It should come as no surprise that commercial ventures generate most of the solid waste in the state of California, as well as throughout the rest of the country. The average household generates some waste, of course, but it pales in comparison to what is produced by industry. With that in mind, California has laws in place requiring businesses to secure recycling services to make sure as much of their waste as possible is being recycled rather than dumped. If your Californian business creates more than 4 cubic yards of waste per week, you are required to recycle.
Two Main Options
If you are a business in California that must comply with the state’s mandatory commercial recycling law, you have two main options: scheduling pickup or self-hauling.
Recycling Pickup
For most businesses, the best way to comply with this recycling law is to arrange for recycling pickup service. Your business almost certainly has garbage pickup already, so adding recycling pickup to the schedule should be quick and easy. Not only is it easy, it may also be free. Businesses that have garbage collection already in place will likely be eligible for free recycling pickup. All the business will be required to do in that case is separate the recyclables from the rest of the trash—and it will all be hauled away at the designated time.
Self-Hauling
If recycling pickup is not a viable option for one reason or another, it is also sufficient for businesses to self-haul their recycling. While this may be enough to meet the requirements of the law, it may place an additional burden on the business. You’ll have to pack up the recycling, haul it away, and have somewhere to take it. This may be the best option for some businesses, but most will want to take advantage of recycling pickup.
Do Some Homework
One of the important tasks for businesses impacted by this law is to understand which materials are recyclable and which need to be disposed of in another manner. For instance, things that fall into the hazardous waste category—like chemicals, batteries, etc.—are not to be included with your standard recycling. Some of those items may actually be recyclable, but they’ll need to be dealt with separately rather than included with the paper, cardboard, and other typical recycling items.
The best course of action is to make a list of the types of waste your business usually generates and make plans for recycling each category. So, old cardboard boxes can be broken down and recycled, while used batteries will need to be handled another way. Once this list is established and available for employees to reference, the task of recycling should become much easier.
Recycling Supplies
Preparing your waste for recycling requires supplies and tools. You can find everything you need right here at Vulcan Wire. For instance, if you need to bundle up large piles of cardboard to be hauled away for recycling, we can provide you with the necessary wire and strapping along with tools like tensioners and sealers. For more information, please contact us right away. We look forward to serving you!
