GO GREEN! Green Waste Recycling
EDCO is proud to provide the City of Lakewood with a separate collection service for your yard-waste materials. Residents will place all their green waste in their existing rigid trash cans and set them out on the curb on their regular collection day. Our green-waste recycling program is simple, convenient and very important to the preservation of our environment and precious landfill capacity.
 Why a Separate Collection for Green Waste?
Green waste makes up approximately 20-30% of the waste stream. In order to comply with the State of California’s mandate to divert about 50% of the waste stream from landfills, EDCO is enhancing our recycling program to include a separate green-waste collection. Collecting green waste separately will help us reach the diversion goal and help preserve the life of our landfills.
 Don’t toss out your old trash cans!
Your existing rigid trash containers can be used to separate green waste for recycling.
Residents can use an unlimited amount of standard size, 32-gallon capacity rigid waste cans, to separate recyclable landscape waste and other organic materials for collection. Please DO NOT use plastic trash bags.
Recyclable Yard Waste Includes:
- Grass, weeds, flowers, clippings and branches.
- Sod and ice plant are acceptable in small quantities. Due to the weight of those materials, only fill cans half full and weigh no more than 50 pounds.
- Bundles tied with string or twine are okay if they are less than 4 feet long and less than 18 inches in diameter and tied securely.
Keep It Clean!
Please keep contaminants out to help ensure green-waste material is able to be recycled. Please do NOT place any of the following in your green-waste can:
- NO Treated Wood or Lumber
- NO Dirt, Rocks, Asphalt, Concrete or Sand
- NO Animal waste
- NO Trash
- NO Hazardous Waste
- NO Plastic bags
- NO Kitchen scraps or fruit
What Happens to Green Waste?
Recycled green waste is primarily used for ADC (Alternative Daily Cover) at landfills and can also be used to produce compost.
Backyard Composting & Grasscycling…Natures Way to Recycle
EDCO promotes recycling…Naturally! And what could be more natural than to recycle yard waste in a backyard composting bin or reduce waste by “grasscycling” lawn trimmings?
 Composting is the natural decomposition of organic material into a soil product. Homeowners who compost their own yard waste (hedge trimmings, flowers, grass, leaves, etc.) and certain kitchen scraps such as fruits, vegetables, coffee grounds and egg shells, can produce their own soil amendment or mulch for use in their yard or garden. Compost-amended soil provides a more nurturing medium for  plants therefore creating healthier landscaping that will be more resistant to disease and infestation.
Grasscycling is simply the practice of leaving grass clippings on the lawn after mowing. Grass clippings decompose quickly and return valuable nutrients, such as nitrogen, back into the soil. For best results, follow these simple guidelines:
- Mow your lawn when the grass is dry.
- Keep the blade of your lawn mower sharp.
- Follow the “1/3 Rule:” cut your lawn frequently enough so that not more than 1/3 of the grass blade length is trimmed each time you mow.
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