Burbank Recycle Center: Green Waste

Burbank Recycle Center moving 80 tons of green waste to a fertilzier/recycling facility
Pasadena Star News: 5.22.2013

The new treatment of green waste is being used as alternative daily cover at the Puente Hills Landfill, but that is closing at end of October. So, not many other cities know what to do with the stuff you put out on your curb for separate pickup. Burbank Recycle Center has a huge operation moving 80 tons per day of green waste to a fertilzier/recycling facility in Fontana. [ Photos ]

Most of green waste not recycled; new laws, Puente Hills Landfill closure may force more composting

Trimmings: New laws, landfill closure may force more composting
SGV Tribune: 5.22.2013 by Steve Scazuillo

Most homeowners believe the myths about yard trimmings, namely that once they load them into a bin and drag it to the curb, the stuff gets recycled.

They would be wrong.

Most of what homeowners call green waste ends up in landfills. As alternative daily cover, it gets mixed with dirt and layered over the day's household garbage haul. The cover keeps the rodents and gulls at bay and counts toward a city's mandated 50 percent recycling rate. This is true except for Los Angeles, Burbank and Santa Clarita, cities that repurpose green waste as compost and soil amendments. Cities that many see as models for the future.

For 20 years, the myth of green waste recycling served a purpose, even if most choked on the semantics. But soon, that will change, setting off a ripple effect across the Southland that will bring about rising trash bills and roving trucks filled with green waste looking for a place to dump their loads. In five months, the largest landfill in the nation at Puente Hills will close, abruptly ending the green waste "diversion" program and most likely the free Christmas tree recycling enjoyed by county residents. One half of all the green waste in L.A. County won't be going to the gigantic Puente Hills Landfill near Hacienda Heights anymore but instead will be searching for a resting spot in a local material recovery facility or a composting farm in San Bernardino and Kern counties, experts say.

Second, those in the waste industry may no longer be able to count on alternative daily cover (ADC) formulas at other landfills in Orange and San Bernardino counties, as well as Scholl Canyon Landfill near Glendale and Calabasas Landfill in the west San Fernando Valley, both county operated.

A new bill rushing through the Assembly disqualifies ADC as a recyclable use. With yard waste accounting for one-third of all the waste generated statewide, that's a large adjustment for cities but one they must make or face fines.

.     .     .     .     .

One city that finds itself ahead of the organics game is Burbank. The Sierra Club rated Burbank No. 1 in policies and programs that reduce landfill disposal of yard waste and food scraps. Burbank, like Los Angeles, does not use yard trimmings in its landfill. Like the city of Santa Clarita (ranked No. 4 in the survey), Burbank recycles all its yard waste.

"We haven't used green waste for alternative daily cover," said Kreigh Hampel, Burbank's recycling coordinator.

About 19,000 tons per day of green waste gets sorted at its landfill in Burbank each year. The tree branches, grass clippings, etc. get loaded onto 4-ton trucks which haul the material to the West Valley composting and recycling facility in Fontana, operated by waste conglomerate Burrtec, Hampel explained.

There, Burrtec grinds and aerates the material and sells it as mulch for farms and landscapers, Hampel said. "They turn it into a nice, black, rich soil amendment. It is compost. It has the nutrients the plants need," he added.

Burbank produces more organic waste than cans and bottles, more than twice as much in tonnage, Hampel said. Most suburban cities produce more yard waste than cans and bottles. The cities of La Ca ada Flintridge, La Habra Heights, and Villa Park in Orange County shipped more yard waste to landfills in 2011 than regular garbage, according to The Organics Project report.  READ MORE !

Burbank Earth Day: April 20

Burb's Eye View: Learning how to live green
Burbank Leader: 4.09.2013 by Bryan Mahoney

The white, discarded barrels at the food-processing plant may have looked like junk. To Justin Okin, they were a means to harvest the sky.

Three of the 60-gallon barrels came home with him one day for less than $10; their previous owner was happy to see them go. With a little MacGyver ingenuity, the plastic canisters were hooked up to a homemade rain collection system, ready to eventually feed Okin's backyard garden.

"It's amazing how the plants respond to water saved from your roof," the Burbank resident said. "There's a noticeable difference. They perk up immediately."

Okin is a first-time homeowner whose goal is to never fill the green bin with waste. He says he has trained himself to ask a simple question when he's at the store or working around the home: "How am I affecting the environment?" And as the answers led to "greener" choices, Okin found himself building a sustainable, close-to-zero-waste lifestyle.

He shared this lifestyle with attendees of Burbank's Earth Day party last year, teaching homeowners how to compost and how to recycle more of what goes into a landfill. Okin and his family are part of a growing number of Burbank homeowners who, with guidance from the Burbank Recycle Center, are finding small ways to re-use the excess junk that adds to the landfill every year.

