Can an MRF (Materials Recovery Facility) Slated for Canyon Country be Avoided?

Residents of Canyon Country near the Friendly Valley area are concerned that a proposed recycling facility, or Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), is slated to be located near their homes.

This facility is supposed to sort ALL trash, not just the stuff that gets placed in recycle bins, in order to reduce the overall impact that the Santa Clarita Valley is having on the local landfills. The decision to sort through all trash instead of just recycle bins is because Santa Clarita residents on the whole have apparently not figured out what their recycle bins are for, so they want to recover recyclables out of the regular trash as well. Not only will this create a lot of extra traffic with all trash trucks dumping their loads at this facility, the SMELL will likely waft over homes across a rather broad area.

If you’ve ever been near the recycling facility in Sun Valley, you’ll know how bad the smell can get, and how far it can travel. PEEEEE-UUUUU!!!

While the final location of this new MRF is apparently still up for discussion, it is clear that the Santa Clarita Valley needs to do a better job of recycling in order to hold off building these types of facilities to process our trash.

Are You Recycling Yet?

If you’re not recycling as much as you can already, then it’s time to get on it! It’s really not that difficult… all you do is place recyclables into the trash bin with the green lid. And if that gets full because you’re doing so well with your recycling efforts, then ask for a second recycle bin - it’s FREE!

What is Recyclable?

What can you throw into your recycle bins? Here’s a list from Waste Management (Blue Barrel) Disposal:

Aluminum cans, foil and trays

Tin cans and bi-metal cans

Rinsed milk cartons - flattened

Juice boxes and soy milk boxes - flattened

Carryout bags, butter and margarine tubs, screw on caps and yogurt containers

Plastic bags

Mixed plastic materials

Shampoo, detergent, milk, soda, water, etc.

All plastic food containers marked #1 through #7.

Glass bottles and jars - empty and rinsed

Loose newspaper

Paper board

Cereal and cracker boxes

Six-pack cartons

Cardboard and corrugated boxes

Brown grocery bags

Magazines

Glossy paper

Junk mail

Stationery and envelopes

Any high grade/uncoated paper

Binder/notebook paper, any color

What is NOT Recyclable?

Waste Management considers the following items to be inappropriate for the recycle bins:

Scrap metal

Plastic motor oil bottles

Window pane glass

Mirror

Light bulbs

Ceramic pottery, cups, and dishes

Ovenware

Plastic or wax coated paper

Cereal box liners

Books

Gummed or glued bindings (telephone books ok)

Paper towels, napkins, tissue paper, paper plates, soiled paper, adhesive backed or sticky paper

Carbon paper

Aluminum foil boxes

Plastic wrap

Recycling Other Household Items

You can also recycle all sorts of household items instead of throwing them out by listing them on Freecycle.org, "a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. It’s all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills."

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