City of Eureka Website - Recycling/Waste Diversion

PHONE: (707) 441-4184

FAX: (707) 441-4202

ADDRESS: 531 K Street, Eureka, CA 95501

OFFICE HOURS: M-F 7am - 12pm & 1pm - 4pm

DEPUTY PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR: Miles Slattery

mslattery@ci.eureka.ca.gov

Universal Garbage/Recycling Collection

On June 3, 2008, the Eureka City Council voted unanimously to amend Eureka’s existing Solid Waste ordinance to enable a mandatory/universal garbage and recycling collection program in Eureka. The ordinance was adopted to assist the City in meeting State recycling/waste diversion mandates and reducing illegal disposal and public health concerns in Eureka. The ordinance enabled the following services:

Universal Curbside Garbage Collection (rolling cart). Starts December 2008.
Universal Curbside Bulky Item Collection (large appliances, furniture, etc). Starts January 2009.
Voluntary Curbside Greenwaste Collection (extra cost to subscribe). Starts January 2009.
Universal Curbside Recycling Collection (2 stream rolling cart). Starts August 2009.
- Curbside Recycling Guidelines

This program applies to all improved properties within the City of Eureka. Providing collection service to all properties will take several years to complete, and will be implemented in phases. All occupied residential single family and small residential multi-family properties (up to a four-plex) will be implemented initially, totaling roughly 8,800 households.

The new ordinance requires all applicable residential properties subscribe to weekly garbage and recycling collection by December 1, 2008.
If you currently subscribe to collection service with Recology Humboldt County, then there is nothing more you need to do at this time.
If you do not currently subscribe to curbside collection service, then you will automatically be enrolled with the service by December 2008.

For more information about the program, click on the following links:

Contact Information:

For Service and Rate Options: Recology Humboldt County, (707)442-5711 or www.recologyhumboldtcounty.com
Mandatory/Universal Collection Ordinance: Miles Slattery, (707)441-4184 or mslattery@ci.eureka.ca.gov

Features of the New Mandatory Collection Ordinance :

1. Universal Curbside Garbage collection. This program applies to all improved properties within the City of Eureka. Providing collection service to all properties, if approved, is expected to take several years to complete, and would be implemented in phases. All occupied residential single family and small residential multi-family properties (up to a four-plex) would be implemented initially, totaling roughly 8,800 households. The larger residential multi-family, commercial and other uses would be implemented as programs are developed and become available, likely 2 years away.

2. Universal Curbside Recycling collection. This program applies to all improved properties within the City. Like garbage collection, providing recycling collection service to all properties will be implemented in phases, and will follow a timeline similar to garbage collection. Initially, a rolling recycling cart, divided into 2 compartments (two-stream), will be provided to each applicable residential property. The system will enable residents to recycle most items in one convenient rolling cart instead of the 3 bin/stacking crate system we currently utilize. The two-stream collection system is intended to correspond with the new local two stream processing facility in Samoa. Recyclable materials accepted curbside would include:

aluminum cans
glass bottles and jars
plastic containers and packaging
plastic bags (utilizing “bag in bag” storage method)
bi-metal cans, tin cans, aerosol cans
newspaper, magazines, catalogues
junk mail
white paper, colored paper
cardboard

3. Universal Residential Curbside (On-demand) Bulky Item Pick-up. The ordinance offers this program to all residential properties. The program provides curbside pickup of large bulky household items including old furniture, refrigerators, mattresses, washing machines and other large appliances and household items. When applicable, many of these items will be forwarded to the Eureka Recycling Center to be recycled or reused. The program provides 2 pickups per year per residence. It is expected that this program will lessen the number of bulky items currently disposed of illegally into our gulches, parks, sloughs and alleys. The city currently spends significant resources cleaning up these illegal disposals.

4. Voluntary Curbside Greenwaste collection. The ordinance enables a curbside greenwaste collection service to be offered to all properties in the city by Recology Humboldt County. The program is not mandatory due to the seasonal nature of greenwaste disposal and because numerous properties are either low maintenance or do not generate substantial green waste. A separate rolling cart will be provided for diversion of green waste materials which include grass clippings, branches, leaves and other yard waste. The green waste will then be sent to our regional compost facility. Food waste should not be placed into the green waste container. Use of the program would involve an additional cost to the ratepayer at a rate to be set by the City Council.