On April 20, the city will present its annual Earth Day event from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Recycle Center, 500 Flower St. It's a combination of eco-festival and educational conference, a day to display what resources are already available that you may not know about. READ MORE !

T-Shirts for Earth Day: Burbank Recycle Center

T-Shirts for Earth Day

The Burbank Recycle Center is collecting T-Shirts for Earth Day. The Recycle Center needs lightly worn, fun and vibrant T-Shirts to convert into reusable shopping bags.

Drop off your T-Shirts (Monday-Friday)
@ The Burbank Recycle Center
500 S Flower St

Earth Day is April 20

Burbank: Christmas Tree Recycling

Christmas Tree Recycling
Burbank Recycle Center

Remove all tinsel, ornaments, metal stands, and plastic buckets
Flocked Trees are NOT RECYCLED

Recycle Trees 3 Ways !

1: Dec 26, 2012 – Jan 22, 2013

Drop off @ 3 parks:
• George Izay Park (Olive Park) in the parking lot on Clark Ave.
• Ralph Foy Park in the parking lot on Victory Blvd.
• McCambridge Park in the parking lot on Andover Dr.

Please note: Verdugo Park will NOT accept Christmas trees.

2: Jan 2 – Jan 22, 2013

At the curb or alley
~ place with waste containers on scheduled waste collection day
~ Burbank Sanitation Dept will collect trees placed in the alley and at curb

3: Cut up your tree

~ place it in the green waste containers with other yard trimmings

For more information: 818 . 238 . 3800

Burbank’s Recycling Buy-Back Program Resumes

Burbank’s Recycling Buy-Back Program Resumes
Eligible beverage containers may be redeemed at City Recycling Center
COB: 11.09.2012

The Burbank Recycling Center has announced that it will resume its beverage container buy-back operations at the 500 Flower Street facility beginning Monday, November 12, 2012.

Burrtec Waste Industries Inc., the City of Burbank’s contract operator of the Recycle Center, received its recycle center and processor certifications from CalRecycle (Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery) on November 1, 2012.

The certifications will allow Burrtec to redeem California Refund Value (CRV) for beverage containers brought to the center. CRV is $.05 for each eligible beverage container less than 24 ounces, and $.10 for each container 24 ounces or greater.

Reopening the buy-back operations at the Recycle Center will relieve some of the pressure on the only other buy-back facility in Burbank, which is located in the Ralph’s parking lot at 1100 North San Fernando Boulevard.

For further information: 818-238-3900

America Recycles Day: November 15

America Recycles Day: November 15
a program of Keep America Beautiful, is a nationally recognized day dedicated to promoting and celebrating recycling in the United States.

Burbank Recycle Center

California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery
Where to Recycle, Schools & State Agencies, Resources

Federal Agencies: U.S. EPA
iWARM – Online tool calculates energy saved by recycling small quantities of household products
Resources for Teachers
Climate Change & Waste
Office of Solid Waste – What You Can Do In Your Community
Recycling Publications

Industry
The Aluminum Association
Recycling Facts for Kids, Curbside Recycling, Teacher Resources, Statistics
Batteries: Call2Recycle
Recycling at Home, Recycling at Work
Glass Packaging Institute
Recycling & the Environment, Community Recycling, Bar & Restaurant Recycling, Best Practices
Consumer Electronics Association’s Greener Gadgets
Responsible Electronics Recycling, Where to Recycle Electronics, Emerging Trends
American Forest & Paper Association
Workplace Recycling, School Recycling, Community Recycling, Paper and the Environment
Plastic
American Chemistry Council: Plastics Division
Plastics Recycling Rates, Plastic Bag Recycling
National Association for PET Container Resources
PET Recycling, FAQs, Fun Facts, Kids Corner
Steel Recycling Institute
Steel Recycling Rates, Buy Recycled, Steel Recycling Locator, Resources for Kids
Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries
Facts and Economic Data, Scrap Recycling Specifications, Policy Information

Garbage and Recycling
-Global Viewpoints Series
Garbage issues throughout the world.
Greenhaven Press, 2011

Composting Workshop
October 3 - 6:30 PM
Burbank Recycle Center
500 S. Flower Street

Burbank'sComposting Program
Since December 1989, the City of Burbank has provided residents with free composting instruction and top-quality composters. Over the years, composting has played an essential part in the City’s ability to divert 50% of its waste from the landfill as required by State law. The City collects over 1,000 tons of green waste per month at the curb and takes it to a composting facility outside of Burbank. Backyard composting helps to reduce this amount.

Getting started
If you are interested in backyard composting, please call the Burbank Recycle Center at (818) 238-3900 weekdays between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., and ask about upcoming workshops.

