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 !

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: Composting Workshop - September 22

Composting Workshop
September 22
6:30pm – 8pm

Free Composting Bins for Residents

Join the long, proud tradition of Burbank households that enjoy the satisfaction of quietly turning their leaves, grass, and food scraps into rich soil for their yards, instead of sending it to the curb. Over the past 20 years, more than 10,500 residents have taken the composting workshop and are now helping to divert untold amounts of materials from the landfill and distant mulch sites.

@ Burbank Adult School - 3811 Allan Avenue

Please call 818.238.3900 to RSVP.

Composting Workshop - September 17

Composting Workshop
September 17
10:00 am – 11:30 am

Free Composting Bins for Residents

Join the long, proud tradition of Burbank households that enjoy the satisfaction of quietly turning their leaves, grass, and food scraps into rich soil for their yards, instead of sending it to the curb. Over the past 20 years, more than 10,500 residents have taken the composting workshop and are now helping to divert untold amounts of materials from the landfill and distant mulch sites.

@ Jordan Middle School - 420 S Mariposa

Please call 818.238.3900 to RSVP.

Burbank Green Events: July 23

Green Events - Burbank
July 23

eWaste Collection
9:00 am - 3:00pm
Unity Church
637 S Victory

Compost Workshop
10:00 am - 11:30 am
Burroughs HS
(818) 238-3900
FREE Compost Bin for Burbank residents

COB: Recycle Your Holiday Tree

Recycle Your Holiday Tree

The Burbank Recycle Center will help you to recycle your holiday tree.

REMOVE: All tinsel, ornaments, metal stands, and plastic buckets ~ Because trees are mulched or composted. Flocked trees are not recycled !

Recycle Trees 3 Ways !

1) Dec 27 – Jan 14: drop off your holiday tree @ 2 Parks
(a) Brace Canyon Park, at 2850 Haven Way, in the parking lot off Haven Way
(b) Verdugo Park, 3201 W. Verdugo, near corner of California St & Verdugo Ave

2) Jan 3 – Jan 14: at the curb or in an alley
~ Burbank Sanitation will collect trees placed at curb or in an alley

3) Cut Up/Put In green waste containers with other yard trimmings

For more information, call Burbank Recycle Center: 818-238-3800

Burbank Recycle Center: Composting Workshops

Free Composting Workshops

Burbank Recycle Center announces 11 new free composting workshops to celebrate the City’s 20th anniversary of backyard composting. It's fun for the whole family and compost bins are free for residents.

Over the years more than 10,000 residents have taken this workshop to learn how to turn their leaves, grass and food scraps into rich chocolaty soil for their yards. Help Burbank become a truly sustainable city and achieve Zero Waste.

Choose from following dates - Call to RSVP: 818 . 238 . 3900

January 16, 10am Luther Middle School, 3700 W Jeffries
January 23, 10am Jefferson Elementary, 1900 N Sixth
January 30, 10am Stevenson Elementary, 3333 Oak
February 6, 10am T Roosevelt Elementary School, 850 N Cordova
February 20, 10am Muir Middle School, 1111 N Kenneth Road
February 27, 10am Brace Canyon Park, Picnic Area 2
~ 2901 Haven Way (above basketball court/parking lot)
March 13, 10am Burbank Adult School, 3811 W Allan
March 20, 10am McCambridge Park, Picnic Area 3
~ 1515 N Glenoaks (west of tennis courts)
April 17, 10am Community Services Building, 1st Floor, 150 N Third
April 17, 1pm Burbank Adult School, 3811 W Allan
May 1, 10am Location TBA

Workshops are 1 hour and 15 minutes
Dress warmly workshops are outside unless it rains - then moves indoors
Free delivery of bins offered for those who walk or bike (hint hint).
Please bring your own lawn chair if you can.
Zero Waste in effect: Please bring own mugs, warm refreshments will be served.

Spread the word to your Burbank neighbors, friends, family, places of worship, clubs, etc . . .

Finally, a recycled rubber tire rake will be given to one participant at each workshop so wear your warm lucky socks if you want to be the only one on your block to own such a unique, locally made tool.

Burbank deserves more. Compost !

Neighborhood Watch: Compost

Composting is the Way to Go
Burbank Leader: September 1, 2009 by Robert Rush

Anyone who planted tomatoes this year found it to be one of the best years ever. But I made a discovery that was really something.

When we had the drought two or three years ago, when Burbank got almost no rain, I let the grass in my backyard die because I would have had to flood the backyard daily to save it.

Dead grass is like a brown carpet. You walk on it and your feet don’t get dirty. I left it that way for a couple of years.

This year, I decided to take the dead grass out and try a garden with more than just tomatoes. I have been growing only tomatoes for the last 20 years or so. I have been composting for just as long.

The Burbank Recycle Center gives composters to residents. I found out that the soil under my grass was completely depleted of any nutrients. No wonder I had to put so much water on it during summer months. My soil could not hold water longer than a few hours.

Story continues below ↓

This was a great year, compost or not. But for me, the name of the game is homemade compost. Give it a try — it’s magic, and it’s organic. READ MORE !

The City of LA free mulch give-away program

Bring your own shovel, bag or pick-up.
Load up your own containers and take as much as you need
IT’S FREE & IT’S MADE FROM YARD TRIMMINGS!

Available Locations:
Lake View Terrace -11950 Lopez Canyon Rd.
(near Sylmar)
Everyday 7:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.
Sheldon-Arleta - 12455 Wicks St.
(near Sun Valley)
Everyday 7:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.
West Valley - 16600 Roscoe Pl.
(near North Hills)
Everyday 7:00 A.M. - 6:00 P.M.
Donald C. Tillman - 15800 Victory Blvd.
(near Van Nuys - S. of Densmore)
Mon-Fri 7:00 A.M. - 4:30 P.M., Sat 8:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M.
West L.A. - 6000 W Jefferson Blvd.
Everyday 7:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.
East L.A. - 2649 E Washington Blvd.
Fri-Sun 9:00 A.M. - 3:00 P.M.
Elysian Valley - 3000 Gilroy St.
Everyday 7:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.
San Pedro - 1400 N Gaffey St.
Everyday 7:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.
N. Mission Rd. - 850 N Mission Rd. Los Angeles
Scheduled to open soon.

Call James Kurz: (818) 834-5128
City of Los Angeles. Bureau of Sanitation

Findacomposter:
a service of BioCycle magazine. You can use this searchable data base to locate a composting facility in your area. Choose a state or province in the magnifying glass, or click on Facility Search to search by any of the fields in the data base.