California Senate Bill 1383

makes organic waste collection part of normal operations for businesses and multifamily properties with five or more units, unless an approved waiver or other local exception applies. For E.J. Harrison & Sons customers, compliance starts with a collection system that employees, contractors, tenants and customers can understand and use.

Businesses generally must participate in their jurisdiction’s organics collection service or self-haul organic material to an approved recycling, composting or other permitted recovery operation. Multifamily property owners and managers also must provide organic waste collection access for employees and tenants. Local requirements determine the exact service arrangement, so customers should confirm details with E.J. Harrison & Sons or their jurisdiction.

Containers are a central part of the program.

Businesses must provide an adequate number, size and location of organics and recycling containers with the correct colors or labels. Except for restrooms, commercial customer collection areas generally need recycling and organics containers placed beside trash containers. This makes the correct choice visible at the moment material is discarded.

Education is equally important. Businesses must provide annual sorting information to employees, contractors, tenants and customers, and information must also be supplied to new tenants within 14 days of occupancy. Training should identify accepted materials, explain where containers are located and make clear that food waste and recyclables do not belong in the trash.

Participation alone is not the finish line.

The Fall 2026 Trash Flash also directs businesses to inspect trash, recycling and organic waste bins for contamination quarterly. When incorrect material is found, employees should be reminded of the sorting requirements. Keeping a simple record of inspections and training can help managers maintain a consistent program.

Waivers may be available for qualifying operations, including certain low-volume or space-constrained sites, but eligibility is not automatic. Businesses should have their specific situation reviewed before assuming they are exempt.

E.J. Harrison & Sons can help customers assess service needs, container placement and waiver eligibility.

Email Contract Compliance Field Supervisor Donald Sealund at donalds@ejharrison.com or Contract Compliance Manager Daniel Harrison at danielh@ejharrison.com.

Working with your Ventura County Trash Hauler can make correct sorting easier to maintain across the property.

For additional guidance, visit https://ejharrison.com/commercial-food-waste-guidelines/. 

Photos by Brendan Daly with WhizCom Marketing.

Review the 2026 E.J. Harrison holiday collection schedule for Ventura residents and service delays.

Ventura residents should review the 2026 E.J. Harrison & Sons holiday collection schedule to know when trash, recycling and organics service will be delayed.

For the remainder of 2026, there will be a one-day delay in service for select holidays. Labor Day falls on Monday, Sept. 7, and there will be a delay for all Monday through Friday customers. Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, Nov. 26, and there will be a delay for Thursday and Friday customers. Christmas falls on Friday, Dec. 25, and there will be a delay for Friday customers.

There will be no collection service changes for several other 2026 holidays.

According to the Summer 2026 Trash Flash, there are no changes for Juneteenth on Friday, June 19; Independence Day on Saturday, July 4; Indigenous Peoples Day on Monday, Oct. 12; and Veterans Day on Wednesday, Nov. 11.

Holiday schedules are important because collection delays can affect when residents place carts at the curb. During a one-day delay, service shifts by one day for the affected customers. For example, if your regular collection day is delayed by a holiday, your service will occur the following day.

Ventura County Residents should continue using the correct carts during holiday weeks.

Trash, recycling and organics should still be sorted properly. Food waste should be bagged and sealed securely before being placed in the organics cart. Recyclables should be clean, empty and loose. Trash should be limited to items that do not belong in recycling or organics.

Proper sorting remains important even during busy holiday weeks,

when households may generate more packaging, food scraps and extra trash. If you have extra trash beyond normal cart capacity, E.J. Harrison offers roll-off and 3-yard bins for rent. Customers can call 805-647-1414 or 1-800-41-TRASH for information and rates.

As a Ventura County Trash Service provider,

E.J. Harrison encourages residents to plan ahead, review holiday delays and place carts out according to the adjusted schedule when applicable.

For service information, visit ejharrison.com or call 1-800-41-TRASH.

Photos by Brendan Daly with WhizCom Marketing.

E.J. Harrison & Sons is once again looking forward to California Coastal Cleanup Day,

taking place Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. This annual event brings together volunteers across the state to help clean beaches, shorelines, rivers, lakes and watersheds.

For E.J. Harrison, Coastal Cleanup Day is an important tradition. Ventura County’s coast and waterways are a major part of what makes this community special, and keeping them clean takes participation from residents, businesses, families and local organizations.

Nearly every body of water in California eventually flows to the ocean.

Along the way, water can carry trash from streets, neighborhoods, parks and inland areas into creeks, rivers and coastal waters. Coastal Cleanup Day gives volunteers a chance to stop some of that trash before it reaches the ocean or remove it from areas where it has already collected.

