WEST HOLLYWOOD—The city is implementing a new organics collection program in compliance with SB 1383, a statewide effort to decrease emissions of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCP) by reducing organic waste disposal.

The city of West Hollywood indicated in a news release that under SB 1383, community members throughout California is required to place all food scraps, food-soiled paper (100 percent fiber-based), and landscaping waste into a green waste container. Athens Services, which provides waste collection and recycling services for 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 help community members in collection of food scraps, West Hollywood and Athens Services will be hosting two events on Saturday, January 28 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. 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 Mayor Sepi Shyne. “Community-based efforts to reduce waste and emissions are essential in our greater efforts in combating climate change.”

Residents in single-family homes and multifamily buildings must, under SB 1383, separate food scraps, food-soiled paper (100 percent fiber-based), and landscaping waste into green waste containers. SB 1383 establishes statewide targets to achieve a 75 percent reduction of organic waste disposal from 2014 levels by the year 2025.

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. Buildings in the city 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 help them set-up. Athens Services will provide a kitchen pail to any customer in West Hollywood who requests one. The outreach team 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 located near their residence.

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 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 details about SB 1383, visit www.calrecycle.ca.gov/organics/slcp.

For more information, contact Matt Magener, West Hollywood Environmental Programs Coordinator, at (323) 848-6894 or at mmagener@weho.org. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing contact TTY (323) 848-6496.