Every year on November 15th, tens of thousands of people organize and attend recycling events all over the U.S. in celebration of America Recycles Day (ARD). So far this year, over 2,300 recycling events have been organized and registered on the ARD website by environmentally-minded citizens from all across the country.
Residents of Torrance have an opportunity to get into the environmental spirit during the City of Torrance‘s annual Torrance Recycling Event on Saturday, November 18th. From 8am–12noon, Torrance residents can recycle their electronic waste (e-waste, like computers, TV, cell phones, etc), and get free paper and document shredding services.
To learn more about this great community clean-up event and register to attend, visit Keep America Beautiful’s America Recycles Day event page.
Don’t live in the City of Torrance? Don’t worry! Simply enter your zip code on the America Recycles Day ‘Upcoming Events’ page to find an ARD event near you.
Saturday, September 16th marks the 33rd annual Coastal Cleanup Day. Hosted each year by Heal the Bay, Coastal Cleanup Day marks the largest, single-day volunteer event on the planet! This year, Heal the Bay is looking for more than 10,000 local Southern California residents to help pick up trash and debris from more than 50 coastal and inland sites.
Last year, more than 500,000 Coastal Cleanup Day volunteers removed more than 18.3 MILLION pounds of trash from beaches, waterways, parks and streams worldwide.
Torrance residents wishing to volunteer have many potential cleanup sites to choose from, including the City’s own Torrance Beach (aka RAT Beach). The meetup for the Torrance Beach cleanup will be at the Miramar Park/Tower Play Area, 201 Paseo De La Playa, Torrance, 90277.
Click on the interactive map below to choose a cleanup site near you:
To volunteer for the Torrance Beach site, or any Coastal Cleanup Day event, simply register at Heal the Bay’s event page here.
Quick Facts
What: Coastal Cleanup Day
When: Saturday, September 16th, 2017 from 9am–12pm
Where: Over 50 cleanup sites around Southern California
Why: To help keep our oceans, beaches, waterways, streams and parks clean and free of trash!
Cost: FREE
Ages: Volunteers under 12 years old must be accompanied by an adult. Volunteers 18 years or younger must have their waiver signed by a parent or guardian.
For more information, visit Heal the Bay’s Coastal Cleanup Day website here.
Heal the Bay is an environmental nonprofit dedicated to making the coastal waters and watersheds of the Greater Los Angeles area safe, healthy, and clean. For over thirty years, Heal the Bay has been the Southland’s strongest advocate for the ocean.
Litter from plastic debris is a huge problem in Southern California oceans and waterways. In fact, by 2050, it is now estimated there will be more plastic in the ocean by mass than there are fish!
The most common form of plastic debris comes from beverage containers: plastic lids, cups, bottles, sleeves, stirrers, six-pack rings, and yes, straws. According to Heal the Bay, nearly 40% of all debris found in the environment is beverage-related.
Not only is plastic litter unsightly and gross, it’s dangerous. Marine mammals, fish, and birds can choke on litter, causing sickness, injury and death.
The City of Torrance is uniquely situated within the Dominguez Channel, a 70,000 acre watershed, extending from LAX to the Los Angeles Harbor. With Madrona Marsh, one of the only urban wetlands in Southern California, and 1.5 miles of Pacific coastline, the City of Torrance is one of the most geographically diverse areas in Los Angeles, and one of the most reliant on waterways for its natural beauty.
Litter is a constant problem in all densely-populated, urban areas, and the City of Torrance is no exception. Heal the Bay estimates that collectively, Americans use roughly 500 million plastic straws per day–enough to wrap around the Earth 2.5 times. Most of these plastic straws end up in landfills, but too many end up as litter in our local waterways.
To reduce litter from plastic straws, Heal the Bay is launching a new initiative:
Strawless Summer!
Make a commitment to Skip The Straw and visit Heal the Bay for details.
Enter the #StrawlessSummer contest to win free concert tickets.
Remember to reduce plastic debris from beverage containers by using reusable water bottles and coffee cups.
To learn more about reducing plastic pollution in Southern California waterways, Take Action. To learn more about keeping City of Torrance waterways clean, visit the City’s Stormwater homepage.
City of Torrance Offers Free Christmas Tree Recycling!
From December 27, 2016 through January 12, 2017, City of Torrance residents will be able to recycle their Christmas trees along with their regular curbside collection.
Trees must be unflocked (no fake snow), less than six feet long (without cutting), and undecorated (no stands, tinsel, or ornaments).
How-To: Trees can be up to six (6) feet long without needing to be cut. Then, place the tree at the curb at least four feet from your automated containers by 7:00 a.m. on your regularly scheduled collection day between Monday, December 27, 2016, and Thursday, January 12, 2017.
Other Options: Christmas trees put out for collection before or after the recycling collection dates, or flocked trees (with fake snow), must be cut up and placed in the regular (black) trash container for removal. Unflocked Christmas trees six (6) feet or smaller can be placed directly into the green waste container and will be collected during normal collection times.