Residents receive free composters at the workshops. The compost bins available through the City are selected based on a variety of attributes including bin capacity, quality, ease of assembly and handling, cost, attractiveness, and durability. Brand names vary, depending on the best available product on the market at the time. If you move within Burbank, please take your composter with you, and call the Recycle Center with an address change. If you move out of Burbank, please call the Recycle Center so that your composter can be returned and reused in Burbank.

The compost specialist: the essential guide to creating and using garden compost, and using potting and seed composts
David Squire
New Holland, 2009
631.875 SQUIR

In our ecologically aware times, composting is one smart way to minimize our carbon footprint and help the earth. This new entry in the highly successful Specialist series gives gardeners all the guidance they need to start making, storing, and using their own compost.

COB: Starlight Bowl

Recycling Efforts at the Starlight Bowl
WHAT’S IN THE WORKS
Public Works Newsletter: August 2012

Since 2005 the Starlight Bowl has been collecting bottles, cans and cardboard. Beginning with the 2011 season, Recycle Center staff took waste reduction to a new level by adding the option for guests to compost food scraps and paper products at three Zero Waste stations around the venue.

Staff attends all events, which attract between 1,500 and 4,200 guests, and greet visitors to inform them about how to separate their trash to easily recycle bottles and cans as well as compost any organic material. In addition, guest are encouraged to bring reusable utensils, plates and containers to the next event to reduce the waste generated in the first place. Stage announcements reinforce the message and advertisements were placed in the local newspaper and event brochure. The Starlight Bowl website offers information about how to pack a zero waste picnic and stresses that ―a zero waste picnic is simply more elegant.

At the end of each concert waste audits are performed to see how successful the evenings efforts had been. In 2011 the results were promising with over 40% of the waste either recycled or composted. This was up from only 20% in previous years when only recycling existed. This year, the rate has jumped to 60% thanks, in part, to an increased number of zero waste stations, the familiarity of the program by return patrons, and by the efforts of the Starlight Bowl staff and vendors.

Earth Day: April 22

Burbank Recycle Center celebrates Earth Day
Burbank Leader: 4.21.2012 by Megan O'Neil

The nuances of waste took center stage at an Earth Day celebration Saturday at the Burbank Recycle Center, where attendees were schooled in the differences between trash and recyclable goods and encouraged to start compost piles.

“I would love to see more food recycling,” Ferris Kawar, recycling specialist with the city of Burbank, said of his goals for the community. “I think we do very well on recycling bottles and cans and glass. We are way above average in terms of the state and certainly the country. But food recycling, which is composting, is where we do OK.”

The Family Fair marked the first time the city has hosted its own such Earth Day celebration, Kawar said. Volunteers distributed reusable bags, while others demonstrated what sorts of items should be placed in recycling bins and what items need to go in the trash. READ MORE !

Burbank: Christmas Tree Recycling

Christmas Tree Recycling
Burbank Recycle Center

Remove all tinsel, ornaments, metal stands, and plastic buckets
Flocked Trees are NOT RECYCLED

Recycle Trees 3 Ways !

1: Dec 26, 2011 – Jan 20, 2012
Drop off @ 2 parks
Brace Canyon Park, 2901 Haven Way [in parking lot off Haven Way]
Verdugo Park, 3201 W Verdugo Ave [near corner of California St & Verdugo Ave]

2: Jan 2 – Jan 20, 2012
At the curb or alley
~ place with waste containers on scheduled waste collection day

3: Cut up your tree
~ place it in the green waste containers with other yard trimmings

For more information: 818 . 238 . 3800

Burbank Recycle Center Reduces Bottle & Can Payments

Burbank Recycle Center Reduces Bottle and Can Payments

Burbank Recycle Center Press Release: 12.22.2011

Kreigh Hample, Recycling Coordinator (818) 238-3900

Beginning December 27, 2011 the Burbank Recycle Center will no longer pay the California Redemption Value (CRV) for bottles and Cans. Instead, the Center will pay scrap value only for beverage containers.

Visitors will receive substantially smaller payments. It is unknown when the California Redemption Value (CRV) will be reinstated at the Recycle Center.

Bottles and cans may be redeemed for full CRV value at the following centers:

~ rePlanet, 1100 North San Fernando Blvd., Burbank 91504 (951) 520-1700

~ West Side Metal Recycling, 6449 San Fernando Road, Glendale 91201 (818) 243-6955
~ South Coast Fibers, 5487 San Fernando Road, Los Angeles 90039 (818) 552-4068

Additional redemption centers for bottles and cans are listed at bottlesandcans or earth911.

The Recycle Center will continue to accept all other drop off materials as before. A detailed list of accepted materials may be found at Burbank Recycle.

The Burbank Recycle Center is located at 500 South Flower Street Burbank, CA 91502 and can be reached at (818) 238-3900.

. . . . . more information at

Residents to get less back from Burbank Recycle Center
Burbank Leader: 12.22.2011 by Mark Kellam