Miscellaneous Information:

1. Exclusions. The program would include a process whereby citizens may show cause why they should not be required to subscribe to garbage and recycling collection service. Such reasons may include that the property is vacant or not located within the city limits, or that there are unique parcel specific conditions which compel the property owner, tenant or occupant to self haul their garbage, recyclables and green waste to the Transfer Station. Such conditions may include residential properties with long, narrow or steep driveways where the garbage company, in the opinion of the City Manager, is unable to properly and safely use its equipment.

2. Market Based Rates/Incentives to Recycle. The ordinance allows metered service which provides market based incentives to reduce waste and increase waste diversion through the curbside recycling and green waste collection program. Metered service will ensure that residents, particularly those who recycle and compost the vast majority of their waste, have the opportunity to pay lower rates for smaller garbage carts, thus encouraging higher rates of waste diversion toward recycling and green waste carts.

3. Recycler’s Declaration. The ordinance does not wish to punish those devoted recyclers who are already diverting virtually all of their household waste. Therefore, the program may exclude those residents (owner or occupant) who legally recycle and/or compost virtually all of their refuse. All persons claiming this exclusion shall be asked to sign a legal Declaration or Affidavit once per year stating that they legally recycle and/or compost virtually all their refuse so that no unsanitary condition, hazard to health, or public nuisance will arise upon the premises owned, managed or controlled by them if they are not provided with collection and disposal of refuse services by a collector. The Declaration will require a detailed report explaining how diversion is accomplished for a wide variety of specific household wastes, including food waste, plastics, glass, fiber, metals, e-waste, hazardous wastes and others. Currently, there is no fee proposed for administering the Declaration program.

4. Discontinuance Upon Vacancy. Property owners required to subscribe to collection service under this ordinance could discontinue service for one or more months when their premises are vacant or the occupant is traveling out of town. The owner is required to submit written notice of such vacancy to the garbage company. Monthly garbage fees shall continue to accrue until such time as notice is received by the garbage company.

5. Appeal Process. The ordinance allows the City Manager or a designated representative to endeavor to resolve all disputes concerning the administration or enforcement of program requirements. Any affected person who is dissatisfied with the determination of the City Manager may appeal the same to the City Council. No alleged violation shall be permitted, or be continued, during the time any appeal is pending.

6. Enforcement. There is a cost to the city to sort out household garbage from recyclables, and to sort recyclables from the garbage. Thus, the ordinance enables the City to develop and implement an inspection program whereby the City may periodically inspect garbage and recycling bins, and have the ability to fine those households which are placing recyclable materials into their refuse containers, and/or are placing refuse and garbage into their recycling containers.

7. Scavenging. Section 51.33A of the ordinance addresses scavenging by making it unlawful for any person (other than City’s contracted collectors) to gather or collect recyclables (except as provided in the Chapter, i.e. temporary non-profit events, etc.). Under Chapter 10.99 of the Eureka Municipal Code, assuming such a violation would be charged as an infraction, the penalties/fine would be $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second offense, and $500 for a third offense and each subsequent offense of the same ordinance within one year.

8. Failure to Subscribe. If the City Manager has reason to believe that any person required to subscribe for service has failed to subscribe, the Manager may cause written notice to be mailed to the Owner of the real property so affected directing the Owner to subscribe for such service within ten days after the date of the notice. Any such notice shall provide 10 days to subscribe for collection service or show cause why such person should not be required to subscribe. If service or cause is not established, the Manager will authorize such service and the billing charges to be assessed against the real property upon which the premises served are located. After notice and a public hearing, unpaid delinquent accounts shall become a lien on the property and collected with property taxes.

9. Delinquent Accounts. When a delinquent account is forwarded to the City by the garbage company, the city shall then, pursuant to the authority and notification processes contained in California Government Code § 38790.1, attempt to collect the delinquent fees in the manner described in California Government Code § 25831. Prior to forwarding a delinquent account to the City, a late fee shall be applied to delinquent accounts by the garbage company as an incentive to secure payment. The amount of the fee shall be determined by the garbage company and authorized by the Eureka City Council.

