Trash Flash

Recycling News for Ojai Residents

Winter 2009

Happy Holidays from the HarrisonsThe Harrison family wishes one and all a

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. As the holidays approach, we fi nd ourselves

refl ecting on the past year and on those who founded and shaped our company, our parents E.J. and Myra. They instilled in us the importance

of family, hard work and giving back to the community.

There is no time more fi tting to thank our customers and our communities. We are

proud of the service we provide you, and remain committed to maintaining the highest level of service to you in 2010, and beyond.

We are also most thankful for the continued long life of our mother, who remains with the company she co-founded 77 years ago. Myra joins us in wishing you a Happy Holiday Season and a New Year fi lled with peace and prosperity.

Recycle Your Christmas TreeE.J. Harrison & Sons and the City of Ojai

makes it easy for you to recycle your Christmas tree. Think of it as a holiday gift to the environment.

It’s also hassle-free. All you need to do is remove the ornaments, hooks, lights, tinsel, bows, nails and tree stand. Cut the tree into four-foot sections and place in your yard waste barrel on your scheduled pickup day.

Please note, however, that fl ocked trees cannot be recycled.

Trees we collect will be processed into various sizes of mulch. The material is used by Agromin to make several products that benefi t our farmlands, orchards, nurseries and our own gardens.

Why Recycle?Recycling helps the environment by saving natural

resources, energy, landfi ll space and helps to keep our air cleaner.

Thus, during these tough economic times, it is more important than ever to keep trash and recyclable materials separated and placed in their own bins.

By doing so, you are increasing the amount of materials we can recycle and sell in a market that has been hit hard by the recession

Please turn to the back page of your “Trash Flash” for recycling, yard waste and trash guidelines. It is worth the extra effort. Thanks.

Extra Trash Allowed After the Holidays

As a special holiday feature, Harrison customers may put out twice the amount

of trash at no extra charge during the two weeks following Christmas. Please make sure the trash is in bags. We also collect extra recyclables, but please make sure to fl atten all boxes.

the e

Dreaming of a ‘Green’ Christmas

Did you know that during the last quar-ter of the year, when we celebrate sev-

eral holidays, an extra 25 percent of waste is generated? Here are a few ideas for ways to trim your wasteline and have an Earth-friendly holiday season:

WrappingK Reuse colorful paper such as decora-

tive newspaper ads, comic strips, old maps or colorful magazine pages.

KWhen purchasing, buy recycled content wrapping paper.

KUse the front of old holiday cards as name tags.

Continued on page 2

Page 2Winter 2009 Trash Flash

Dreaming of a ‘Green’ ChristmasContinued from page 1

KSave gift boxes and re-use them throughout the year for other items.

Alternate GiftsIOpen a savings account or purchase a savings

bond for a child.IConsider reused items from antique shops or

thrift stores.OrnamentsF Instead of buying ornaments, use popcorn

strands, small toys, memorabilia such as a child’s fi rst shoe, edible cookie ornaments or decorate unused cookie cutters.

Holiday Cards[Consider e-mail or Internet greetings as an alter-

native to paper holiday cards.[Create your own cards from used paper.[When buying cards, look for ones made of recy-

cled paper.CelebrationsvWhen celebrating, use reusable plates, fl atware,

glasses, tablecloths and linens rather than disposable items.

PackagingSUse crumpled newspaper or magazine pages for

packing material.ShoppinglTake along reusable bags when shopping.lConsolidate shopping trips to save fuel.lCancel mail-order catalogues that you don’t want.Unwanted Items!After the holidays, donate unwanted gifts, cloth-

ing, furniture and housewares to a local charity or thrift store. Donate or recycle old electronics and consider re-use Web services such as Freecycle (www.freecycle.org) to fi nd new homes for unwanted, usable items.

2010 Holiday ScheduleLooking ahead, these are the holidays

that will delay trash collection one day:Memorial Day Monday, May 31 Labor Day Monday, Sept. 6

these are the holidays that will not delay trash collection one day:

New Year’s Day Saturday, Jan. 1 Martin Luther King Jr. Day Monday, Jan. 18

Presidents’ Day Monday, Feb. 15Independence Day Sunday, July 4 Veterans’ Day Thursday, Nov. 11Thanksgiving Thursday, Nov. 25

Christmas Saturday, Dec. 25

‘Go Green’ This Winter in Your Home and Garden

Winter is here! While we’re lucky to live in Southern California and enjoy the

best weather in the world, it might be a good idea to prepare your home for the chillier temperatures and rainy days that lie ahead. Making it more energy-effi cient takes a little time, but it’s well worth the effort.

Now’s a good time to: Clean out your fi replace;Seal and insulate your home;Inspect your smoke alarms;Change your heaters’ fi lters;Insulate your water heater;Clean and repair your rain gutters;Now’s also a good time to winterize your

lawn.A healthy lawn needs care and attention

all year long. Winterizing your lawn is espe-cially important for its ability to thrive the following year.

