THOUSAND OAKS

Residential Waste Collection

WELCOME TO

Thousand Oaks

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.

COLLECTION TIME

Please place your containers at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on your collection day. Athens will service containers in single-family residential neighborhoods one-time (1) per week between 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., Monday – Friday. Set containers with wheels against the curb at least 1 foot from each other and any other obstruction. All trash must be inside of the containers and the lids closed.

HOURS OF OPERATION

For all service requests and inquiries, call Athens Customer Care Center (805) 852-5264

Thousand Oaks

RESOURCES

Information, standards, and special instructions!

Residential Welcome Packet

What Goes Where Guide

Outreach & Education Tools

Trash & Recycling Rates

Household Hazardous Waste Form

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.

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*: 100% fiber based, compostable to-go containers & servingware, egg cartons (paper), paper napkins & kitchen towels, plates, packaging, and 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.

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, as described here. It is illegal to dispose of these items into a waste container, down the drain, or by abandonment.

Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) is any product labeled toxic, poisonous, corrosive, flammable, combustible, or 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

Local Drop Off

The City of Thousand Oaks operates a permanent, state-of-the-art Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Facility, open by appointment for residents of Thousand Oaks & unincorporated Ventura County (e.g., Lake Sherwood, Santa Rosa Valley, El Rio, Saticoy, Piru). Residents of other cities are advised to check their respective city’s websites for information on how to dispose of household hazardous waste where they live.
The household collection facility is open every Friday and Saturday excluding holidays 9 am to 1 pm by appointment only.
Appointments can be made online by visiting TOaks.org/HHW under the trash & recycling-residential services. To make a phone appointment to drop off at the HHW facility or have a question regarding the facility please call (800) 356-8570.
Facility address: 2010 Conejo Center Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA, 91320

Home Collection

Free HHW Home Collection available to Thousand Oaks residents up to four (4) times per year. Request Home Collection by filling out a Household Hazardous Waste Form.

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)

Batteries can be disposed of in collection containers located at the entrance to City Hall, T.O. library, Goebel Adult Center, T.O. Transportation Center, and T.O. Community Center.

MEDICINE DISPOSAL

It is illegal to dispose of expired, unused, or unwanted pharmaceuticals into a waste container

or down the drain. Medicine is NOT accepted as part of Athens’ HHW Home Collection program nor at the Thousand Oaks Household Hazardous Waste Facility.

Medication includes:

Over-the-counter & prescription medications
Medicated lotions & ointments
Pet medications
Schedule II – V controlled substances

Residents can learn about medication preparation and locate FREE disposal sites by visiting TOaks.org/HHW (then scrolling down to the “Unacceptable Items” section and clicking on the medications link).

SHARPS DISPOSAL

It is illegal to dispose of needles, lancets, and/or sharps into any waste container, down the drain, or by abandonment.

FREE HOME-GENERATED SHARPS CONTAINERS

Residents can pick up FREE collection containers for the safe storage of home-generated medical sharps, needles, and lancets from the Thousand Oaks Household Hazardous Waste Facility, the Public Works Department at City Hall, or Los Robles Hospital.

Sharps containers (in the sizes of 1.5 quarts and 5 quarts) will also be available for pick up at the Athens’ Thousand Oaks Sustainability Center, Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Residents who are home-bound may request a FREE delivery by calling (805) 852-5264.

SHARPS DISPOSAL

Home-generated medical sharps, needles, and lancets must be disposed of through alternative

collection methods. For disposal options, visit TOaks.org/HHW or download RecycleTO by searching for RecycleTO in your mobile app store. Collection containers can be dropped off at one of the locations below:

Thousand Oaks Household Hazardous Waste Facility

2010 Conejo Center Drive, Newbury Park, CA 91320
Fridays & Saturdays, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (except most major holiday weekends)

Los Robles Hospital

215 West Janss Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360
Monday – Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Saturday & Sunday, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Conejo Valley Medical Group

125 West Thousand Oaks Boulevard, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360
Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

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 pickup, please submit a Bulky Item Request.

We do not accept the following items:

Automobile parts
Construction and demolition debris including, but not limited to: dirt, concrete, tile, drywall and rock, etc. Click here to learn how to dispose.
Hazardous waste (including antifreeze; automotive fluids; cleaning products; compressed gas cylinders (full or empty); fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides; paint; pharmaceuticals; pool chemicals; solvents; and more.) Click here to learn how to dispose.
Loose or scattered building material and lumber

HOLIDAY TREE RECYCLING

Holiday trees are 100% recyclable! Athens Services collects holiday trees each year, from the day after Christmas through the second week of January, on your normal pickup day. Trees are delivered to various landfills to be used as mulch or cover material, or to Athens’ American Organics compost facility in Victorville.

Tips to ensure your tree is properly collected:

Remove stands, ornaments, lights and tinsel.
Place holiday trees next to your regular trash containers.
Trees over 6 feet in length must be cut in half.
Trees with flocking or fire retardants ARE NOT acceptable.
If you miss the date for recycling, please cut up your tree and place it in your yard waste container(s).

Please help keep our parks clean and safe during the holidays. If you see anyone illegally dumping holiday trees, please call your city’s Police Department.

STREET SWEEPING

Your city contracts with Athens Services for their street sweeping needs. Visit our Street Sweeping page to learn more and view a map with service days and areas.