10. Administration and Billing. Recology Humboldt County will continue to provide all billing and customer request services. For delinquencies, the city will assist Recology Humboldt County annually in securing authority to amend County property tax billing statements.

11. Individual Waste Removal. Nothing in this Ordinance will prevent persons from carrying their own solid waste and recyclable materials to the Transfer Station for those weekend cleanup projects and other jobs private disposal site for which a valid permit is in effect.

Recycling / Waste Diversion Program

The City of Eureka currently offers numerous recycling and waste reduction programs and services to provide residents and businesses with opportunities to divert their waste out of the landfill. By practicing effective waste reduction and recycling habits, you will assist the city (and the nation) in conserving our resources, saving energy, reducing pollution and the need for more landfills, and meeting the State’s ambitious waste diversion mandates.

Here is some helpful information to assist you with any questions you may have about recycling, composting and waste reduction in Eureka.

Website: Our regional recycling website is www.humboldtrecycling.org.There is a wealth of information here not only about recycling in Eureka, but throughout our Humboldt Bay region.
Recycling Guide in your ATT Phone Book: Toward the middle of our local phone book is a pullout tab which leads you to our local Recycling Guide. It has loads of information and help about where to take your recyclables and how to reduce waste. Much of this information is also found on our website.
Eureka Community Recycling Center: 1059 West Hawthorne Street, Eureka CA 95501. Phone Number: 707-442-2541
Waste Reduction Hotline: 707-268-8030
Household Hazardous Waste Hotline: Talk to a live technician Tues-Thurs 9-11 a.m. call 707-441-2005

Benefits of Recycling

The State of California has emphasized and mandated recycling programs since 1989. Today, most people know that recycling plays an important role in managing the garbage generated in homes and businesses, and that it reduces the need for landfills and incinerators. Many environmental and economic benefits are derived by supplying industry with recycled materials, rather than virgin resources extracted from forests and mines.

Using recycled instead of raw materials saves energy, conserves scarce natural resources, and reduces emissions of greenhouse gases and other dangerous air and water pollutants. Recycling is far more than a local waste management strategy; it is also an important strategy for improving efficiencies and reducing environmental impacts inherent in industrial production.

Key benefits include:

Prevents emissions of many air and water pollutants.
Supplies valuable raw materials to industry with less environmental impact and cost.
Stimulates local economic development and growth of green technologies.
Saves energy.
Reduces the need for new landfills.
Reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
Creates jobs.
Conserves resources for future generations.

Also, recycling is a growth industry with many kinds of business opportunities, including collection, processing, manufacturing and inventing new technologies. Currently, Eureka benefits from several local small businesses and solid waste recycling firms serving the local recycling industry, creating jobs and improving our economy.

Please read below to learn more about some of our more popular Eureka waste reduction programs and how to access them. These include:

1.Residential Curbside Recycling.Through this program, you may recycle most of your disposable household items right at your curb. Please call the Recology Humboldt County at 707-442-5711 to request this convenient service. The collection process utilizes a two (2) stream system whereby your recyclables are sorted into 2 separate groups. The first group includes containers such as glass, metals, plastics etc., and the second group includes fiber such as newspaper, magazines, cardboard, etc. The two-stream collection system corresponds with our new local two stream processing facility in Samoa across the bay. Recyclable materials accepted curbside include:

aluminum cans,
glass bottles and jars
plastic containers and packaging
plastic bags (utilizing “bag in bag” storage method)
bi-metal cans, tin cans, aerosol cans
newspaper, magazines, phone books, catalogues
junk mail
white paper, colored paper
cardboard

2.Eureka Community Recycling Center The Center is located at the Eureka Transfer Station at 1059 West Hawthorne Street in Eureka. They will take most of your recyclable/reusable items, including all of those items collected under our curbside collection program (see above), and they will pay you for all of your CRV redemption value containers. They also take your old used tires and white goods such as large appliances and e-waste such as old computers for a nominal processing fee.Please call them for more information at 707-442-2541.

