Trash and Recycling
Residential Recycling Program
Solid waste collection and recycling in Cerritos is provided by Athens Services. Athens Services trucks pick up trash from residents, businesses and industrial customers weekly.
The City's residential recycling program includes one blue cart for recyclable materials (which are processed at a materials recovery facility), one green cart for organics waste and a third black cart for all other waste.
For more information on the types of acceptable items that go in each cart, residents can visit the What Goes In My Container? page on the Athens Services website.
Commercial Recycling
With the passage of Assembly Bill 341 (AB341), businesses and public entities that generate four (4) or more cubic yards of waste per week and multi-family units of five (5) or more are required to participate in a recycling program. The purpose of the new State law is to reduce greenhouse emissions by diverting commercial solid waste from landfills and expand opportunities for recycling in California.
The City of Cerritos and its exclusive franchise waste (and recycling) hauler, Athens Services, make it convenient for businesses and multi-family complexes to meet the requirements of AB341. Many businesses in Cerritos participate in the City's mixed waste processing program in which Athens Services processes solid waste to recover recyclables. Many more businesses have taken a more active role by setting up an on-site source separation program with the assistance of Athens Services.
To find out more information on commercial recycling, please contact the City of Cerritos Environmental Services Division at (562) 916-1226.
Organics Waste Recycling
The Cerritos organics waste recycling program was implemented in response to Senate Bill (SB) 1383, California’s Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy. SB 1383 aims to reduce methane and other greenhouse gas emissions statewide.
SB 1383 requires all businesses, schools, multi-family complexes, and single-family home residents to subscribe to an organic waste collection service and separate into their green organic waste container all of their green waste, food scraps and food-soiled paper (100% fiber-based).
For additional information on organic waste recycling and what items are considered acceptable organic waste, please visit the Athens Services website.
For more information on trash collection, or on the citywide recycling program, call the Public Works Department at (562) 916-1220 to request a brochure or Athens Services at (833) 791-2376.
Additional valuable information about recycling and other environmental programs can be found by visiting the CalRecycle website.