugu and the ocean. Athens Services, Inc. won the fourth zone, which includes unincorporated areas around Moorpark, Simi Valley and east Thousand Oaks.

The new residential solid waste collection agreements will begin Jan. 1, 2024, and run for 10 years, with options for two 5-year extensions. Final details still need to be worked out and approved by the board, possibly on June 20.

5 Earth Day Tips for Reducing Food Waste

5 Earth Day Tips for Reducing Food Waste

   With the passing of Senate Bill 1383 (SB 1383), food waste recycling and recovery has been a hot topic. This Earth Day, we wanted to spotlight the 5 best tips for reducing food waste and how to practice dedicated food recovery programs. If you’re inspired to join EJ Harrison’s food recycling mission to help reduce your carbon footprint but don’t know where to start, these simple techniques and tips are aimed at helping you reduce your food waste at home and find creative ways to reduce, reuse and recycle your favorite foods.

  1. Meal Prep. Cook in Bulk and Freeze your Leftovers.

The issue with large batching your meals is the monotony of eating the same meals over and over again. We suggest choosing easy to customize recipes during reheating. Soup, noodle and rice dishes are good options that can be spiced up in many different and unique ways.

2. Use individual storage containers for easy packs and go lunches for you and your family.

The convenience and comfort of grabbing your own homemade lunch thats ready to go is unmatched, not to mention cutting your food costs from eating at restaurants.

3. Use leftover vegetable scraps to make your own homemade stocks.

Zucchini, carrots, celery and other root vegetables can be boiled with other scraps like bones to make delicious homemade stocks.

4. Add leftover meats to your favorite salad, wrap or stir-fry.

Make your salad a complete, nutritious meal by adding leftover meats.

Throwing-Away-Food-Waste-In-Brown-Yard-Waste-Cart-EJ-Harrison-Industries-Trash-Hauler-Ventura-County

5. Recycle your food waste and scraps at home.

Harrison has a simple, 4 step program for recycling your food waste. 

  1. Collect food waste in a clear plastic bag.
  2. Clean your scraps by removing any stickers, twist ties or rubberbands that can’t be recycled.
  3. Store food waste in a proper receptacle.
  4. Dispose of your food waste by placing your tied off bag into your yard waste cart for pick-up.

Learn More: Food Waste Recycling & Senate Bill 1383

Earth Day EcoFest 2023 with Ventura Charter School

Earth Day EcoFest 2023 with Ventura Charter School

As proud Sponsors for this year’s Ventura EcoFest, we invite you to join us for Earth Day EcoFest on Sunday, April 16th, 2023, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Ventura Charter School Campus! This free event is fun for the whole family.

Ventura Charter School’s annual Earth Day EcoFest has grown each year since it began in 2007 and draws thousands of visitors who come to enjoy a beautiful day outdoors in celebration of Mother Earth, life, and green living. In addition to providing engaging entertainment, we are committed to help kindle awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s natural environment, as well as provide a showcase for local businesses engaged in green technologies and approaches to sustainable living. Ventura Charter School is proud to have received the “Globie” award from the City of Ventura two years in a row for Community Activism for our involvement and support of the environment.

 

Environmental Education at Ventura Charter School focuses on environmental literacy– learning about and caring for the total environment, understanding how humans interact with and are dependent on natural ecosystems, and developing critical-thinking skills to resolve environmental issues. Stewardship of the earth is a fundamental tenant of the School vision. An awareness of the fragility of the ecosystems is crucial as well as the development of a strong sense of responsibility for protecting, preserving, and restoring the earth for future generations. To learn more about this year’s Earth Day EcoFest, visit Facebook Ventura Earth Day 

 

A fun day for the whole family!

  • Over 80 Eco-friendly Vendors
  • Live, Family-fun Entertainment & Music
  • Children’s Games and Activities
  • Low waste Food & Drinks
  • Raffle with prices worth thousands of dollars!

See more at www.venturacharterschool.org

Recycle Your Christmas Tree

Recycle Your Christmas Tree

E.J. Harrison & Sons, Newbury Disposal and Santa Clara Valley Disposal ask “Why not turn your Christmas tree into a gift to Mother Earth by recycling it?”

After Christmas, from Dec. 26 to Jan, 7, just do this:

  • Remove all ornaments, hooks, lights, tinsel, nails and stands
  • Cut into 4-foot sections and place in Organics/Yard Waste Cart on your scheduled pick-up day
  • If you have NO Organics/Yard Waste Cart place the whole Christmas tree curbside on your collection day
  • Flocked Trees also are accepted for recycling.

Apartment and condo dwellers, please contact your management to make sure they have arranged for Christmas tree collection.

Trees that are collected will be processed into various sizes of mulch by Agromin. The material is used to make several products that benefit our farmlands, orchards, nurseries, landscape projects and home gardens.

You can buy a wide array of Agromin soil amendments at a number of businesses in Ventura County. For locations, visit www.agromin.com, where you also can order Agromin products online. Do so and you’re giving a holiday gift that keeps on giving.

Harrison Keeps it Green: Climate Registry

Harrison Keeps it Green: Climate Registry

We’re still leading the ecological charge, achieving well beyond carbon neutrality in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. According to the latest Climate Registry and Avoided Emissions Reporting, Harrison Industries has fully offset its direct GHG emissions surpassing net zero in emissions by 21 times.

“As you can imagine, any company just trying to get to net zero is hard,” said Bill Camarillo, CEO of Harrison partner Agromin, “but the Harrisons have been able to average, over 10 years, 21 times greater than net zero, which is a tremendous accomplishment.”

It’s a remarkable number but not unexpected. We have a well tracked history of avoided emissions – including a fleet of trucks that run entirely on clean fuel – and following all of the protocol. We see this as our greatest responsibility and our greatest success as a trash/recycle company.

We at Harrison are very proud of our annual high ranking on the prestigious Climate Registry, which monitors greenhouse gas emissions. 

Harrison joined The Climate Registry in 2008 – just after the registry was formed – and it’s met its goal of remaining far ahead of the clean-air curve every year. The Climate Registry is a nonprofit organization designed and created in 2007 to manage and reduce businesses’ greenhouse gas emissions. Governed by U.S. states and Canadian provinces and territories, the registry operates GHG reporting programs globally and assists organizations in measuring, reporting and verifying the carbon in their operations in order to manage and reduce it.

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