Here’s what to do:Rake up leaves, grass clippings and

other debris from the lawn, and compost them or place in your brown curbside yard waste bin. Raking allows sunlight and nu-trients into the soil throughout the winter months.Place weed control on your lawn. By

doing this, weeds won’t return in spring.Look for the Agromin’s “PowerMix Top

Dressing for Lawns.” Agromin is the local company that converts yard waste from your brown curbside bin into mulches, compost and soil amends that naturally fertilize your lawn, plants and trees. Lay the “PowerMix” on your lawn. It will help the lawn hold onto its nutrients throughout the winter months.

For more winterizing tips for your lawn and garden, and for more information on Ag-romin products, visit www.agromin.com.

Pay Bills On LineYou can now pay your bills on

line with a credit card or e-check. It’s easy. Go to www.ejharrison.com and check out your payment options.

Trash FlashPage 3

Winter 2009

2010 Pickup Schedule

*Pickup delayed due to holiday

Jan. 4 Green WasteJan. 11 RecyclingJan. 18 Green WasteJan. 25 RecyclingFeb. 1 Green WasteFeb. 8 RecyclingFeb. 15 Green WasteFeb. 22 RecyclingMar. 1 Green WasteMar. 8 RecyclingMar. 15 Green WasteMar. 22 RecyclingMar. 29 Green WasteApr. 5 RecyclingApr. 12 Green WasteApr. 19 RecyclingApr. 26 Green WasteMay 3 RecyclingMay 10 Green WasteMay 17 RecyclingMay 24 Green Waste*June 1 RecyclingJune 7 Green WasteJune 14 RecyclingJune 21 Green WasteJune 28 RecyclingJuly 5 Green WasteJuly 12 RecyclingJuly 19 Green WasteJuly 26 RecyclingAug. 2 Green WasteAug. 9 RecyclingAug. 16 Green WasteAug. 23 RecyclingAug. 30 Green Waste*Sept. 7 RecyclingSept. 13 Green WasteSept. 20 RecyclingSept. 27 Green WasteOct. 4 RecyclingOct. 11 Green WasteOct. 18 RecyclingOct. 25 Green WasteNov. 1 RecyclingNov. 8 Green WasteNov. 15 RecyclingNov. 22 Green WasteNov. 29 RecyclingDec. 6 Green WasteDec. 13 RecyclingDec. 20 Green WasteDec. 27 Recycling

Scavenging from Curbside Bins is Illegal – and Costly

Scavenging from curbside trash and recycling bins is illegal in Ojai, and should be reported.You may not realize it, but scavengers searching in

bins for aluminum cans, glass bottles, plastic contain-ers and other recyclable materials can cost you money in the long run since recyclables that E.J. Harrison & Sons collect are used to help off-set our service costs.

Another concern about scavengers is they also might seek or fi nd documents containing personal information like Social Security and credit card num-bers. You can help prevent identity theft by shredding documents with personal information before placing them in your blue recycling container.

In some areas, residents have reported bands of people being dropped in neighborhoods to search through bins just before collection time.

You should not approach people caught scaveng-ing. Instead, call the Ojai Police Department at 646-

1414. If the person is driving, please note the color, make and model of the vehicle and write down its license number, if possible.

Ways to Reuse Your Plastic Bags

There are two things that you should NOT do with plastic grocery bags as well as fi lm plastics, which

include food storage bags, clear plastic dry cleaning and newspaper bags, and plastic bags used to wrap products. Do not stuff them into your blue recycling con-

tainer. Do not stuff empty plastic bags in your green

trash container. They can cause major litter problems in our landfi lls, especially during windy weather.

If you are going to throw away your plastic bags, weigh them down with trash. You also can line your small bathroom trash containers with them, or take them along on your dog’s walk and use them for scooped out remains from your cat’s litter box.

Another alternative is to bring your plastic bags back to the supermarket. Take them to the check stand and reuse them yourself, or deposit them in plastic bag recycling bins that you can fi nd near the entrances of most supermarkets.

Page 4winter 2009

Printed on Recycled Paper

STOPNo Hazardous

Waste!!These items are NOT accepted for

Trash or Recycling. Hazardous Waste Tires TVs/Computer Monitors Batteries Closed Containers Oil or Paints Fluorescent Light Tubes Medical Needles

For information on how to dispose of these items, please call: • County of Ventura Hotline 658-4323

City of Ojai

Extra trash?Call for roll-offs and bin rentals.

Open 6 days a week for self-haul trash and recyclables buy-back. (805) 642-9236

www.ejharrison.com(805) 647-1414

www.goldcoastrecycling.com

E.J. Harrison & SonsRecycling, Yard Waste and Trash Guidelines

What goes in the Trash?

What Doesn’t go in the Trash or any other cart?

Hopefully, very little. After you have recycled, composted, fi lled the yard waste cart, donated old clothing and goods, and done all of those good things and more – most of the rest can go in the trash.

How to Place Your Cart for Automated Collection

The automated arm of the collection truck needs room to grab the cart. Carts should be placed 2-3 feet apart from each other and from objects such as mailboxes and cars with the wheels facing the curb.

Carts should be out by 7:00 a.m. on collection days.

City Manager: Jere Kersnar • Mayor: Joe Devito • Mayor Pro Tem: Steve Olsen

council Members: Betsy Clapp, Sue Horgan & Carol Smith

2-3 ft.2-3 ft.

Trash Flash

Complete the recycling loop...get mulch and soil amendments at:

www.agromin.com(805) 485-9200