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.

 

Refuse Collection Delayed One Day for Memorial Day Holiday

Refuse Collection Delayed One Day for Memorial Day Holiday

In observance of the Memorial Day holiday, employees of Harrison Industries will be taking the day off on Monday, May 29. As a result, Harrison will collect trash, recycling and yard/organic waste one day later than usual during the week of May 28 to June 3. The regular schedule will resume the following week.

3carts-weekly-Green-Blue-Brown-Trash-Recycle-Yard-Waste-Carts-Three-Carts-Weekly-EJ-Harrison-Industries-Trash-Hauler

Remember that Harrison’s residential customers can place all three carts curbside every week, as Harrison collects all waste weekly – including food waste, which is now recyclable. All food waste should be placed in closed bags and the bags should be tossed or placed in the yard/organic waste cart.

 

Thank you for your role in the success of our food waste recycling program. Food waste recycling is the law, but more importantly, it’s vital for the environment. Food waste emits destructive methane gas as it decays, damaging our atmosphere and causing global warming.

 We continue to be a statewide leader in developing the programs and infrastructure needed to implement this ambitious project and we wouldn’t be as successful without your participation.

Food waste recycling graphic july 2022

Harrison Industries serves the cities and surrounding unincorporated areas of Ventura, Ojai and Camarillo as well as the unincorporated areas of El Rio, Somis, Ojai Valley, the Channel Islands beach communities and the city of Carpinteria as E.J. Harrison & Sons; Fillmore and surrounding unincorporated areas as Santa Clara Valley Disposal; and the unincorporated areas of Newbury Park as Newbury Disposal.

 To see EJ Harrison’s full Holiday Schedule, follow the link below.

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

New Recycling Bills in 2023

New Recycling Bills in 2023

The California Legislature passed nearly 1,200 bills last year, and Gov. Gavin Newsom signed about 1,000 of them into law. Several involve waste disposal and recycling, including these:

Assembly Bill 1985: This bill gives municipalities more time to comply with the state’s landmark Senate Bill 1383, which aims to cut by 75 percent the amount of organic waste ending up in landfills by 2025.

Jurisdictions were assigned specific, population-based targets for procuring compost, mulch or biogas derived from organic waste recycling. They were expected to be in full compliance with those targets last year but now have until Jan. 1, 2025. 

Senate Bill 1013: This bill adds wine and liquor bottles to the California Redemption Value (CRV) program, starting Jan. 1, 2024. It also authorizes funding, market development and infrastructure improvements to promote glass recycling.

Again, this change will not take effect until next year, and you can expect to hear more from us on this significant expansion of the state’s bottle and can deposit program.

Organic Waste Recycling Facility Gets Permits

Organic Waste Recycling Facility Gets Permits

Expansion of commercial food waste recycling capacity recently received a big boost when the city of Oxnard approved permits needed for a new processing operation off Mountain View Avenue.

Our business partner Agromin secured permits for its Mountain View Organic Waste Processing Facility as it prepares to launch a facility that can process source-separated commercial food waste.

In the works since 2017, the facility will be able to process up to 300 tons a day of source-separated organic waste, helping to convert it into animal feed, organic fertilizer or bioenergy.

To meet the challenges of California Senate Bill 1383, which mandates recycling of food and other organic waste to reduce climate-harming methane gas emissions from landfills, Agromin has spent years working with Harrison and local officials to launch the new Mountain View facility.

Mountain View will significantly expand our recycling capacity, as will Agromin’s project to expand its Limoneira compost facility in the Santa Clara River Valley to handle commercial and residential food waste.

Commercial Food Waste Recycling Success

Commercial Food Waste Recycling Success

Harrison’s commercial customers did a great job last year as we expanded our food waste recycling program. Now we’re hoping to do even better in 2023.

State Senate Bill 1383 added food materials to the list of landscaping, agricultural and other green waste that should be recycled, effective last year. At Harrison, we’re actually entering our eighth year of food waste recycling, thanks to pilot commercial programs in the cities we serve.

The goal is to greatly reduce the amount of organic waste ending up at landfills, thereby reducing climate-harming methane emissions.

Under SB 1383, commercial customers must recycle all their organic waste, including food waste, unless they have a waiver. All businesses must provide organic and recycling bins next to each trash bin for their employees, contractors, tenants and customers, except in areas that do not generate any recycling or organic waste. Waste bins must be clearly labeled to show which materials go where. And they must be inspected quarterly for cross-contamination.

If you haven’t signed up, contact us immediately to determine your individual requirements and waiver eligibility. Email Harrison Contract Compliance Field Supervisor Donald Sealund at donalds@ejharrison.com or Contract Compliance Manager Daniel Harrison at danielh@ejharrison.com.  

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

Refuse Collection Delayed One Day for Memorial Day Holiday

Refuse Collection Delayed One Day for Memorial Day Holiday

In observance of the Memorial Day holiday, employees of Harrison Industries
will be taking the day off on Monday, May 30. As a result, Harrison will collect
trash, recycling and yard/organic waste one day later than usual during the
week of May 29 to June 4. The regular schedule will resume the following
week.

 To see EJ Harrison’s full Holiday Schedule, follow the link below.

Please Recycle Your Food Waste!

Please Recycle Your Food Waste!

As most of our customers know, Harrison is now accepting residential food waste for weekly collection and recycling. We hope everyone is taking advantage of this invaluable new service.

Simply place all of your food waste in plastic or paper bags; securely close the bags (tie off plastic bags and tightly fold paper bags); and place them in your yard waste carts, for collection along with your (loose) yard waste on your regular service day.

NOTE: FOOD WASTE MUST BE BAGGED, so we can separate it out for use as compost, fertilizer, animal feed and other green products.

Food waste recycling is not just the right thing to do; it’s the law, as set forth in California Senate Bill 1383, which took effect in January as a mandate to set our state on the right path toward reversing climate change. Food waste emits destructive methane gas as it decays, damaging our atmosphere and causing global warming.

ALL FOOD WASTE is accepted for recycling, including bones, peels, shells and coffee grounds. DO NOT place trash; non-organic recyclables (plastic, metal, glass); pet waste; or Styrofoam in yard waste carts.


Click here for all the information, including a complete Q&A, on food waste recycling.

Translate »