3.Recycling Buy Back Center The Buy Back Center is located at Eureka Community Recycling Center at 1059 West Hawthorne Street in Eureka. The Center will pay you for all of your CRV redemption value containers.Please call them for more information at 707-442-2541.

4.Neighborhood Recycling “Drop Sites” The City currently maintains two neighborhood drop-off recycling facilities. These are located at (1) near the Armory on Russell Street near the Sequoia Park Zoo, and (2)at the Municipal Auditorium at 12^th and E Streets. These locations accept newspaper, plastics, aluminum and glass. There is no fee to drop off recyclables. The drop sites divert a significant amount of recyclable material from our waste stream, and assist the City in meeting our State and local recycling responsibilities.

5.Backyard Composting Bins These convenient bins can be purchased for $40.00, call (707)441-4184.

6.Hazardous Waste Collection Facility The Household Hazardous Waste collection facility is located at the Eureka Transfer Station (near the Recycling Center) at 1059 West Hawthorne Street in Eureka. They will take most of the hazardous wastes typically found in your home such as fluorescent light bulbs, paint containers, cleaning product containers, motor oil and more. Please call them at 707-441-2005 for more information.

7.Green Waste Recycling The Green Waste collection facility is located at the Eureka Transfer Station at 1059 West Hawthorne Street in Eureka. The cost of disposing your greenwaste is roughly half the price of disposing it into our landfill. Greenwaste includes grass, shrubs, branches, unpainted wood and pallets (not pressure treated), Christmas trees (no flocking or ornamentation please) and more. Please call the Humboldt Waste Management Authority at 707-268-8680 for more information.

8.Old Town/Downtown/Henderson Center Recycling Bins Providing additional opportunities for public recycling is a principal component in our efforts to increase the City’s waste diversion tonnage. In 2003, the City implemented a street side program which placed approximately 30 recycling bins at 25 locations in Old Town, Downtown, Henderson Center and the Sequoia Park and Zoo. The bins allow recycling of glass, plastic and aluminum containers. The recycling bins are located near existing City garbage cans, and are collected about 3 times per week, or as needed. The bins were purchased through a State grant provided by the CA Integrated Waste Management Board.

9.Public Schools Education Program The City has a long standing partnership with the Eureka City School District to facilitate a recycling educational program within the district’s elementary schools.The program allows trained educators and student mentors to visit schools in the district, and involves school assemblies, take-home literature, on-site recycling days, and service learning activities designed to promote recycling, reuse, and food waste reduction.The program also provides support and information to assist the schools in achieving their own on-going, sustainable recycling program.The City has contracted with the Recycling Education Team at the Arcata-Eureka Recycling Center to assemble the staffing and provide training necessary to facilitate this school program.

Other Programs

·Sequoia Park and Zoo Composting Project The City currently composts nearly all of the animal and food waste at our local zoo through an on-site composting facility. The zoo, one of the oldest accredited zoos in the nation, is located at 3414 W Street near the southern city limits of Eureka.
·Recycling Task Force The City participates on a regional committee of representatives from the County and each incorporated city in the County. The Committee meets monthly, and works collectively to develop programs and ideas for promoting recycling, reuse and other measures designed to comply with the State’s AB 939 requirements. Current projects include construction/demolition recycling guidelines, mercury thermometer exchange program, zero waste management policies, update of the County Integrated Waste Management Plan, shopping guides for recycled products, sustainable behavior techniques, and other projects.
Regional Food Waste Diversion Facility The City of Eureka has teamed with the Humboldt Waste Management Authority for a feasibility study on a regional composting and food waste diversion facility. The development of a regional composting facility will greatly increase Eureka’s ability to divert solid waste from the waste stream, and assist the City in meeting the State’s ambitious diversion goals. The facility is intended to divert organic materials from Eureka’s waste stream. The project proposes to construct one or more in-vessel digesters in the Humboldt Bay Area for the anaerobic breakdown of food waste that is generated at local restaurants, schools, festivals and institutions. Methane generated from the process will provide power to the digester machinery, creating a very energy efficient system.