GMSP: Recology talks trash, goals,
services of new provider addressed
May 15, 2015
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula News
There’s been no interrupted service with the company that bought out the city’s refuse hauler and Recology vows to not only to strive for zero waste going to landfills but also to continue strong community support.
Josie Kalbakian, Waste Zero Manager of Recology Los Angeles was a featured speaker at the May Good Morning Santa Paula breakfast meeting sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce where she talked trash in the most positive way.
Interim Public Works Director Brian Yanez introduced Kalbakian noting that her company purchased refuse disposal company Crown, “A mom and pop operation that was very supportive of the community…Recology is also.”
But it’s no mom and pop operation although Kalbakian said Recology had such roots before becoming a major hauler and recycler in three states.
The San Francisco-based company had its roots in the late 19th Century when “Italian immigrants came to the Bay Area to find opportunities,” and discovered that salvaging items from garbage cans could be lucrative.
Bottles were rewashed, repackaged, and sold to wineries; rags and papers were sorted from other refuse and clothes repurposed. Wood, food scraps, and all other reusable materials found their next best use.
Recology was founded in 1921 and considered the pioneer of recycling.
“We consider ourselves a resource recovery company,” whose goal is zero waste said Kalbakian, who with Recology is helping communities to reduce waste and generate more recycling through often simple measures.
Recology now provides services throughout California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington, including collection, transfer, disposal, landfill management, composting, and recycling. Recology is the largest employee-owned company in the industry
Although she works out of the Sun Valley office of Recology, Kalbakian said she always “Loves to come to Santa Paula…whenever I come out here I don’t want to leave, the weather is so nice, the people are so nice.
“And, on behalf of Recology we’re looking forward to working with the community,” it now serves.
That includes helping businesses that want to reduce waste by providing a free onsite consultation; Recology has reached a 90 percent recycling rate in San Francisco.
Kalbakian said Recology will abide by the Crown contract and plans to mirror its community involvement.
“We look for opportunities,” to be a part of the community and show support.
Overall, although Recology is “very aggressive” in research on recycling waste it still does not consider its business a “numbers game but quality of work, that’s what it’s all about, it’s really about service. Cost of course is a big concern but after cost it’s service.”
One Recology customer is Beverly Hills, causing one GMSP attendee to ask if residents put their trash out in gift bags.
Kalbakian said Recology handles Beverly Hills commercial accounts and the city provides its residents with residential pickup.
Yanez noted that waste reduction and recycling is important not only for the environment but also for compliance with state law and guidelines.
“We have to make sure our haulers provide us with service to keep us out of trouble,” an issue in the past, but now Santa Paula is looked upon as a leader by implementing the first food waste program in Ventura County.