Note:The large item collection program will not be available during the curbside Christmas tree recycling program. Remember that it takes at least a week to schedule the large item pick up, so please plan accordingly. For further details visit the Public Works Christmas Tree Recycling webpage.
What happens to my Christmas trees when they’re recycled?
The City of Torrance chops up the Christmas trees they collect and turn them into mulch and landfill cover. The City offers free mulch giveaways year-round at Lago Seco Park. Visit the Public Works Department for more details.
Is there a more eco-friendly, sustainable option for Christmas trees?
Yes! You can “rent” a living Christmas tree (one that has not been chopped down) and have it delivered to your home or business for the holiday season. You can visit Living Christmas for more details.
Join Keep America Beautiful in its Fight to End Littering!
Keep America Beautiful is a leading national nonprofit whose mission is to inspire and educate people to take action every day to improve and beauty their community environment. For more than six decades, Keep America Beautiful has served as our country’s nonprofit steward of litter prevention.
Over 51 billion pieces of litter appear on U.S. roadways each year. Litter has environmental consequences. Wind and weather, traffic, and animals move litter into gutters, lawns and landscaped areas, alleyways, and parking structures. Litter near storm drains and beach debris are also likely to wash into local waterways, with potential for serious environmental contamination.
Help Stop Littering! It starts with you…
Choose not to litter. Make the commitment now and take the “Be Recycled” pledge with thousands of other Americans.
Remind others not to litter and why.
If you’re a smoker, carry and use a portable or pocket ashtray.
If you see litter, pick it up.
Volunteer to help prevent and cleanup litter.
Participate in Keep America Beautiful’s exciting programs this Fall. Registration opens Monday, August 1 for Recycle-Bowl and America Recycles Day. The theme for America Recycles Day this year is “Be Recycled.”
Waste prevention (or source reduction) means eliminating waste before it’s created by purchasing products with less packaging, reusing goods instead of throwing them away, using up products completely and eliminating waste whenever possible. Waste prevention saves resources, promotes efficiency, reduces pollution and may even save money.
A few ways to stop waste at the start:
Compost yard waste and kitchen scraps
Buy reusable rather than disposable products
Bring a shopping bag to the store
Buy in bulk when possible
Avoid individually wrapped or single-serving products
Choose products with refillable or reusable containers
Waste reduction (or prevention) is the preferred approach to waste management because waste that never gets created doesn’t have waste management costs. Visit CalRecycle for more information on how to reduce waste at home.
To encourage LA County residents to stay home, Household Hazardous/Electronic Waste Collection Events have been temporarily suspended starting January 16. We hope to resume this free service in the near future and will make another announcement when the program restarts.
For more information, please contact info@lacsd.org.
Due to the announcement of the suspension of HHW collection events, there will be no mobile, one-day events available to Torrance residents in the South Bay until services resume.
The City of Torrance encourages you to recycle your Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) and Electronic Waste (E-Waste) at a permanent collection facility (S.A.F.E. Center) near you. SAFE Centers are open Saturdays and Sundays from 9am–3pm.
DUE TO COVID-19, THERE ARE STRICT SAFETY RULES THAT MUST BE ADHERED TO, AND LONG WAIT TIMES ARE ANTICIPATED.
COVID-19 SAFETY RULES 1. RESIDENTS MUST REMAIN IN THEIR VEHICLES AT ALL TIMES 2. FACE COVERINGS ARE MANDATORY AT ALL TIMES 3. MATERIALS MUST BE IN AN UNLOCKED TRUNK (STAFF WILL NOT OPEN THE VEHICLE DOOR OR ENTER THE VEHICLE’S CABIN)
ANY RESIDENTS THAT DO NOT COMPLY WITH THE SAFETY RULES WILL BE TURNED AWAY – NO EXCEPTIONS. THIS IS FOR YOUR SAFETY AS WELL AS OUR STAFF’S SAFETY.
All of the Mobile Collection Events are still postponed. Please do not place household hazardous materials in the trash. Electronic waste (e-waste) may be scheduled for curbside collection by calling 1-800-773-2489 or by selecting Electronic Waste in the MyLA311 app.
TRANSPORTATION LIMIT: It is against the law to transport more than 15 gallons or 125 pounds of hazardous waste to collection sites. Please pack your waste properly to prevent tipping or spilling of the waste during transportation.
These words are designed to keep people away, yet many common household products are labeled with these warnings and left sitting on shelves or in cabinets long after they are needed. In a typical home, families have about 100 pounds of unwanted hazardous chemicals stored. These unneeded–and often forgotten–items are called “Household Hazardous Waste” (HHW). Take a look around. You probably have HHW that you don’t need, such as old paint, stain, lawn chemicals, bug spray, antifreeze, gasoline, and more.
Dispose of HHW & E-Waste Properly!
