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.

A new California bag law went into effect on Jan. 1, 2026,

changing the types of bags stores can provide at checkout. Senate Bill 1053 restricts point-of-sale carryout bags and is intended to reduce plastic bag waste. California had already banned single-use plastic bags at checkout counters years ago.

However, the earlier law did not create the intended reduction in plastic bag use. Some businesses began offering thicker plastic bags that were considered reusable. According to the Trash Flash, the tonnage of grocery and merchandise bags disposed of by Californians increased by 47% between 2014 and 2022.

The New California Bag Law

responds to that issue by no longer allowing those thicker plastic carryout bags. Stores may now provide customers with recycled paper carryout bags for a minimum charge of 10 cents per bag.

For Ventura residents, the most practical solution is simple: bring reusable bags when shopping. Reusable grocery bags are affordable, strong and often hold more than paper bags. Keeping a few in your car or near the door can make it easier to remember them before heading into the store.

Reducing Plastic Bag Use Matters

Plastic has long-term environmental impacts. Plastic does not biodegrade the way organic materials do. Instead, it breaks into smaller and smaller pieces over time, creating microplastics and nanoplastics that can pollute the environment. Plastic bags and bottles are part of a larger global plastic pollution problem affecting oceans and waterways.

This law also connects to broader waste-reduction efforts across Ventura County. Proper sorting, recycling and Food Waste Recycling all depend on keeping the wrong materials out of the wrong places. Plastic bags should not be placed in recycling carts, and they do not belong in organics carts.

As your Ventura County Trash Hauler, E.J. Harrison encourages residents to make small daily changes that reduce waste and support cleaner communities. Bringing reusable bags is one of the easiest steps to take.

Review local recycling and trash guidelines at ejharrison.com/guidelines.

Food Waste Recycling is a Team Effort

That includes E.J. Harrison truck drivers, Gold Coast Recycling sorting in Ventura, Agromin and the Mountain View Organic Waste Processing Facility in Oxnard developing end products for sustainable use in farms and gardens.

When you properly bag your food waste, place it in your E.J. Harrison & Sons organics cart and close the lid, you have completed an important first step. But your food waste’s journey is only beginning.

Each step helps move food waste away from the landfill and toward more useful environmental outcomes.

The process begins on residential collection routes.

Harrison drivers empty organics carts into their trucks, where bagged food waste joins yard trimmings, plants, cut grass and branches. Once the trucks are full, drivers take the material to Gold Coast Recycling in Ventura. There, the load is emptied onto the floor and sorted. Equipment and workers help separate trash, green waste and bagged food waste.

Once the bagged food waste is separated from the green waste, it is added to a large roll-off container. When the container is full, it is transported to Agromin’s Mountain View Organic Waste Processing Facility in Oxnard.

At the Mountain View Facility,

food waste is emptied into a hopper and moves through a series of machines and processes. Those systems remove nonfood material and compress the remaining food waste into a clean slurry. That material is then stored in tanks. According to the Trash Flash, much of the material is currently shipped to a wastewater plant, where it can ultimately become renewable natural gas and be pumped into a pipeline. It can also be used for fertilizer production and compost enrichment.

This process shows why proper sorting at home matters. Trash, plastic, pet waste, glass, metal and other contaminants do not belong in the organics cart. Food waste should be securely bagged, while yard waste should be placed loose in the cart.

As your local Ventura County Trash Hauler, E.J. Harrison is proud to support a system that helps reduce methane-producing food waste in landfills and turn discarded material into useful green products.

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