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Torrance

Commercial Waste Collection in Torrance

WELCOME TO

Torrance

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 69 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

  • Monday - Saturday
    6:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

HOURS OF OPERATION

  • Monday - Friday
    7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
  • Saturday
    7:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
  • Sunday
    Closed

Torrance

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 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.

CA WASTE & RECYCLING LAWS

As of January 1, 2022, all businesses and multifamily dwellings (of all sizes) are required to follow these regulations.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

If empty of liquid and food, the following is acceptable in your blue recycling container.
Plastic:

  • Plastic #1 (PET) as bottles or clamshells
  • Plastic #2 (HDPE)
  • Plastic #5 (PP)
  • Recyclable plastics include, but are not limited to:
    • Beverage & detergent jugs
    • Food containers
    • Soda, juice & water bottles

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:

  • 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 materials in your containers. For information on proper disposal, view hazardous waste disposal options.

We also ask that you do not place bulky items, construction debris, electronic waste, or automotive parts in your containers. For assistance, view bulky item disposal options.

The following items should not be placed 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
  • 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:

  • Asphalt
  • Bricks
  • Carpet
  • Concrete
  • Dirt
  • Doors
  • Drywall
  • Earth
  • Glass
  • Construction
  • Cabinet Lumber
  • Masonry Materials
  • Pallets
  • Pipes
  • Plastics
  • Plumbing Fixtures
  • Rocks
  • Salvaged Building Components
  • Scrap Metal
  • Roof Shingles
  • Tile
  • Windows

MEET YOUR CONSTRUCTION & DEMOLITION RECYCLING GOALS

Athens Services helps make Construction and Demolition recycling easier with sustainable C&D diversion solutions that recover valuable materials, reduce landfill disposal, and support CALGreen, SB 1383, and CalRecycle requirements.

Download English / Spanish Flyer

Athens Services Whittier Diversion of C&D Materials Requirements

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
  • 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

S.A.F.E. Collection Centers, operated by both the County and City of Los Angeles, accept small business quantities of hazardous waste by appointment only.

Schedule an appointment

310-387-1071

Email Inquries

4HCESQG@cleanharbors.com

Website

Clean LA

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
  • Water Heaters

Heavy items such as these 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.

  • Automobile parts
  • Construction Debris
  • Hazardous Waste
  • Pool Tables
  • Pianos

Schedule by phone

855-557-1007

Schedule by form

Bulky Pickup Request

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 visit our food donation page for potential partners and implementation requirements.

EPA Wasted Food Scale How to reduce the environmental impacts of wasted food

REUSE: REPURPOSE, REPAIR, DONATE

Before you recycle, first consider reuse! Many unwanted, still usable items could have a second life if given the chance.

Athens has compiled a list of reuse options including DIY activities; donation options; repair shops; thrift stores; and online giveaway, swap, or sell sites.

Explore our material and reuse-donation page for more information.

OFFICE WASTE REDUCTION TIPS

Small changes in the workplace can make a big difference. Reduce waste by reusing supplies, avoiding unnecessary printing, choosing reusable products, and setting up clearly labeled recycling and organics containers.

Explore our Office Tips page for simple ways to reduce waste and improve recycling practices at work.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

To contact Torrance City Hall, visit the City of Torrance website.

NEWS

Torrance
|
COMMERCIAL SERVICES

REQUEST SERVICES

Please provide us with your inquiry or comments by using the simple email form below or call during our Hours of Service.

TOLL-FREE
Customer Service Number
(888) 336-6100
Customer Service Hours
7:00 AM – 5:00 PM MONDAY-FRIDAY
7:00 AM – 12:00 PM NOON SATURDAY

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