RPVCCA_CC_SR_2014_11_18_03_Proposed_Closure_PV_Recycle_CenterCITY OF RANCHO PALOS VERDES
MEMORANDUM
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR & CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
FROM: MICHAEL THRONE, P.E., DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS U(J
DATE: NOVEMBER 18, 2014
SUBJECT: PROPOSED CLOSURE OF PALOS VERDES RECYCLE
CENTER
REVIEWED: CAROLYNN PETRU, ACTING CITY MANAGERW
Project Manager: Lauren Ramezani, Senior Administrative Analyst ~
RECOMMENDATION
Review and file this report.
BACKGROUND
The Palos Verdes Recycle Center (Center) is a certified buy-back recycling facility located
at 26301 S. Crenshaw Blvd. in the City of Rolling Hills Estates (RHE). The Center, proposed
by environmentally concerned community members, opened in 1970 and was located on
the Palos Verdes Landfill property. The Center is run and operated by the Sanitation
Districts of Los Angeles County (Districts). It is open to the public Wednesday through
Saturday, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and serves approximately 300 customers per week.
The public can take a variety of materials including aluminum cans, glass and plastic
containers, newspaper and paper, cardboard and used oil to the Center and receive cash
back for these materials. There are California Redemption Values (CRV) of 5 or 10 cents,
depending on the size per beverage container, for a variety of bottles and aluminum cans.
The value for newspaper, paper and metals varies with market demands.
DISCUSSION
The City has been notified that the Districts are proposing to begin a transition to close the
Center following a 3-month public outreach and information effort beginning in January
2015. The proposed closure date is March 31, 2015. The Districts report that the proposed
closure is for the following financial reasons:
1. Despite efforts to keep costs at a minimum, the Center loses an average of $100,000
per year, and these losses have been ongoing for nearly two decades.
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Closure of PV Recycling Center
November 18, 2014
Page 2
2. New stormwater management regulations by the State Water Resources Control
Board (SWRCB) go into effect in summer of 2015 and compliance with the
regulations at the Center will cost at least $1.5 million in capital costs and $30,000
in annual operations and maintenance costs.
RECYCLING PROGRAMS: The District also states that the Center is no longer as
meaningful to the areas' recycling efforts as when it began four decades ago. In the early
1970s, there were no curbside collection programs for household recyclables. While today,
all four cities on the Hill have established curbside (or backyard) recycling programs that
include aluminum cans, glass and plastic containers, newspaper, paper and cardboard.
The Cities of RPV and Rolling Hills Estates have free curbside collection of used motor oil
and filters. Furthermore, there are several convenient local certified used oil recycling
centers on the Hill, in addition to the annual household hazardous waste (HHW) and
electronics waste (E-Waste) roundup that is held in RPV and sponsored by the County of
Los Angeles and the Sanitations Districts of Los Angeles County. Lastly, used oil/filters,
household hazardous waste and electronics waste can be taken weekly to the free Gaffey
SAFE center located in San Pedro.
IMPACT OF PROPOSED CLOSURE TO RESIDENTS: The Center is a convenient and
familiar buy-back facility on the Hill. Additionally, the cash generated from taking material
to the Center has also aided local non-profit organizations, local schools, and other groups
as a means for fundraising.
Attached is a list of 12 other centers located within a 5-6 mile radius of RPV including those
in the cities of Lomita (at PCH and Narbonne) and San Pedro (at 25th and Western) in two
Albertsons shopping centers. These centers are open 5-7 days a week and the public can
recycle beverage containers for cash. However, they do not accept used oil or HHW.
According to the Center's material tonnage summary per city, during the first quarter of
2014 the Center collected 62.5 tons of total material. Of that total the material accepted
from people citing RPV as their City equaled 18.22 tons, or 29%. Comparatively, EDCO
collected 1,265 tons of recyclables from residential customers during the same time period.
The Districts plan to provide public outreach and education starting January 2015, which
would include notices with information about available alternative facilities, meeting with
community groups as needed, website postings, etc. Additionally, Ms. Grace Robinson
Hyde, Chief Engineer and General Manager from the Districts plans on making a
presentation to the City Council at this meeting.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact to the City. The Center, located outside RPV jurisdiction, is
operated and run by the Sanitations Districts of Los Angeles County.
Attachments: Fact Sheet on Center and Website Buy-Back Price Information
Daily Breeze Article Regarding Proposed Closure
List of Alternative Buy-Back Centers Within Six Mile Radius
W:\LAUREN\STAFFRPT\REFUSE\2014\PV Recycling center.docx 3-2
Fact Sheet on the Palos Verdes Recycle Center
10/2014
• The Palos Verdes Recycle Center (Center) is a certified buy back recycling facility where a
member of the public can receive cash for a variety of materials including aluminum cans, glass
and plastic containers, newspaper, office paper, cardboard and used oil.
• The Center is located at 26301 S. Crenshaw Blvd. in Rolling Hills Estates.
• The Center is open Wednesday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• The Center has been in operation since 1970 when it was proposed by community members and
was located on the Palos Verdes Landfill property.
• At that time, there were no curbside collection programs for household recyclables.
• Today, all area jurisdictions have curbside collection programs.
• Approximately 300 customers per week visit the Center, some of which bring recyclables from
area schools.
• The Center must be staffed in order to efficiently process cars so as to not back up a queue onto
Crenshaw Boulevard.
• Despite efforts to keep costs at a minimum, the Center loses an average of $100,000 per year.
• New stormwater management regulations by the State Water Resources Control Board go into
effect in summer 2015 and compliance with the regulations at the Center will cost at least $1.5
million in capital costs and $30,000 in annual operation and maintenance costs.
