Preparing for the Trash Transition
By City Manager Ken Striplin
As July approaches, the time grows near for an upcoming change to our waste hauler services here in Santa Clarita. As many of you know, starting July 1, 2023, all residents and businesses within the City will transition their waste hauler services to Burrtec Waste Industries. While many questions have arisen since this announcement, it has been our goal to keep everyone informed to allow for a smooth transition.
Along with July 1 being Burrtec Waste Industries’ official start date, this date also marks the arrival of the implementation of new statewide legislation regarding the recycling of organics, as well as a new cart color scheme. The first change you will notice is your current Waste Management carts being replaced with brand-new Burrtec carts. As you receive these new carts, you’ll notice the new color scheme, which provides consistency across the City and industry, featuring black for garbage, blue for recycling and green for organics, such as yard waste and food scraps.
Following Senate Bill 1383, a mandatory climate pollutant strategy designed to reduce harmful methane emissions from organic waste in landfills, there will be two types of organic waste that will be required to be disposed of in your new green organics cart. The first type of organics consists of green waste, including grass clippings, tree trimmings, leaves, flower petals and weeds. The second type is food waste, which includes items such as fruits, vegetables, meats, seafood, dairy, eggshells, bread, food scraps, peels and food-soiled paper.
To make organics collection easier for residents, a small, kitchen food waste pail will be provided. Simply place any plastic bag inside the pail and any time you have food scraps or waste, place them into the pail and close the lid. When the bag is full, tie it into a knot and place it in your green organics cart.
Change can be intimidating for many of us, but it has been our mission to prepare residents and make this transition to Burrtec Waste Industries as seamless as possible. Be sure to stay up-to-date with the City’s Trash Talks video series that informs residents of these upcoming changes. These videos can be viewed on GreenSantaClarita.com, along with the City’s social media pages.
Ken Striplin is the City Manager for the City of Santa Clarita and can be reached at kstriplin@santaclarita.gov.
