Take compost home from Saturday’s Community Drop Off Event

October 28, 2011
Santa Paula News

Saturday’s Community Drop Off Event will again give Santa Paulans the opportunity to gather up and get rid of their big stuff - but then they’ll be able to take something home, free compost!

The Community Drop Off will be held from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Harding Park, 1330 E. Harvard Blvd. 

The cost for dropping off items during the event - conducted by Crown Disposal Inc., which now handles the city’s residential and commercial refuse services - is $10 per vehicle, and payment can be made with check or cash. Those utilizing the Drop Off must show identification - a copy of or a current utility bill or a driver’s license - proving they are a Santa Paula resident.

Accepted will be those large items often hard to get rid of: appliances, furniture, TVs, computers, monitors, printers, yard waste, construction and demolition waste. Not accepted at the Drop Off are tires, household hazardous waste, paint, oil, batteries, pesticides, explosives or loose trash. Concrete, asphalt, brick or block will not be accepted, due to the temporary closure of the Palm Yard, 600 S. Palm Avenue.

But don’t drop off anything that can be filled with the free compost that will be offered on a first come first served basis. According to Crown Supervisor Frank Cuevas, based at the company’s Santa Paula business office, people can get as much as they want of the compost, which will probably be a semi-truckload. 

The loose compost will require those interested in taking some home to bring their own containers. “We let a couple of people at a time” shovel compost into their containers or pickup truck beds, and Cuevas said the work “goes pretty quick.” He noted people are welcome to take the compost home and then return for more as long as supplies last. 

Crown General Manager Tim Fry said the 25 tons of compost that will be given away Saturday is timely: “It’s the perfect time of the year to plant with it, put it on your lawns or flower beds” to add nutrients to the soil that will work its way back to the root matter.

Crown will be providing 25 tons of free compost four times a year at the regularly scheduled Drop Off events, a total of 100 tons annually. “People can take as little or as much as they want, they can bring trashcan barrels or pickup trucks until it all runs out.... One of the things we told the city” when the company took over the refuse disposal franchise is that Crown would provide the community with free compost.

The Community Drop Off Event also benefits the Santa Paula High School Cardinal baseball team: players have already been helping Crown with the drop off events and now will start compost giveaway duties. In return Crown donates $1,000 per event to the team. 

“They are really appreciative, can use the money, so it’s a good deal for all of us. They’re really good kids” that Fry got to know at the last event. “I was there the whole time and got to know them... they’re all very well mannered and well-managed by their coaching staff, a good bunch of guys. And it’s a natural for the kids who know many of the customers” attending the event.

Crown, said Fry, “just hopes people turn out for the Drop Off Saturday and then take advantage of the free compost.” For more information call Crown’s Santa Paula office, 933-0100.





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