City of Fountain Valley - Waste & Disposal Information

REFUSE COLLECTION SCHEDULE

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NEW TRASH COLLECTION SERVICE

Rainbow Disposal provides a modern, automated waste collection and recycling program (Program) for residential customers with trash can service. The program is similar to those already in service throughout other Orange County cities.

The Program provides residents with three, 95 gallon carts; one for trash, the second for yard waste, and the third for commingled recyclable material. Each 95 gallon cart holds the rough equivalent of three 32 gallon cans that residents presently use. Smaller carts are available upon request, and additional green waste and recycling containers are also available for no additional charge. Addition trash containers are available for a one-time delivery fee of $75. For larger items, Rainbow also provides four free collections per year where residents can put out up to 10 large items per collection. They call it the “10/4” program. The collection system will enable the City to comply with state waste diversion goals requiring a 50% reduction in the waste disposed at landfills.

As an added benefit, the collection vehicles run on clean burning compressed natural gas which are much quieter than diesel powered trucks and produce much less pollution. For additional information please contact Rainbow Disposal at (714) 847-3581, or visit their website at www.rainbowdisposal.com.

Scavenging

Fountain Valley citizens should know that scavenging is against the law and prohibited under the City’s Municipal Code. If you see a scavenger, do not confront them. Get a description of the person and their vehicle/license plate and call the Police Department at (714) 593-4485. Remember, do not approach or confront a scavenger because you do not want to create the potential for a dangerous situation.

SERVICE LEVELS

Basic Service Level

One set of three (3) 95-gallon carts are provided for each residential service address.

Cart No. 1: Recyclable Materials (blue container)

Paper products such as newspaper, cardboard, magazines, telephone books, junk mail, office paper, computer paper, other white and colored paper
Food containers such as metal cans, glass or plastic bottles or jars
Other plastics made from high density polyethylene (HDPE), low density polyethylene (LDPE), and polyethylene (PET)

Cart No. 2: Green Waste (green container)

Yard waste such as grass, leaves, branches, shrubbery, and plant soil.

Green waste does not include palm frond

Green waste cart not needed:
The customer may elect to forego delivery of the green waste cart if there is no vegetation at their residence, is subject to Association or other similar landscape maintenance, or utilizes a gardener that removes the green waste material from the subject property for disposal elsewhere outside of the City limits. Plant waste is not permitted within either the Recyclable Materials container or the Trash Container.

Cart No. 3: Trash (brown container)

Food waste
Full or unopened food containers
Food packaging that is mixed (contaminated) with food waste
Paper products (i.e. paper plates, napkins, paper towels, bags) that are mixed (contaminated) with food waste or grease.
Grease, fat, and lard
Plastic toys
Sheet or plate glass
Styrofoam, packing peanuts and similar packing materials, closed cell foam, and upholstery foam
Animal waste, animal bedding, and cat litter
Wood waste
Palm fronds
Any remaining items not eligible for placement in Cart No. 1 or Cart No. 2 (recyclable or green waste cart).

2. Bulky Item Collection (10/4 Program)

Up to four (4) bulky item collections, with up to ten (10) items per collection, can be scheduled per year, per household. Qualifying items include:

Furniture, mattresses, box springs, bed frames, headboards, and footboards.

Area rugs, rolled and secured, not to exceed 6 feet in length.

Household appliances such as ovens, built in stove tops, range hoods, refrigerators, dishwashers, water heaters, water softeners, clothes washer or dryer, trash compactor, and microwave ovens.

Pool equipment.

Moving boxes and shipping cartons in excess of the Recycling cart capacity.

Bagged trash in excess of Trash cart capacity – not to exceed 40 lbs. per bag and sealed with string, tape, plastic or wire tie.

Securely bundled palm fronds, or tree trimmings/branches in excess of Green waste cart capacity, not to exceed 4 feet in length and 40 lbs. per bundle.

Material not accepted through 10/4 Program

Universal waste and hazardous waste is not accepted.

Remodeling items such as intact vanity cabinets, sinks, toilets bathtubs, intact windows and doors; cast iron tubs are not accepted.

Waste from construction and demolition waste is not accepted.

