Letter to Residents Regarding Program Update

California adopted Senate Bill 1383 requiring all communities to reduce the disposal of organic waste in landfills by 75% by 2025. The new law also serves as a statewide effort to combat climate change by reducing emissions of short-lived climate pollutants. To achieve this mandate, the City is launching an Organics Waste Recycling Program for residential customers.

Effective January 1, 2023, all food waste is required to be placed directly into your existing green waste container. Organic waste is mainly comprised of food scraps and yard waste such as landscaping and
pruning waste. The back of this notice identifies items that can be included in your Recycling (blue/grey), Organic (green), and Landfill (black) containers.

Your participation is appreciated and will help the City reach the state goal of 75% landfill diversion by 2025.

If you have any questions, please call the Public Works Department at (310) 781-6900.

So, what do you do with used motor oil and filters? Recycle them!

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Why Recycle?

For the Environment:
Every year approximately 13 million gallons of motor oil that has been sold to the public is unaccounted for. California has no record of that motor oil being recycled. What happens to it? Maybe it is disposed of improperly…thrown down the storm drain, poured down the drain, poured on to a patch in the back yard, or thrown into the garbage.

Each of these methods of disposal is not only illegal, it is toxic to our environment! Used motor oil contains such contaminants as lead, magnesium, copper, zinc, and arsenic!

If these contaminants reach the ground, they can seep into our water supply and cause serious pollution. If they are released into our storm drain system they get washed away with the next rains directly into the ocean!

For the Economy:

• Used motor oil and filters are very recyclable.
• Oil only gets dirty, not worn down. It can be cleaned and used over and over again.
• Used oil can be re-refined into new engine oil, or processed into fuel for heating.
• Not only does recycling oil help stop pollution, but it also conserves resources and decreases the demand for new crude oil.The steel components in oil filters are highly recyclable, too!

For the Ease:

• Recycling used motor oil and filters is easy!
• There are dozens of local businesses that will accept your used motor oil and filters FREE of charge.
• And you are eligible for a $.40 per gallon rebate.

Don’t Dump Used Motor Oil and Filters!

• Every gallon of used motor oil that is improperly disposed of by throwing it into the trash, pouring it down a storm drain, or out on the ground pollutes our environment.
• If one gallon of motor oil enters our coastal ocean waters it can create an oil slick larger than one acre. That same gallon of used motor oil can make 1,000,000 gallons of fresh water undrinkable.
• Oil dumped on the ground reduces soil productivity.
• In the U.S., less than 60 percent of used oil is recycled.

Do Recycle Your Used Motor Oil and Filters!

• 1 in 5 households have a do-it-yourself (DIY) oil changer.
• As of July 2004, there are more than 2,600 State-certified collection centers and 70 curbside collection programs in California, which accept used oil for free.
• 2.5 quarts of re-refined lubricating oil can be produced from one gallon of used oil.

Click here to find your nearest Used Oil and Filter recycling locations.