RIVERSIDE
Commercial Waste Collection
WELCOME TO
Riverside
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 65 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.
COLLECTION TIME
Collection services for commercial customers take place Monday – Saturday from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm
HOURS OF OPERATION
For all service requests and inquiries, call Athens Customer Care Center (888) 336-6100
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Monday - Friday 7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
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Saturday 7:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
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Sunday Closed
Riverside
RESOURCES
Information, standards, and special instructions!
HOLIDAY SCHEDULE
Holidays create a one-day delay in collection service. Athens Services observes the following holidays:
- New Year’s Day
- Memorial Day
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Thanksgiving
- Christmas Day
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 any Athens container
- Promote worker safety by not placing bulky or heavy material in or around the bin
- Avoid health and safety code violations by not placing the following in your bin: Hazardous Waste, E-Waste, or Medical Waste
- All waste must be placed inside the container with the lids closed. Any waste that is placed alongside or above the sides of the container will not be collected
- Any waste that is placed alongside or above the sides of the container will not be collected
- Dirt, rock, concrete, and other construction debris are NOT allowed in carts or bins
CA WASTE & RECYCLING LAWS
SB 1383 (2016) SHORT-LIVED CLIMATE POLLUTANT REDUCTION
SB 1383 targets the reduction of methane emissions from landfills. The law establishes targets to achieve a 75% reduction in the level of the statewide disposal of organics waste from the 2014 level by 2025. It also requires that at least 20% of currently disposed edible food be recovered for human consumption statewide by 2025.
Beginning January 1, 2022, all businesses, schools, and multifamily complexes are required to subscribe to an organics collection service and must separate into their green organics container ALL of their green waste, food scraps, and food-soiled paper (100% fiber based).
In addition, Edible Food Generators (considered Tier 1 and Tier 2) must recover the maximum amount of edible food that would otherwise be disposed of, arrange for food donation and collection through contracts or written agreements with food recovery organizations or services, and maintain food donation records.
For more information on SB 1383, please visit AthensServices.com/SB-1383.
AB 1826 (2014) MANDATORY COMMERCIAL ORGANICS RECYCLING
This bill requires businesses and multifamily buildings (of 5 or more units) that generate 2 cubic yards or more of solid waste per week to arrange for organics recycling services. As of January 1, 2022, all businesses are required to follow the SB 1383 regulations.
AB 341 (2011) MANDATORY COMMERCIAL RECYCLING
To further California’s recycling efforts, AB 341 established a statewide recycling goal of 75% by 2020. This law requires California commercial or public entities that generate four (4) or more cubic yards of solid waste per week, and multifamily dwellings of five (5) or more units, to arrange for recycling services. As of January 1, 2022, all businesses and multifamily dwellings (of all sizes) are required to follow the SB 1383 regulations.
WHAT GOES IN MY CONTAINER?
Recyclables are brought to the Agua Manza Materials Recovery Facility.
Visit the City of Riverside’s Recycling Page at RiversideCA.gov/PublicWorks/Trash-Recycling for additional resources.
If empty of liquid and food, the following is acceptable in your blue recycling container.
Plastic: milk/soy cartons (paper and aseptic), milk jugs, plastic bags (bundled), plastics #1 – 7, Styrofoam
Paper (clean, dry, and no metal): magazines, mail, office paper, newspaper, paper bags, & telephone books
Cardboard: broken down cardboard
Glass: bottles & jars only
Metals: aluminum cans, foil, & trays, scrap metal, steel cans & tin cans
DO NOT USE FOR: clothing, plastic childrens’ toys/pools, soiled paper or cardboard
bagged food waste, branches; flowers; grass clippings; hedge trimmings; leaves; & weeds
Animal waste, cactus, palm fronds, yucca, household waste, soiled products, trash, other waste
If empty of liquid and food, the following is acceptable in your blue recycling container.
Plastic:
- Plastic #1 beverage bottles/ jugs (with cap) & to-go clamshells
- Plastic #2 & #5 detergent jugs & food containers
Paper: (clean, dry, and no metal or lamination), magazines, mail, office paper, newspaper, paper bags, & telephone books
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
Acceptable, but may not be recycled currently:
- Plastics numbers 4 & 7
- Cereal boxes (remove bag), egg cartons, frozen food boxes, & soup/milk/juice cartons
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:
*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.
