Lakewood Website - Recycling/Environment

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Recycling, Trash and Environment

FAQs and video on curbside recycling program

Curbside recycling is well underway in Lakewood. EDCO Waste and Recycling Services has delivered blue recycling carts to all single-family homes citywide. Click to read FAQs

Recycling collection occurs on each resident’s regular trash day. Click for CityTV video about recycling carts and curbside collection

EDCO trash trucks running on natural gas empty the blue recycling carts and takes the mixed recyclables to a “materials recovery facility” where the recyclables are separated and sorted. Click for video about how EDCO recycles
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Clean sweeps are a citywide priority

CityTV Channel 31 takes a look at street sweeping and parking in a segment showing the need for clean sweeps and offers customer service tips. Click for video
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Tire recycling can be done year-round

Free tire recycling events are run several times a year throughout the region by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. Click for event information and calendar The events are an opportunity to dispose of tires cluttering garages and yards in an environmentally safe manner.

The free programs save participants normal recycling fees--typically between $2.00 and $8.00 per tire. Additional incentives often include discount coupons for the purchase of Bridgestone or Firestone tires.

Residents unable to dispose of their used tires at a free drop-off event can always dispose of their tires through affordable options listed on the county website.
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Greenwaste composters and composting classes

“Going green” can be easy. Lakewood residents can purchase a home composting units and create their own rich soil amendment and never have to buy soil conditioners, mulch or fertilizer again.

Backyard composting bins are available for purchase by Lakewood residents for a competitive price of $40. Purchasers will also receive a handy guide on turning their "greens" into compost.

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Bulky item pick: 'Dial-A-Dump' program continues

Lakewood’s bulky item pick up program makes convenient pick ups of bulky household items, it also strongly encourages reuse of many of these same items. Many of these same items can have a second life as a beneficial donation.

Reuse instead of refuse: List of organizations that accept household goods

For the convenience of Lakewood residents, the city’s trash collection contractor has an additional service for large item pick up. This free service is designed to help residents dispose of certain types of bulky or awkward household items, such as old mattresses, water heaters, sofas, and chairs.
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Free used oil recycling kits

Every year residents dump almost twenty times the oil spilled by the Exxon Valdez right into their own backyards.

The tanker spilled 11 million gallons. Nationwide an estimated 200 million gallons are dumped into our storm drains, backyards and landfills. Lakewood has an alternative.
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R3 Recycling Network: Map your way to recycling

Lakewood’s upcoming curbside recycling program handles most home recyclables like newspaper, glass, plastic bottles, or metal containers. But, residents may still opt to take their recyclables one of the area’s many recycling centers.

For the location of the collection center nearest your home, use the Lakewood’s R3 network map. It has the tools to help you recycle just about everything-- from used tires to plastic grocery bags to unwanted furniture. Click for map
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Lakewood is meeting 2008 “green goals”

How does Lakewood measure up? “Green goals” are being met:

▪ Recycling used tires into street repairs since 2000 has kept nearly 1,000,000 old tires out of landfills. Nearly 90 percent of city streets – both neighborhood streets and local highways – have been repaved since 2000 using rubberized asphalt. The city invested another $2.6 million in street repairs in 2008.

▪ Over 2,000 tons of street sweepings were kept from Lakewood’s storm drains. The effectiveness of a thorough street sweeping each week increased the amount of litter cleared from Lakewood streets.

Follow the link below for more green goals.

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In the gutter, in the ocean

Trash, pesticides, oil, metals from automobiles, fertilizer, and other chemicals make the short trip every day from gutters and catch basins on Lakewood streets to the Los Angeles and San Gabriel river flood control channels.

Propelled by excess water from lawn and garden irrigation, the toxic mess mingles with the outflow of dozens of other Los Angeles County cities and goes out to sea where it causes bacterial and algae blooms, concentrates in local sea life, and lingers in toxic sediments.
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Lakewood guide helps with new recycling regulations

Lakewood's new recycling guide explains new state regulations for the disposal of familiar household discards -- from batteries to fluorescent lights -- that can no longer be tossed into the trash. The guide also offers help on reducing waste and reusing discards.

New updated recycling guide

Click for a PDF of collection center locations and what they accept
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Lakewood street sweepers: Cleaner skies, streets, and waterways

Lakewood's street sweepers run clean on CNG.
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'Grasscycling' makes greenwaste recycling easier

(By Bob Sutton) For years, we've just hauled tons of organic yard waste--called greenwaste--into our trash and hauled it to landfills. It was convenient and inexpensive. But, times change. Here is a way to help solve the problem.
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Contacts

Recycling opportunities in Lakewood, including the location of specialized collection centers, call the city’s R3 coordinator at 866-9771, extension 2500.

Recycling Centers Map

Dial-A-Dump bulky item collection, call a Lakewood Service Request Representative at 866-9771, extension 2140.

Trash collection questions, including Dial-A-Dump bulky item collection, call a Lakewood Service Request Representative at 866-9771, extension 2140.

Trash billing, call the Administrative Services Department at 866-9771, extension 2630.

Dumpster/roll-off bin rental
EDCO Disposal Service
www.edcodisposal.com
562-531-3054

Recycling and
hazardous waste

Household Hazardous and Electronic Waste Round-up Schedule
Los Angeles County Environmental
Programs 1-888-CLEAN-LA

Oil recycling collection centers
Lakewood Department of Public Works
562-866-9771, extension 2500

Illegal dumping/discharge into storm drains

Illegal Dumping Incident Report
1-888-CLEAN LA or 323-890-4317

Clogged storm drain catch basins
Lakewood Department of Public Works
562-866-9771, extension 2500

Hazardous materials spills
Lakewood Department of Public Works
562-866-9771, extension 2500

Statewide recycling information
Beverage containers
1-800-RECYCLE

Earth 911 Environmental Hotline
1-800-CLEAN-UP

R3 Recycling Network, household hazardous and special waste
Lakewood's "R3-Reduce-Reuse and Recycle" forms, workshop information and our comprehensive recycling guide.

Battery Recycling Flyer (29 KB)

Brochure: Los Angeles County Department of Public Works Sharps Waste Collection Program (286.7 KB)

Buying Recycled - Info-guide (101.1 KB)

California EPA: Study of NPDES Costs (157.7 KB)

Directions to Lew Davis HHW Events (44.4 KB)

Directions to Pico Rivera HHW Events (57.5 KB)

Donation opportunities for household items--reuse instead of refuse (112.1 KB)

Lakewood Recycling Guide (599.2 KB)

Lakewood Recycling Network Locations Matrix (356.9 KB)