The City of West Hollywood is implementing a new organics collection program in compliance with SB 1383, a statewide effort to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCP) by reducing organic waste disposal.
Under SB 1383, community members throughout California will be required to place all food scraps, food-soiled paper (100% fiber-based), and landscaping waste into a green waste container. Athens Services, which provides waste collection and recycling services for the City of West Hollywood, is implementing food scrap collection, which applies to all customers including single-family-home residents, multifamily buildings, and commercial customers in West Hollywood.
To assist community members in collection of food scraps, the City of West Hollywood and Athens Services will be hosting two events on Saturday, January 28, 2023 to provide free kitchen pails. From 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., there will be a Kitchen Pail Giveaway at West Hollywood Park, located at 647 N. San Vicente Boulevard, and from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., there will be a Kitchen Pail Giveaway at Plummer Park, located at 7377 Santa Monica Boulevard. West Hollywood community members are eligible for one free kitchen pail, limited to one per household or commercial customer.
“West Hollywood has long been a leader in green policies and practices. I’m excited to see our city develop this new program in adherence to SB 1383 to help collect organic waste and, ultimately, turn food scraps into soil compost,” said City of West Hollywood Mayor Sepi Shyne. “Community-based efforts to reduce waste and emissions are essential in our greater efforts in combating climate change.”
West Hollywood residents in single-family homes and multifamily buildings must, under SB 1383, separate food scraps, food-soiled paper (100% fiber-based), and landscaping waste into green waste containers. SB 1383 establishes statewide targets to achieve a 75% reduction of organic waste disposal from 2014 levels by the year 2025.
With its new organics collection program, Athens Services will accept all types of food scraps. Its American Organics compost facility converts organics waste into nutrient-rich soil amendment. The resulting compost is used by commercial farmers, projects, garden shops, landscapers, and residents.
The Athens Services outreach team is currently in West Hollywood visiting customers, including those in multifamily and commercial buildings, to ensure they are set-up for the new organics recycling program. Many buildings in West Hollywood already have a green Athens organics bin and in such cases the Athens Services outreach team is educating and informing building management that food scraps must now be put in those bins.
For Athens Services customers who do not yet have a green bin, the Athens Services outreach team is working to get them set-up. Additionally, Athens Services will provide a kitchen pail to any customer in West Hollywood who requests one. The outreach team has found that for residents of multifamily buildings, kitchen pails make it much easier to collect food scraps and then empty them into green Athens bins situated at their property.
To contact Athens Services to make a request, or for community members who may have questions about the new organics collection program, please contact the Athens Customer Care Center at (888) 336-6100 or visit www.athensservices.com/sb-1383.
To learn more about acceptable items for organics collection, including types of green waste, food scraps, and food-soiled paper that Athens Services collects, visit www.athensservices.com/in-the-news/food-waste-recycling. For a complete recycling guide, visit www.athensservices.com/recycling-guide. For more information about SB 1383, visit www.calrecycle.ca.gov/organics/slcp.
In the spirit of “think globally, act locally,” the City of West Hollywood aims to inspire sustainability and eco-conscious programs, projects, and policies. In December 2021, the City adopted its people-centered Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) to guide the implementation of the climate measures and actions and will help to ensure that West Hollywood is a sustainable, vibrant, livable, and equitable city for current and future generations. To find out more, visit www.weho.org/climateaction. For additional information about the City’s ongoing sustainability efforts, visit www.weho.org/gogreen.
For more information, please contact Matt Magener, City of West Hollywood Environmental Programs Coordinator, at (323) 848-6894 or at mmagener@weho.org. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.
I compost all my food craps in an electric composter called Lomi! It’s awesome! No smelly garbage here.
Organic waste should go into the garbage disposal with hot water running. It does NOT belong in the trash! Waste causes ants, rats, and attracts other vermin. WE are ruining the planet, it is time to take recycling more seriously!
I wonder if anyone has folowed an Athens recycling truck to see its final destination and exactly what does happen to its contents.
Most of the things we put in blue bins that are not recycled are put in the garbage because they are things waste companies can’t make money off.
They charge for the services…..but in the end it’s very ineffective.
Athens is a leader in recycling…they actually do it there at the plant. Perhaps City Council could invite them to do Monday meeting presentation. It’s interesting.
I’d like to recommend that citizens take a look at a compact kitchen appliance called LOMI. It turns food waste into garden waste and it’s pretty nifty.
Stupid – not going to happen.
This is a thoughtful, meaningful and painless adjustment. For all the snide remarks here, following through might just improve your poor attitudes and make life better for your neighbors. What’s not to like?
Imagine opening one of these filthy bins of rotting food. It’s government overreach by misguided folks. Another law that will not be enforced.
Why would the city want these bins with their current woke policies? One would think the Counciltwits would endorse feeding the homeless (yes homeless, not houseless) with the table scraps.
Do they have a pail just for toenail clippings?
Icky! Not going to happen.
yeah…..that’s not going to happen.
Ugh – auto spell ruins all my jokes. SHYNE. I meant Shyne.
Can’t wait to see how much rates go up
The reality is is you won’t be producing more waste, it’s just reallocating your waste from one bin to another. If your multi unit dwelling doesn’t already have a bin, yes your rates will go up, by virtue of having to add another bin, but most residences in WeHo already have green bins. If anything, people might start downsizing their black bins as the blue and green will compensate.
Which one do I put Sepi Shyne in?
THAT is funny. Answer: same bin as Erickson and Byers.
A new bin not given out yet, a Hazardous waste bin. She can’t be flushed down the toilet with her massive size and her toxicity.