For Water and Sanitation frequently asked questions, please click here: W&S
IWMD - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Quick Links
Household Hazardous Waste Disposal / Recycling for Unincorporated Area Residents
Household Waste Disposal / Recycling Information
Construction & Demolition Debris Recycling
Construction & Demolition Permit Application
The County requires this information to meet State mandates requiring recycling during many types of construction and demolition. To ensure you have a viable plan for recycling before you start, we require a Form B. To verify you did recycle, we require a Form C with receipts after you finish your project. For more information, call (805) 658-4321, and follow the voicemail menu to “construction and demolition.”
RECYCLING
If your business is located inside a city, we will direct you to your city recycling coordinator. If your business is located within unincorporated Ventura County, we offer a few ways to help such as sending staff to examine your waste and make recommendations for which items to reduce, reuse, or recycle. In other cases, we direct contracted waste collection companies (“haulers”) to conduct this waste assistance on our behalf. We can also provide some types of containers inside offices and break rooms, your hauler can provide other types of containers, and we can help you choose additional containers and signs for purchase.
For Water and Sanitation Department frequently asked questions, please click here, W&S
No. But as a courtesy to workers who collect and sort your recyclables, you should empty containers to the point where no drips or chunks will fall out and make stinky messes in their workplace.
Recycling Market Development Zone (RMDZ) program
The County does not fund commercial recycling efforts, but it can assist businesses with receiving incentives for businesses to make products from discarded material. For example, the Ventura County Recycling Market Development Zone helps businesses with state-provided loans and grants or such things as local site selection, permitting, partnerships, and obtaining materials for manufacturing.
Composting
If your home is located inside a city, we will direct you to your city recycling coordinator. If your business is located within unincorporated Ventura County, the best way for you to get a compost bin is to buy one from a local garden store or a home improvement store. The County also has a compost demonstration site at the Ventura County Government Center, with self-guided signs and examples of bins. In some cases, such as for vermiculture bins starting at schools, we can give you some worms to help you start.
Yes, all food waste may be placed in residential yard waste carts. All food scraps are accepted including meat & bones, fish, dairy, peels & pits, cobs, egg shells and coffee grinds. Food scraps must be in a paper or plastic bag and securely tied.
NEWS ARTICLES
Past articles can be found by visiting the following:
– Ventura County Star: https://www.vcstar.com/search/?q=Eco-tip
– Ventura County Reporter: https://vcreporter.com/?s=Eye+on+the+environment
– Muckrack: https://muckrack.com/david-goldstein-4
In some cases, you can find out more about an article you read in the weekly Eco-tip or Eye on the Environment column by asking the author. More frequently, the articles include information for follow up with the subject of the article.
Residential Trash Collection
Welcome to Ventura County! There are multiple residential collectors in the unincorporated areas serving Ventura County: Harrison Industries (E.J. Harrison & Sons, Santa Clara Valley Disposal & Newbury Disposal) and G.I. Industries/Waste Management. You may view which communities each collector serves and then contact your collector to start service through the link below:
https://www.vcpublicworks.org/wsd/iwmd/residentialcollection/#1530818229219-71c31197-c6e5
The County does offer a senior/low-income discount program:
https://www.vcpublicworks.org/wsd/iwmd/residentialcollection/#Senior-Low-Income
Always contact your trash collector first. If an issue cannot be resolved, the County can assist. Contact information can be found here:
https://www.vcpublicworks.org/wsd/iwmd/residentialcollection/#1530818156188-835c8cea-9894
In the County-approved collection contracts, residents are given 2 bulky item picks per calendar year. Contact your collector to schedule a pickup. More information on bulky item pick ups can be found here:
https://www.vcpublicworks.org/wsd/iwmd/residentialcollection/#Bulky-Items
Residential Recycling: https://www.vcpublicworks.org/wsd/iwmd/residentialrecycling/
Commercial Recycling: https://www.vcpublicworks.org/wsd/iwmd/businessrecycling/
Yes. There are many County-approved franchised trash collectors to choose from:
https://www.vcpublicworks.org/wsd/iwmd/businessrecycling/#Collectors-Rates-Agreements
The County has set Not-to-Exceed rates for commercial collection services.
https://www.vcpublicworks.org/wsd/iwmd/businessrecycling/#Collectors-Rates-Agreements