Hazardous and electronic waste is any discarded material that threatens public health, safety, and the environment due to its chemical nature. Throwing these materials in the trash, down storm drains, on the ground, or in the sewer system puts oceans and groundwater at risk.
Gathering and safely disposing of HHW will open up storage space and also make your home safer for your family, as well as emergency responders in case of fire or natural disaster. Plus, it will help us keep our ocean and beaches clean and safe. NEVER place HHW in the trash, recycling, or green waste cart, or pour into the street, gutter, storm drain, or sewer.
Instead, take advantage of Los Angeles County’s FREE, convenient HHW Round-Up Events. At these free events, you can also drop off electronic waste, car batteries, household batteries, fluorescent tubes and bulbs, expired medication, used sharps (in a secure container), and mercury thermometers.
If you don’t want to wait for one-day Round-Up event, you may drop off HHW and electronics year-round at two nearby locations.
FREE PERMANENT DROP-OFF FACILITIES NEAR TORRANCE:
Gaffey St. S.A.F.E. Collection Center 1400 North Gaffey St. San Pedro, CA 90021 The San Pedro site is open SATURDAYS and SUNDAYS from 9:00 A.M. TO 3:00 P.M. except holidays and rainy days.
Hyperion Treatment Plant S.A.F.E. Collection Center 7660 Imperial Hwy., Gate B Playa Del Rey, CA 90293 The Playa Del Rey site is open SATURDAYS and SUNDAYS from 9:00 A.M. TO 3:00 P.M. except holidays and rainy days.
Glass is one of the few materials that can be recycled infinitely without losing strength, purity or quality.
Recycling glass bottles and jars is easy in the City of Torrance, thanks to the curbside collection program. All colors of glass bottles and jars can be placed in your recycling container and placed on the curb every week for recycling. Please rinse containers. Lids, caps and labels on glass bottles and jars are okay. The grey or blue bins are for recycling of plastics, glass, paper and metal. Blue bins are now available in 96-gallon size. Switch to the new blue bin by clicking here!
Accepted Glass Containers in Curbside Recycling:
Yes
Glasses bottles, all colors
Jars
Beer bottles
Pickle jars
Wine bottles
Any glass container
No
Auto glass
Ceramic mugs/plates
Fluorescent bulbs, light bulbs
Glass dishes, drinking glasses
Mirrors
Plate/window glass
Porcelain
Pyrex dishes
In California you can also earn money back for recycling glass beverage containers. Typically, individuals will receive five or 10 cents back for each qualifying bottle returned to a participating retail store or recycling center. To find a recycling center near you, visit Earth911.com.
Give a little love back to our planet and join the City of Torrance and Call2Recycle in celebrating National Battery Day on February 18th for a chance to win a prize!
Call2Recycle is hosting a contest throughout the month of February in celebration of National Battery Day! Eight lucky U.S. recyclers will win $250 to add to their satisfaction of having properly disposed of their batteries, just post a picture of yourself recycling a used household battery. For more details, visit call2recycle.org/nationalbatteryday.
The steps are easy:
1. Visit one of Call2Recycle’s retail partners’ locations to drop off your used batteries for recycling, or find another recycling location near you through their collection site locator.
2. Take a picture of yourself recycling a battery at one of the collection sites.
3. Submit your photo through Twitter and Facebook using the hashtag #NBD2016Recycle2Win, or post it here, anytime between now and February 29.
Why is battery recycling important?
Recycling batteries is good for the environment! It keeps them out of landfills, where heavy metals (like lead, cadmium, zinc lithium and mercury) may leak into the ground when the battery casing corrodes, causing soil and water pollution.
The City of Torrance and L.A. County offer free collection and drop-off programs for residents to get rid of unwanted batteries. PLEASE NOTE, to tape positive (+) end of batteries before taking to a collection site or event. Listed below are a few battery-recycling sites in the City.
Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center or Event
Gaffey Street S.A.F.E. Collection Center
1400 Gaffey St. Los Angeles, CA 90731
Hours: Saturdays and Sundays, 9am-3pm
Torrance HHW/E-Waste Roundup Event
Saturday, June 18, 2016
American Honda – 1919 Torrance Blvd.
Hours: 9am-3pm
Visit CLEANLA.com for additional information and a complete list of permanent centers and upcoming events.
Designated County Library Drop Off Site
Carson Library
151 E. Carson St. Carson, CA 90745
(310) 830-0901
Call2Recycle – Rechargeable Battery and Cellphone Collection
Lowes – 22255 S. Western Ave.
Lowes – 2700 Skypark Dr.
Home Depot – 24451 Crenshaw Blvd.
Best Buy – 3675 Pacific Coast Hwy
Verizon Wireless – 24329 Crenshaw Blvd.
Please contact collection sites for hours of operation and regulations. Visit Call2Recycle.org for more information on rechargeable battery and cellphone recycling.
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