Solid Waste Reduction & Recycling
California’s Mandatory Commercial Recycling Law
The commercial sector generates nearly three fourths of the State’s solid waste. Much of the commercial waste disposed in landfills is readily recyclable. Increasing the recovery of recyclable materials will directly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. State law now requires public entities, multifamily residential dwellings of five units or more, and businesses to recycle if they generate 4-cubic yards or more of commercial solid waste per week. The commercial sector must also abide by specific community requirements. In the City of Westlake Village all businesses must have equal capacity at a minimum, the same amount of recycling as trash. Anyone with questions should call the City’s recycling hotline at 800-579-4979.
Mandatory commercial organics recycling law (more)
Recyclable organic waste accounts for approximately 40% of the material Californians dispose of in landfills. That amounts to more than 5 million tons of food scraps each year that are thrown away. Depending upon the amount of waste that is generated, AB 1826 requires businesses, including public entities, to recycle their organic waste. Organic waste includes food waste, green waste (landscape and pruning waste), non hazardous wood waste and food-soiled paper. On average, and at great expense, restaurants dispose more than 50 tons of organic waste every year. A lot can be done by all businesses to minimize waste and save money: Feed the hungry by donating to a food bank; arrange for surplus food scraps to be used as animal feed or fuel conversion; only purchase what you need; set up a program with a hauler to compost or mulch organics. Call the City's recycling hotline for help, 800-579-4979.
Solid Waste Reduction and Recycling
Under a state law enacted in 1989 (AB 939), all cities were required to adopted and implement programs to reduce the amount of solid waste sent to landfills for disposal by fifty%. The deadline for compliance was January 2000. The City Planning Department directed development of a plan for achieving the mandated waste reduction and is responsible for ongoing implementation of waste reduction and recycling programs. Such programs include curbside collection of recyclable materials and green waste in residential neighborhoods, technical assistance to businesses in instituting waste reduction and recycling programs, educational programs, and monitoring and enforcement of the City’s solid waste reduction ordinances. The City has met the fifty% reduction mandate, and the Planning Department continues to oversee implementation of the various programs. This implementation is carried out by the City's Waste consultant, Polis and Associates, who also submit required annual compliance reports to the State Integrated Waste Management Board.
Waste Management/G.I. Industries provides solid waste collection services to all residential neighborhoods within the City. Collection services are not provided on New Years Day, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. In the event that the holiday falls on a regular scheduled weekly collection day, collection service will be delayed by one day for the remainder of the impacted week.
For residential customers, Green Waste bins can now be used to accept food waste items as well. Please click HERE for a flier regarding what can and cannot be placed in your green waste bin.
Collection for commercial and industrial properties may be provided by any waste hauler registered with the City. As such, these collection schedules will vary.
Questions regarding the City's Solid Waste and Recycling services should be directed to the City's Recycling Hotline at 800-579-4979.