Pasadena

Commercial Waste Collection

WELCOME TO

Your Partner to Achieving a Zero Waste Future

Athens Services is a local, family-owned waste collection and recycling company that has been a fixture in the greater Los Angeles community for the past 60 years. We provide innovative, consistent and quality environmental services to our more than 250,000 customers in the 50+ communities we serve. Through reuse, recycling and composting, Athens diverts valuable resources from landfills.

HOURS OF OPERATION

Pasadena

RESOURCES

Information, standards, and special instructions!

HOLIDAY SCHEDULE

Holidays create a one-day delay in collection service. Athens Services observes the following holidays:

If a holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, waste collection services will not be delayed.

CONTAINER DIMENSIONS/GUIDELINES

Athens Services provides an array of different container types. Customized bin orders are also available.

Customers should adhere to the following container guidelines to ensure smooth, uninterrupted service:

Please do not overload or overfill trash bins.
Promote worker safety by not placing bulky or heavy material in or around the bin.
Avoid health and safety code violations. Do not place the following in your bin: Hazardous Waste, E-Waste, or Medical Waste.
All refuse must be placed inside the container with the lids closed. Any refuse that is placed alongside or above the sides of container will not be collected.
Dirt, rock, concrete, and other construction debris are NOT allowed in trash bins.

WHAT GOES IN MY CONTAINER?

Correctly reduce, reuse, recycle, compost, or dispose of unwanted items; check out Athens’ interactive “What Goes Where Guide.’’

Visit Athens’ Outreach Materials & Resources page for downloadable signage, Recycling Cheat Sheet, and additional resources.

MIXED MATERIAL (RECYCLING & LANDFILL)

Athens collects recyclables and landfill bound items in the same container. We sort these materials at our Material Recovery Facility (MRF), where recyclables are recovered and diverted from the landfill. Place all recyclables loose (without a bag) in your mixed material container. Plastic bags can get tangled in the recycling facility sorting equipment, which can cause damage and reduce efficiency.

In order to be accepted for recycling all items must be emptied of food and/or liquid before placing in the mixed material container!

Recoverable Recyclables Include:

Plastic:

Plastic #1 beverage bottles/jugs (with cap) & to-go clamshells
Plastic #2 & #5 detergent jugs & food containers
Some plastics are highly recyclable. Other plastic materials stand a lesser chance of being recycled due to limited market demand.

Paper:

Clean, dry, & no metal or lamination
Highly acceptable: magazines, mail, office paper, newspaper, paper bags, soup/milk/juice cartons, & telephone books
May not be recycled: cereal boxes (remove bag), egg cartons, & frozen food boxes

Cardboard: broken down cardboard, corrugated fiberboard, & clean pizza boxes

Glass: bottles & jars only (remove lids)

Metals: aluminum cans, foil, & trays, scrap metal, steel cans & tin cans

Landfill Bound Items Include:

Glass: ceramic, porcelain, & non-food related glass

Food Containers: chip bags, compostable “plant-based plastic,” juice pouches, paper coffee cups, snack bar wrappers, tea bags, & tea wrappers

Paper: bathroom & facial tissues, envelopes (padded & Tyvek), laminated or plastic coated paper, napkins, photographs, & receipts

Plastic: plastics #3, #4, #6, #7; all black plastics; bubble wrap; disposable gloves; foam; garden hoses; empty motor oil containers; plastic bags & film (e.g. dry cleaning bags & cellophane); plastic toys; tarps; & small plastics (e.g. utensils, straws, serving cups, etc.)

Misc.: unusable clothing & fabric; cacti & succulents; cigarette butts; diapers; hard shells (e.g. clams, mussels, & oysters); lint; palm fronds; pet waste; produce stickers; & yucca leaves

ORGANICS (INCLUDING FOOD SCRAPS)

Green Waste: branches; flowers; grass clippings; hedge trimmings; leaves; weeds; & untreated/unpainted lumber, plywood, & scrap wood.

Food Scraps: fruits; vegetables; bread; rice; pasta; cheese; dairy; coffee grounds; coffee filters; meat; bones; poultry; seafood; soft shells (e.g. lobster, crab, & shrimp)

Food-Soiled Paper: 100% fiber-based compostable to-go containers & servingware, egg cartons (paper), paper napkins & kitchen towels, plates, packaging, & pizza boxes

All items must be 100% plant-fiber based with NO petroleum-based plastic, wax, or bio-plastic coating, liner, or laminate. Must be soiled ONLY with food or drink liquids.

State law prohibits the disposal of hazardous material into your containers. For proper disposal options, click here. We also ask that you do not place bulky items, construction debris, electronic waste, or automotive parts in your containers. For bulky items disposal options, click here.

The following is a list of items you should not place in your container:

Electronics can include those devices that utilize electrical wiring, plug into an electric outlet, or take a battery or light bulb. Examples include (but are not limited to): computers and accessories, circuit boards, extension cords, flashlights, microwaves, phones, stereos, and televisions.

Waste material generated during the construction, renovation, or demolition of a location cannot be placed in a standard cart or bin. Examples of C&D materials include, but are not limited to, asphalt, bricks, carpet, concrete, dirt, doors, drywall, earth, glass, construction, and cabinet lumber, masonry materials, pallets, pipes, plastics, plumbing fixtures, rocks, salvaged building components, scrap metal, roof shingles, tile, and windows.

HAZARDOUS WASTE

It is illegal to dispose of hazardous materials into your containers, down the drain, or by abandonment.

Hazardous Waste is any product labeled toxic, poisonous, corrosive, flammable, combustible, or an irritant.

Examples include (but are not limited to): antifreeze; automotive fluids; cleaning products; compressed gas cylinders (full or empty); fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides; paint; pharmaceuticals; pool chemicals; sharps waste; solvents; and more.

County of Los Angeles, S.A.F.E. Collection Center takes small business quantities by appointment only by calling (213) 485-2260. For collection of larger quantities of hazardous waste, please click here to contact Athens Services for an estimate.

BULKY ITEMS

Athens Services encourages the reuse and donation of bulky items whenever possible.

If this is not an option, Athens will, upon request only, remove bulky items, including major appliances and furniture. Please do not place bulky items or electronics in your trash containers. Doing so may cause an interruption in your service.

To schedule a pick-up, please call Athens Services at (855) 557-1007 or complete a Request Services form and select “Bulky Item Pick-Up”.

AB 341 - RECYCLING DIVERSION

If you are an Athens Services customer, then YES – you are compliant with AB 341! Athens Services is at the forefront of recycling, investing in the facilities and technology that improve our environment and prepare our communities for the future.

To learn more about this regulation and how it applies to your area, visit our AB 341 page.

AB 1826 - ORGANICS DIVERSION

In October 2014, California passed Assembly Bill 1826 requiring all businesses, including multi-family dwellings, to recycle their organics waste. To learn more about this regulation and how it applies to your business, visit our AB 1826 page.