VENTURA COUNTY

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Customer Care Center

(888) 336-6100

Commercial Waste Collection

WELCOME TO

Ventura County

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 6:00 am to 6:00 pm

HOURS OF OPERATION

For all service requests and inquiries, call Athens Customer Care Center (805) 856-0113

Ventura County

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 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?

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.

RECYCLING

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

ORGANICS

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

LANDFILL

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

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

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

Ventura County operates several free HHW facilities and accepts, for a fee, small business quantities of hazardous waste. For more information on qualifying as a Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Generator (CESQG), visit VCPublicWorks.org/BusinessWaste.

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 (805) 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.

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. Visit AthensServices.com/MaterialReuse.