ROLLING HILLS ESTATES, CA--(Marketwired - Jan 7, 2015) - Due to significant unavoidable rising costs and the availability of alternate facilities and programs, the Palos Verdes Recycle Center (PVRC) will close permanently on March 31, 2015. The PVRC is a certified buy back recycling facility located on South Crenshaw Boulevard in Rolling Hills Estates where the public can receive cash for a wide variety of materials, including aluminum cans and glass and plastic containers. It also accepts newspapers, office paper and cardboard.
The facility has been in operation since 1970. It was started by community members who recognized the need for a local recycling center at a time when curbside collection programs were not yet available for household recyclables. The Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County took over operation of the recycle center in 1976. Despite efforts to keep costs at a minimum, the PVRC has been operating at a significant loss. In addition, starting this summer, the site will be subject to new stormwater regulations by the State Water Resources Control Board that will require approximately $1.5 million in site improvements and $30,000 in annual operation and maintenance costs for compliance. The operating losses and the cost of pending capital improvements make the continued operation of the PVRC infeasible.
The Sanitation Districts have just launched a three-month outreach campaign to educate existing customers about other local recycling centers in the area. As explained by Chuck Boehmke, head of the Sanitation Districts' Solid Waste Management Department, "There are over 20 alternative facilities located within an eight-mile radius of the Palos Verdes Recycle Center where the public can take recyclable materials in exchange for cash." In addition, all of the surrounding communities have curbside residential recycling programs. The Sanitation Districts will guide the public to transition to these alternative facilities through signage at the PVRC, informational flyers, website postings, newspaper advertisements and informational meetings with community groups.
A public information meeting to learn about other recycling centers in the area will be conducted in the Frances Young Hall at the South Coast Botanic Garden at 6:30 p.m. on February 17. The address is 26300 Crenshaw Boulevard, Palos Verdes Peninsula.
The Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County are a regional agency consisting of 24 independent special districts serving over 5.5 million people in 78 cities and unincorporated territory within Los Angeles County. The Sanitation Districts protect public health and the environment through innovative and cost-effective wastewater and solid waste management and, in doing so, convert waste into resources such as reclaimed water, energy and recycled materials. For more information on the Sanitation Districts, please visit www.lacsd.org.