– 100% fiber based, compostable to-go containers & servingware, egg cartons (paper), paper napkins & kitchen towels, plates, packaging, and pizza boxes
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 and Tyvek), laminated or plastic coated paper, napkins, photographs, & receipts
Plastic: plastics #3 & #6 (hard & foam); all black plastics; bubble wrap; disposable gloves; 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
- DO NOT PLACE IN CONTAINERS:
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:
- Automotive Parts
- Batteries
- Cleaning Products
- Construction & Demolition Waste
- Fluorescent Light Bulbs or Tubes
- Electronic Waste
- LED Lights
- Medical Waste
- Paints, Solvents, and Thinners
- Pesticides or Herbicides
- Pharmaceuticals/Over–the-Counter Medicines
- Pool Chemicals
- Radiological Waste
- Syringes or Sharps
- Thermometers
- Thermostats
- Used Motor Oil
- Electronic Waste Examples:
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.
- Construction and Demolition:
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
E-waste, hazardous waste, and u-waste is NOT accepted in any Athens container and must be disposed of through alternative collection methods. It is illegal to dispose of these items into a waste container, 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, paint, pesticides, pool chemicals, solvents, and more.
DISPOSAL OPTIONS
Riverside County operates several free HHW facilities and accepts, for a fee, small business quantities of hazardous waste. For more information on the Very Small Quantity Generator (VSQG) program, visit RCWaste.org/Business/HW.
For collection of larger quantities of hazardous waste, click here to contact Athens for an estimate.
HOW TO HANDLE BATTERIES
It is illegal to place batteries in your waste bins. Batteries should be disposed of as hazardous
waste. They can spark fires or create an unsafe environment for waste workers. If properly collected, battery recyclers can repurpose the metal. Use these storage tips to avoid short-circuiting and fires:
- Place a piece of non-conductive tape or duct-tape on the ends and do not cover the brand name or chemistry of the battery
- Store batteries in a container that does not conduct electricity (like plastic, cardboard, or glass)
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. Acceptable bulky items include, but are not limited to, dryers, mattresses, refrigerators, rugs, tree trunks, washing machines, and water heaters.
Automobile parts, construction debris, hazardous waste, and heavy items (such as pool tables and pianos) are NOT allowed as part of a bulky item pickup nor should they be placed in any Athens container. Doing so may cause an interruption in your service.
To schedule a collection, please submit a Bulky Item Pickup Request or call the Athens Customer Care Center at (888) 336-6100.
FOOD DONATION & MATERIAL REUSE
DONATE FOOD
Feed people, not landfills! Businesses are encouraged to partner with a food recovery organization for the donation of surplus, edible food.
Food donations are legally protected in California and supported by the California Department of Public Health. AB 1219 (California Good Samaritan Food Donation Act) and the federal Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act provide liability protections for entities that make good faith donations of surplus food.
Senate Bill 1383 requires some businesses to arrange for the recovery of the maximum amount of their edible food that would otherwise go to waste. Businesses are required to partner with a food recovery organization and to maintain donation records. For more information on potential partners and implementation requirements, visit AthensServices.com/FoodDonation.
EVENTS/NEWS
Athens Services’ Customer Service Team Goes Above and Beyond
At Athens Services, we know that outstanding customer service is the foundation of…
Celebrating the Successes of the Inaugural Emerging Leaders Mentorship Program
The Training and Development Department is thrilled to celebrate…
Never Slowing Down: Darlene Celebrates 40-Years of Dedication
Billing Compliance Specialist Darlene Nino reached her 40-year anniversary with…
Lead Mechanic Continues His Family Footprint at Athens Services
David Dominguez Jr. is proud to be a part of an organization that not only shares his family values, but has helped him excel in his career…
Celebrating National Waste and Recycling Workers Week by Showcasing Four Talented Waste Workers
Athens Services proudly recognizes Angel Ramos, Adrian Diaz, Angela Morris, and Manuel Gamero
Athens Services Partners with Harbor Area YWCA to Tackle Food Insecurity
Athens Services is proud to sponsor YWCA Harbor’s Healthy Futures Food Distribution…
REQUEST SERVICES
Please provide us with your inquiry or comments by using the simple email form below or call during our Hours of Service.
7:00 AM – 12:00 PM NOON SATURDAY