VENTURA COUNTY

FAQ

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Welcome Packet

English

Events

Customer Care Center

(805) 856-0113

Residential 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. Through reuse, recycling, and composting, Athens diverts valuable resources from landfills.

COLLECTION TIME

Please place your containers at the curb by 6:00 a.m. on your collection day. Athens will service containers in single-family residential neighborhoods one-time (1) per week between 6:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Monday – Friday. Set containers with wheels against the curb at least two (2) 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 the Athens Customer Care Center at (805) 856-0113

RESOURCES FOR

VENTURA COUNTY RESIDENTS

What Goes Where Guide

Outreach & Education Tools

KITCHEN PAIL

Kitchen Pail Order Form

Compost Program

Residents have the option to collect free compost at our Santa Paula facility located at 905 Corporation St. in Santa Paula. This self-serve option is free of charge. To schedule a pick up, please call Customer Service at (805) 856-0113.

Residents can also order compost for home delivery of up to ten bags or up to 10 yards of compost. Both options have a delivery fee. For more information and to schedule a pick up, please call (805) 856-0113.

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

Ventura County hosts several free HHW collection events throughout the year for Ventura County residents at the Pollution Prevention Center located at 5777 North Ventura Avenue, Ventura CA 93001. For more information and how to make a drop-off appointment, visit VCPublicWorks.org/HazardousWaste.

For collection of larger quantities of hazardous waste, click here to contact Athens for an estimate.

Home Collection

Athens Services provides one, free quarterly Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collection for Ventura County residents. Click here for program details and a list of acceptable items. For more info on the County of Ventura HHW Disposal Program, please visit VCPublicWorks.org/HHW.

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) 856-0113.

Residents may drop off bulky items at our Santa Paula facility located at 905 Corporation St. in Santa Paula, Monday through Friday from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm and on the 3rd Saturday of every month. To schedule a drop off, please call (805) 856-0113.

HOLIDAY TREE RECYCLING

Athens Services collects and composts real holiday trees and foliage into nutrient-rich soil amendment that can be used in agriculture, public parks, and landscaping.

DISPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS (REAL TREES)

Remove all stands, lights, ornaments, tree skirts, and tinsel
If your tree is more than six feet in length, please cut it in half
Place your tree curbside for collection – trees are collected over a three (3) week period on regular collection days from December 26th through January 16th
If a resident misses the designated collection period, they can request a bulky item collection or cut up the tree

Artificial trees, flocked trees, and trees coated with fire retardant are NOT recyclable or compostable; they will be treated as trash. If the artificial tree is still usable, please consider donating it. Broken or no longer usable artificial trees should be disposed of as part of a bulky item collection.