The City Recycling Program was expanded in July 2001 to help decrease the amount of trash disposed at our landfill and to comply with the State mandated AB939 law which requires cities and counties to reduce their waste by 50% by the year 2000. Whittier residents received one 96-gallon green container for greenwaste, one 96-gallon blue container for co-mingled recyclables, and one 64-gallon black container for refuse. All refuse, greenwaste, and recyclables are collected on the same day. Residents may request up to two extra containers for greenwaste (green) and an unlimited number of recycling (blue) containers free of charge. Call your refuse hauler to request extra containers.

• Republic Services - (800) 299-4898
  • Republic Services Recycling Guide
• Athens Services - (888) 336-6100
  • Athens Recycling and Waste Collection Guide

Three Container System

Blue Containers - Recyclables

Green Containers - Green Waste/Food Scraps/Food-Soiled Paper

Black Containers - Trash

Commercial and Multi-Family Recycling

Recent state legislation made recycling mandatory for certain businesses and apartment buildings beginning July 1, 2012. All businesses that produce four (4) cubic yards or more of trash per week and multi-family properties of five (5) units or more (such as apartment buildings) are required to recycle through one of the following:

• Self-haul to a recycling center.
• Subscribe to recycling service with the hauler authorized by the City to collect, haul, carry, or transport recyclable material in your area. Republic Services (800) 299-4898; Athens Services (888) 336-6100
• Sell your recyclable material with a market value to a recycling service. The sale of recyclable materials must be documented by a bill or sale, receipt or other documentation satisfactory to the Director of Public Works.

The law does not specify what materials your business or community should recycle, but starting with typical household and office recyclables is a good place to begin. This might include office paper and mail, newspapers, magazines and catalogs, cardboard, glass and plastic bottles and containers, plastic bags and film, and cans.

• Commercial Recycling Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
• Commercial Recycling Brochure

For Exemption Request Forms please see links in the section below. Thank you.

SB 1383 - Mandatory Organic Recycling

In September 2016, Governor Edmund Brown Jr. set methane emissions reduction targets for California (SB 1383 Lara, Chapter 395, Statutes of 2016) in a statewide effort to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCP). The targets must:

• Reduce organic waste disposal 50% by 2020 and 75% by 2025.
• Rescue for people to eat at least 20% of currently disposed surplus food by 2025.

To that end, the City of Whittier is responsible for implementing SB 1383 regulations and must coordinate with county planners, waste haulers, waste processing facilities, recyclers, commercial businesses, residents, and edible food recovery organizations.

City responsibilities include: 

• Evaluating readiness and capacity to implement SB 1383, including organics collection, recycling and edible food recovery capacity
• Providing organic waste collection to all residents and businesses by January 1, 2022, which means providing service automatically and not relying on the generator to subscribe.
• Establishing an edible food recovery program that recovers edible food from the waste stream 
• Conducting outreach and education to all affected parties, including generators, haulers, facilities, edible food recovery organizations, and city departments
• Procuring recycled organic waste products like compost, mulch, renewable natural gas (RNG), and electricity
• Inspecting and enforce compliance with SB 1383
• Investigate written complaints of alleged violations. Complaints can be submitted anonymously through the Whittier 365 Smart Phone Application or by emailing Public Works at PubWks@CityofWhittier.org.
• Maintaining accurate and timely records of SB 1383 compliance 

CalRecycle presented a Zoom Webinar on June 16, 2021, to educate the business community on the new organics recycling requirements. The Webinar was recorded and can be downloaded here.

Should your property generate less than 1/2 a cubic yard of organic waste per week or lack the space to accommodate the required carts an exemption may apply.

• Athens - Exemption Request Form
• Republic - Exemption Request Form

Beverage Container Recycling

Aluminum cans, glass bottles and plastic bottles can be redeemed for California Redemption Value (CRV) at Puente Hills Materials Recovery Facility.

• 2800 S. Workman Mill Road

 Contact the business for hours and amounts accepted. (562) 908-4875

Used Motor Oil Recycling

The City of Whittier provides free containers in the Public Works Department for transporting used motor oil safely to collection centers. These containers may be picked up at the Public Works Counter on the main floor of City Hall, 13230 Penn Street. The following local businesses accept used oil and some also collect used oil filters. Call the business for hours and amounts accepted:

• AutoZone
  11855 Whittier Blvd.
  (562) 692-0251

• Jiffy Lube
  14180 Lambert Rd.
  (562) 945-3253

• Valvoline Instant Oil Change
  13401 Whittier Blvd.
  (562) 945-6863

• O'Reilly Auto Parts
  14860 E. Whittier Blvd.
  (562) 698-1720

• Firestone Tire & Service Center
  11230 Washington Blvd.
  (562) 692-0801

• Valvoline Instant Oil Change
  15806 Whittier Blvd.
  (562) 902-6600

• Gerkey & Sons Lube Pit Stop
  8806 Painter Ave.
  (562) 945-4240

Did you know that your car may not need an oil change as often as you think? Fewer oil changes saves you time and money, and helps protect the environment. Simply check your owner's manual or consult your authorized dealership for the recommended oil change interval number for your vehicle.