The impact can be significant. According to 2024 data shared in the Trash Flash, 1,439 Ventura County volunteers collected almost 14,000 pounds of trash. Across California, 47,493 volunteers collected just over 405,000 pounds of trash during the event.

Ventura County residents have two ways to participate this year.

The first is to volunteer at an official cleanup site from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. Volunteers are encouraged to bring reusable supplies when possible, such as a bucket, gloves, water bottle and hat, to help reduce waste during the cleanup. Pre-registration is not required, but participants should print and sign the waiver available through the Ventura County Coastal Cleanup website.

The second option is a self-guided cleanup.

If you cannot participate on Sept. 19, you can clean your own neighborhood, local park or trail any day in September. Volunteers can use the free Clean Swell data collection app to track and report cleanup results.

As a Ventura County Trash Service provider,

E.J. Harrison is proud to support community efforts that keep trash out of local waterways and protect the environment we all share.

Find cleanup details and sites at vccoastcleanup.org.

Photos by Brendan Daly with WhizCom Marketing.

E.J. Harrison & Sons

and Santa Clara Valley Disposal customers should plan for a one-day delay in residential trash, recycling and yard/organics waste collection during Labor Day week.

Employees will observe Labor Day on Monday, Sept. 7, 2026. As a result, residential collection will occur one day later than usual during the week of Sept. 6–12. Regular collection schedules will resume the following week.

Customers in Ventura, Camarillo, Ojai and the surrounding unincorporated communities

served by E.J. Harrison & Sons should place their carts at the curb one day after their normal collection day.

Carpinteria residential customers who normally receive Thursday service will have their trash, recycling and yard/organics waste collected Friday, Sept. 11. Regular Thursday collection will resume the following week.

In Fillmore, where residential service is provided by Santa Clara Valley Disposal, the regular Friday collection will take place Saturday, Sept. 12. Normal Friday service will resume the following week.

Continue Food Waste Recycling Every Week

The Labor Day schedule changes the collection day, but it does not change what belongs in each cart. Residential customers may place all three carts at the curb every week.

Food waste is recyclable and should be placed in closed paper or plastic bags before being added to the yard/organics waste cart. This helps prevent contamination because food waste and yard waste are processed separately. Even when an organics cart contains bagged food waste but no yard waste, customers can still place it at the curb for weekly collection.

Consistent Food Waste Recycling helps keep organic material out of landfills. California began requiring food waste diversion in 2022. When food waste decomposes in a landfill, it produces methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. Properly separating food waste supports a cleaner waste stream and helps protect the environment.

Before the holiday,

note your temporary collection day and share this reminder with neighbors. E.J. Harrison & Sons is proud to provide dependable Ventura County Trash Service and help customers understand how to sort their waste correctly.

For more information from your local Ventura County Trash Hauler, visit ejharrison.com.

Learn more about residential Food Waste Recycling at ejharrison.com/residential-food-waste.

Photos by Brendan Daly with WhizCom Marketing.

The Mountain View Organic Waste Processing Facility in Oxnard,

continues to draw attention for its role in local Food Waste Recycling. Since its official grand opening in November of 2025, the facility has been recognized by local media and recycling industry publications for its technology, processing capabilities and importance to organic waste diversion.

The facility is operated by E.J. Harrison’s partners at Agromin. Agromin currently recycles 40 tons of food waste per day at the Mountain View facility and has the capacity to process as much as 300 tons per day.

The New Mountain View Facility

plays an important role in both commercial and residential food waste recycling. E.J. Harrison trucks that pick up food waste from commercial customers take that material directly to Mountain View. Residential food waste is first separated from other materials in organics carts at Gold Coast Recycling in Ventura, then transported to Mountain View for processing.

At the facility, food waste moves through advanced equipment and processes that remove nonfood material and prepare the organic material for beneficial uses. The finished material can support composting or energy production, helping reduce the amount of organic waste sent to landfills.

This matters because food waste in landfills produces methane, a climate-harming gas. Diverting food waste from landfills is a key part of California’s organic waste reduction goals and local sustainability efforts. For Ventura County residents, participating is straightforward: collect food scraps, bag them securely and place them in the organics waste cart.

The Attention Mountain View has Received

from recycling industry publications and local media reflects the importance of building systems that can manage food waste at scale. But the system still depends on daily participation from customers. Proper sorting at the cart helps keep trash, plastic and other contaminants out of the food waste stream.

As a Ventura County Trash Hauler, E.J. Harrison is proud to work with partners like Agromin and Gold Coast Recycling to support practical, local solutions for organic waste. Every properly sorted organics cart helps move food waste away from landfills and into a better recycling pathway.

Learn more about food waste recycling at ejharrison.com/food-waste.

Photos by Brendan Daly with WhizCom Marketing.