Evaluation: More efforts being made on food recycling by hauler Recology

April 01, 2016
Santa Paula News

Recology Los Angeles/Ventura underwent its first City Council evaluation as the trash hauler hit its one-year anniversary contracting with Santa Paula, with recycling rates and customer perks outlined as well as future goals.

Interim Public Works Director Brian Yanez told the council at the March 21 meeting that the city had contracted out its solid waste services in 2011, and last year the original franchisee, Crown Disposal, sold to Northern California based Recology. 

“They started operating in the beginning of March,” 2015, and although Yanez said overall Recology is fulfilling the franchise agreement, “I do have a concern with the diversion rate…”

The diversion rate, a state mandated effort to keep trash out of landfills, is closely watched and not meeting percentages can bring fines.

Yanez said Recology has launched an aggressive outreach to educate residents about recycling, and expanding activities such as the quarterly drop off events. 

“We’ve had a problem with bulky items showing up in alleys,” but Yanez said residents should take advantage of the free bulky item pickup offered twice a year by Recology. 

“One of the new things we’re marketing to the community is don’t dump it in an alley and create an eyesore,” but rather request a bulky item pickup.

The food waste program, something Yanez said helped greatly in meeting state recycling mandates is “being revamped and we’ll continue to revamp it and make it as best we can,” working with not only restaurants but also local clubs and organizations that stage events creating food waste.

In addition, Recology has launched its Junior Recologists program for students to teach them the three Rs to reduce, reuse and recycle.

New, less polluting refuse trucks are joining the fleet.

“We’ve addressed some issues and Recology is committed to supplying us with the resources to make Santa Paula a better place in regards to recycling,” using programs that have proven successful in other areas.

Weaknesses in the evaluation have been addressed and Yanez said, “Nine of Recology’s staff is sitting behind me and they’ve done a great job and are committed to making Santa Paula a better place.”

Recology Los Angeles/Ventura Vice President & General Manager Joe Matz noted the company has been challenged since it took over Crown particularly by transforming a material recycling center in Sun Valley.

“We changed thirty years of culture,” to “how to walk in the front door and how to walk out the back door,” at the massive facility by implementing 200 safety changes.

The 260,000 square foot operation will now be enclosed and challenges worked out with the City of Los Angeles that — according to news reports — for years had tried to get the facility to adhere to its permits and quell strong community opposition to the facility.

Due to such complications Recology said Matz, “Was probably a little remiss and not spending enough time out here…saying that, we’ve rededicated our staff and we’ll be a solid partner for you.”

Equipment is being upgraded and Matz said he wants to work with the Heritage Valley Tourism Bureau to help promote the Santa Clara River Valley.

“You’re a great community…thank you for the opportunity serve you,” he noted. “It’s a great partnership…”

Several council members made comments and asked questions including Mayor Martin Hernandez who asked what could be the solution for floating household refuse bins spilling trash during the last heavy storm and Councilman Jim Tovias who asked about recycling data.

“How many tons are going to Toland?” he asked. “I just want to know the numbers because they’re going the wrong way…”

Hernandez noted that the city also lost recycling credits when the Ventura Regional Sanitation District, switched from counting the tonnage of dried sewage sludge — used as alternate daily cover — from each city to just an overall reportable amount.

“I have a question,” said Councilwoman Ginger Gherardi. “Are we doing a better job?”

Yanez said yes with a caveat that things will get better as the city partners in recycling programs and schools sign up for Junior Recologists.

“We’ve never been into the schools,” and Yanez said the program “Is going to be huge and we’ll get our diversion numbers up.”

“When it comes to diversion rates it’s hard to believe we have a new company come in and all of a sudden there’s such a difference,” said Councilman John Procter.

He noted, “Perhaps Crown had a different system,” of reporting.

A Recology representative said, “The way I’ve been reporting it is the way,” the state orders such data.

After more discussion Hernandez offered Recology’s representatives appreciation for “admitting some challenges” in their startup.

And, he noted, “If you’re successful in your growth don’t forget Santa Paula please in that growth…” 

“The elephant in the room may be that I can’t speak to a lot of things,” said Matz.

  According to the evaluation, instead of staying with the existing program established by the city’s former hauler, Recology will be “Launching a new food waste route aimed at restaurants and accompanied by specialized outreach. The previous route mixed customers producing food waste with customers producing garbage, yielding a waste stream too contaminated to process. ?

  “To remedy this, Recology is developing new food waste routes, working with each group using the program and working with the organics processor (Agromin) to keep contamination down thus increasing diversion. This program is being reinvented and begins with on-site education of the food establishments, flyers and stickers for containers and also includes follow up visits to ensure the program is making vast improvements.”?





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