• More Information

Obtaining Refuse/Recycling Containers

Call your service provider to request additional containers. The basic service level includes providing each single family resident with a 96-gallon green container for greenwaste, a 96-gallon blue container for co-mingled recycling, and a 64-gallon black container for refuse. Residents may request up to two extra green carts and an unlimited number of blue containers free of charge. There is a monthly charge for extra black refuse containers. See the information above for a list of acceptable items for each container.

• Republic Services - (800) 299-4898
• Athens Services - (888) 336-6100

Composting

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works sponsors free Gardening Workshops to learn composting, grass recycling and gardening techniques. For more information call the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works at 1-888-CLEAN-LA (1-888-253-2652).

Construction & Demolition (C&D) Recycling

In an effort to comply with the California Waste Management Act of 1989, the City of Whittier adopted the California Green Building Standards Code. Essentially, any construction or demolition of residential projects up to three (3) units on residential zoned property or commercially zoned property over two thousand five hundred square feet (2,500 sq. ft.) is subject to a 65% recycling requirement and the completion of a Waste Management Plan.

• C&D Recycling Information Sheet
• C&D Waste Management Plan Application
• C&D Recycling Exemption Form

Tire Recycling

To find a center that accepts used tires call 1-888 CLEAN LA (253-2652) or visit www.888cleanla.com.

Mattress Recycling

Old mattresses and box springs are now accepted from the public for free through the Bye Bye Mattress program. Bye Bye Mattress is administered by the Mattress Recycling Council (MRC), a non-profit organization created by the mattress industry and certified by the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) to develop and manage the California mattress recycling program required by the Used Mattress Recovery & Recycling Act enacted in 2013. A mattress recycled through the Bye Bye Mattress program is broken up into four main components—steel, foam, wood, and fibers. These are used to make new products, such as carpet padding, steel products, filter media, and automotive insulation. The program is funded through an $11 recycling fee that is collected when a mattress or box spring is sold in California. Consumers will notice this fee as a separate line item on the receipt. The fee is used to pay for collecting, transporting, and recycling discarded mattresses and also establishes a fund that helps municipalities battle illegal dumping. California is the second state in the nation with a statewide recycling program for mattresses and box springs, following Connecticut.

Hazardous & Electronic Waste Disposal

Please be aware that your solid waste & recycling hauler nor the landfill accepts liquids, hazardous or toxic wastes such as full or partial cans of paint, paint thinners, solvents, automotive oil, pesticides, batteries, florescent light bulbs, electronics, including but not limited to televisions, laptops, tablets, cell phones, VCRs, DVDs, radios and stereos.

Recycling/Disposal Guide for Home Gadgets and Devices

Los Angeles County sponsors FREE Household Hazardous and E-Waste Roundups on Saturdays for your convenience. Materials accepted include: paint, paint thinner, turpentine, cleaners with acid or lye, pesticides and herbicides, household and car batteries, motor oil, oil filters, brake fluid, pool chemicals, televisions, VCRs, DVDs, radios, stereos, computers, monitors, printers, etc. Call (888) CLEAN-LA or visit www.888cleanla.com for more information. Only single-family and multi-family residents may participate in local Household Hazardous Waste Round-Ups sponsored by the LA County Department of Public Works.

Donations

Many local non-profits welcome the donation of gently used items. The Whittier Chamber of Commerce website lists local family, community and civic organizations along with their contact information. Using Nextdoor.com or the Nextdoor mobile application for smart phones is a way to post items that you would like to sell or giveaway or even search for used items that you need instead of buying new.

Edible Food Recovery

The goal is to match businesses that generate extra food with nonprofit recipients like shelters, food kitchens, and pantries to feed hungry people while preventing edible food from ending up in landfills. Food Finders is an agency that matches edible food donations to agencies that have hungry people to feed. Please visit their website for information on donating or becoming a receiving agency. City solid waste and recycling haulers, Athens Services and Republic Services have additional information food donation.

Who to Call

Call (888) CLEAN-LA (1-888-253-2652) or 888cleanla.com or LACSD.org for additional information on free Household Hazardous Waste round-ups.

To Report Illegal Storm Drain Dumping or to Receive Information on Storm Water Pollution - call Los Angeles County Department of Public Works (800) 303-0003.

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