Food waste recycling starting

trucks in Lakewood.

California is requiring cities across the state to implement the new food waste recycling program as part of its Zero Waste goals.

Recycling organics will be easy and convenient for Lakewood residents with EDCO’s commingled Organics Recycling Program.

Food waste can now join garden waste in your green-colored cart

Beginning in January 2022 in Lakewood, EDCO is kicking off their new Organics Recycling Program to collect food scraps in residential customers’ green waste carts. The food scraps can be mixed together with landscape waste in customers’ existing green-colored carts. No new carts will be required.

Food waste accounts for 40% of trash going to landfills. Food and organic waste placed in a landfill releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, which produce a wide range of negative environmental and health impacts. Recycling organic waste produces valuable compost and renewable fuel for vehicles, such as clean-burning fuel for EDCO’s

Learn how to do it at www. lakewoodcity.org/OrganicsRecycling where you can watch a quick video, learn useful tips and order a free kitchen caddy for storing food scraps. Or call EDCO at (562) 531-3054 with questions. Watch your mail too for handy guides and information. Commercial customers and multi-family residential sites of five units or more will also need to comply with organics recycling, and they should be on the lookout for educational materials that EDCO will send. EDCO will also provide on-site inspections to determine the specific needs for each customer to comply with state rules. Commercial and multi-family customers can also request training and an EDCO waste audit to determine their service needs at the phone number above. ♦