3. Optional Service

Level 1: Alternative Cart Size

Alternate cart sizes of 35 and 65 gallon capacity will be available upon request. Based on the size of the household and demonstrated capacity need.

Level 2: Additional Green Waste and Recycling Carts.

Customer may request one (1) additional cart each for Recyclable material and Green Waste at no charge. The additional carts must be the same size as other carts in use at the household. Following two written warnings within a three (3) month period and providing of program educational material, the carts may be repossessed by Rainbow Disposal if the customer does not utilize the additional carts for collection of the intended material. Upon request from the City, Rainbow Disposal is to provide documentation of warning(s), including but not limited to photographs.

Level 3: Additional Trash Cart

A customer may request one (1) additional cart for Trash, subject to a one-time delivery and handling charge of $75.

4. Cart Maintenance and Repair

All carts remain the property of Rainbow Disposal. Rainbow Disposal will repair or replace carts damaged by ordinary wear and usage at no charge to customer. Carts intentionally abused or damaged by customer through use other than that of waste collection will be repaired or replace by Rainbow Disposal at the expense of the customer, as follows:

Repairs will be charged at a rate of $25 per repair.
Carts will be replaced at the following charges:
- 95 gallon $75
- 65 gallon $70
- 35 gallon $65

The “life expectancy” of the carts with ordinary wear and usage is 10-12 years.

5. Scavenging

Fountain Valley citizens should know that scavenging is against the law and prohibited under the City’s Municipal Code. If you see a scavenger, do not confront them. Get a description of the person and their vehicle/license plate. During working hours (8 a.m. – 5 p.m.), call the City’s Code Enforcement Department at (714) 593-4444. If City Hall is closed, call the Police Department at (714) 593-4485. Remember, do not approach or confront a scavenger because you do not want to create the potential for a dangerous situation.

Managing Construction and Demolition Debris:

To extend the lifespan of landfills and conserve resources, State legislation mandates a 50 percent reduction in waste sent to landfills. Cities throughout the state have provided waste recycling and diversion programs allowing their communities to reach the goal. The success of these programs is based on the active participation of the residents and business community.

Your business can reduce waste and disposal cost by:

Producing less waste
Reusing material
Recycling
Composting

The cost for waste disposal has increased due to strict landfill requirements and diminishing capacity. To minimize cost, your company should practice waste reduction.

There are generally four basic types of construction waste:

Wood
Plants
Rubble and asphalt
All other materials

The following practices will help reduce your disposal cost:

Keep recyclable and non-recyclable materials construction and demolition debris separated.
Use inert debris (concrete, brick, uncontaminated soil, rock, and gravel) as fill material. Unused material can be brought to an inert solid landfill for disposal.
Keep plant waste separate from trash to receive a lower disposal rate at the landfill. Ground or chipped plant waste material can be used for groundcover or as compost material.

Reducing the amount of waste you create can lower disposal cost. Consider the following to reduce waste.

Plan. Plan ahead for fewer emergency supply runs. Also, store leftover supplies and materials for your next project.
Reduce Packaging. Ask suppliers to take back packaging after materials have been delivered.
Include Waste Disposal Costs in Bids. Require subcontractors to include the cost of removing their waste in their bids to give them an incentive to produce less waste.

Reuse Scrap Materials
Reusing materials on site will reduce your disposal efforts and costs. Here are some suggestions:

Use crushed masonry materials for fill or bedding material for driveways.
Use joist off-cuts as stakes for forming or for headers around openings in floor assemblies.
Use leftover insulation as ventilation baffles in attics.
Return pallets to vendors.
Give salvageable materials to businesses that collect and resell used construction materials.

Recycle Materials
Construction and demolition debris can be recycled into new materials. Recyclable construction and demolition materials can be stored on the project site in separate dumpsters labeled for metals, wood, cardboard, and plastic.

Scrap lumber can be processed and used for landscaping, compost, or animal bedding.

Metals can be sold to scrap metal yards. These are some of the easiest and most cost-effective materials to recycle.

Cardboard can be kept separate in cardboard-only dumpsters at the job site and picked up by a local recycling firm.

Gypsum drywall can be ground up for use as a soil amendment or a substitute for lime on lawns.

Rubble (concrete, bricks, cinder block, and certain types of tile) can be crushed and sieved for use as an aggregate. For example, it can substitute for stone aggregate in nonstructural applications.

Glass can be recycled into fiberglass or used in place of sand in paving material.

Asphalt shingles can be used in asphalt paving and pothole repair.

Other scrap, such as plastic, fiberglass, and foam or other packaging materials can be recycled

As you consider these suggestions for reducing, reusing, and recycling waste, take time to analyze your operations. How could you show employees how to practice source reduction, reuse, and recycling?

Use Recycled Materials

Buy building supplies that contain re- cycled materials. There are many new recycled-content building materials that you may not be aware of that are available and cost effective.

For further information on how to reduce your waste disposal cost by producing less waste, call the City’s Public Works Department at (714) 593-4441.

SAVE WASTE, SAVE MONEY

Less waste means less cost for your business. When you efficiently use supplies, your bottom line improves. It makes sense to reduce waste, reuse whatever you can, and recycle the rest. When you reduce the trash, you can reduce the frequency of your trash collection service, saving you money. Some suggestions:

Reduce Waste

Use electronic mail and voice mail.
Proof and preview documents on screen before printing.
Eliminate unnecessary reports.
Reduce report size (are all of those attachments necessary?).
Avoid using fax cover sheets.
Make fewer copies. Route copies and don’t make more than you need.
Print or copy on both sides.
Set computers to automatically print two-sided.
Remove duplicate names and out-of-date entries from mailing lists.
Design mailers which avoid the use of envelopes.
Circulate memos, documents, reports, and publications.

Reuse Material

Save paper that has been used on one side and reuse as draft paper in fax machines, for scratch pads, and copies (in copiers with multiple trays, one tray can be stocked with draft paper).
Purchase copiers and printers that will make two-sided copies reliably.
Reuse envelopes by placing a label over the old address.
Use reusable envelopes for interoffice mail.
Reuse file folders.
Reuse boxes for shipping or storage.
Shred newspapers and reuse for packaging.
Donate magazines to local libraries, schools, hospitals, and nursing homes.
Donate old and outdated merchandise to charities rather than throwing it in the trash. Store remodeling produces construction and demolition debris in large amounts from time to time. Many of these materials can be reused by other stores, schools, churches, or community organizations. They can be reused or recycled by advertising in a materials exchange, such as CalMAX. Material exchanges help businesses and institutions find markets for materials they have traditionally discarded.

Recycle

If your office is small, combine your recyclables with other small offices nearby.
Provide desktop recycling containers for employees.
Provide clearly labeled recycling bins near copiers, shipping and receiving areas, and in employee eating areas to collect white paper, mixed paper, newspaper, magazines, cardboard as well as glass, aluminum, plastic, etc.
Don’t buy thermal fax paper, glossy/plastic coatings, plastic windows, bright colors including goldenrod, laser printer inks, or adhesive products that can contaminate recyclable material.
Print directly on envelopes rather than using labels.
For more information on implementing paper reduction, go to www.ciwmb.ca.gov.

Make Your Purchases Count

Use paper with at least 25 percent recycled content.
Buy products with no packaging, less packaging, or reusable packaging.
Buy products in bulk or in concentrated form.
Have vendors take back packaging.
Prior to recycling or disposing, check to see if anyone can reuse packaging.
Repack in the same cartons that transported material to your facility.
Advertise surplus and reusable waste items through the California Materials Exchange Program (CALMAX) or a local materials exchange. Call (916) 255-2369 or e-mail calmax@ciwmb.ca.gov for more information.
Rent equipment that you only use occasionally.
Invest in equipment which is high quality, durable, and recyclable.
Buy fluorescent rather than incandescent bulbs.
Sell or give old furniture and equipment to employees or donate to charity.

Landscaping

Use plants that are low maintenance and generate less waste (grows slowly, doesn’t need to be trimmed as often, and uses less water).
Encourage your building’s landscaper to grasscycle, compost, and mulch to reduce green waste that would be sent to the landfill for disposal.

For More Help
For more information on how to prevent waste, call:

The City of Fountain Valley’s Public Works Department at (714) 593-4441.
Rainbow Disposal at (714) 847-3581.
Or visit the state’s website at www.ciwmb.ca.gov.