• Over 20 alternative facilities are located within 8 miles of the Center that accept "CRV"
containers (the majority of what is currently received at the Center) in exchange for cash.
• Because of the factors, the Districts are proposing to begin a transition to close the Center
following a 3 month public outreach and information effort.
• Public outreach will include signs at the Center, flyers with information about available
alternative facilities, meetings with community groups as needed, website postings, and
coordination with the South Bay Environmental Services Center.
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LACSD Website -Palos Verdes Recycle Center Page 1 of 2
Search LACSD
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Palos Verdes Recycle Center
Puente Hills MRF Recycle Center
For More Information
Sanitation Districts of
Los Angeles County
Public Information
1955 Workman Mill Road
Whittier, CA 90601
(562) 908-4288 ext. 2444
Recycle Centers
~ > !..!..:. > Solid Waste Facilitjes > Recycle Centers > Palos Verdes Recycle Center E~maJI ~ Print
Palos Verdes Recycle Center
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PAWS VERDES RECYCLE CENTER
2630 I S. CRENSHA II' BLVD.
ROLLING HILLS ESTATES, CA. PIJV4
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The Recycle Center (RC5145) is located at the Palos Verdes Landfill in the City of Rolling Hills Estates, across from
the LA County South Coast Botanic Gardens. It is a buy-back recycle center which is certified by the California
Department of Conservation, Division of Recycling IDOCl and accepts all California redemption containers as well as
newspaper, used oil, cardboard and office paper. This facility is [!QJ; a certified used oil facility.
California Redemption Value (CRV) containers brought to the Recycle Center are required to be separated from
containers that are not CRV. Separation of the different recyclable materials should be done before arriving at the
Recycle Center. Only CRV will be paid to customers that request to be paid by count rather than by the pound.
Paying by count is limited to up to fifty (50) containers per DOC, Division of Recycling regulations.
For more than fifty (50), the payment will be by the pound.
Material
Cardboard
PRICES PAID 1
Scrap Value
($/lb)
0.00
0.00
Free
CA Redemption Value
($/lb)
1.59
0.103
1.10
0.36
0.59
0.52
2.08
0.62
5.71
0.31
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
1 Prices subject to change without notice and are rounded to nearest cent.
2 For residential use only, 40 lbs maximum.
Total
($/lb)
1.59
0.103
1.10
0.36
0.59
0.52
2.08
0.62
0.00
0.00
http://www.lacsd.org/solidwaste/swfacilities/recyclecenters/palos _ verdes _recycle_ center.asp 11/3/2014
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Longtime Palos Verdes Peninsula recycling center likely to close
Longtime Palos Verdes Peninsula recycling center likely to close
By Megan Barnes, megan.barnes@langnews.com, @meg_barnes on Twitter
Page 1of1
DailyBreeze.com
A recycling center that has served the Palos Verdes Peninsula for more than 40 years will likely close its doors next spring.
Officials from the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts -which operates the Palos Verdes Recycle Center in Rolling Hills Estates
and another in North Whittier -have proposed shuttering the facility by the end of March 2015 for financial reasons.
The certified buy-back recycling center -opened in 1970 by four environmentally conscious residents at the now-closed Palos Verdes
Landfill -has been operating in a deficit for at least 20 years, according to recycling coordinator Nick Morell, losing about $100,000
annually.
Facing an estimated $1.5 million in infrastructure upgrades required by new storm water regulations that take effect next summer,
sanitation officials have proposed closing the center altogether and sending customers elsewhere. That decision will likely be made by
the end of the year.
"We would have a lot of capital costs upfront and have ongoing operational costs as well," Morell said, adding that most of the people
served by the center come from the Peninsula and Torrance.
Each week, about 300 customers bring plastic, glass and aluminum containers, newspaper and cardboard to the center in exchange for
cash. The facility even accepts used motor oil and scrap metal. Last year, 575,000 pounds of recyclables and 1, 100 gallons of oil came
through its doors.
"The plan is to do a lot of public outreach where we would identify all the locations in the area nearby, what kind of materials they take
and their hours and days of operation so that folks would have a plan to go somewhere else," said Chuck Boehmke, the solid waste
management department head.
That plan would begin in January. Nonprofits and school groups that receive donations from the center -individuals can opt to donate
the cash they get from recyclables to organizations of their choice -also will be made aware of the closure. Morell said about 25
groups, from the South Coast Botanic Garden to high school drill teams, benefit from the donations, but some haven't received any in
years.
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Because the center accepts such a wide variety of recyclables, the closure would mean customers likely will have to make trips to
multiple locations in the future.
"What we accept is more comprehensive than say, Replanet, which are many of the ones that serve shopping centers," Boehmke said.
"Our recycle center accepts used oil, newspaper, cardboard and scrap metal, and those are items you don't typically see in all centers."
Two staff members who work at the facility will be transferred to different ones, and the sanitation districts will find another passive use
for the site as it sits on a closed landfill.
"The Peninsula is sparsely represented when it comes to recycling centers," said Rancho Palos Verdes Councilwoman Susan Brooks,
who learned about the proposed closure at a recent sanitation districts meeting. ''I'm not saying the center shouldn't be closed,
everyone's budgets are very tight, but people need to know about this and have alternatives."
http://www.dailybreeze.com/environment-and-nature/20141102/longtime-palos-verdes-pe... 11/6/2014
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Recycling Center Listing: Beverage Container Recycling Program Page 1 of 2
Recycle
Beverage Container Recycling Program
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FECYCLING LOCATION NAME Anm:ir:~~ • CITY iTE! FPHONE DISTAf'!CE
Palos Verdes Landfill R~c','.cling Center 26301 Crenshaw Blvd Rolling Hills Estates (310) 375-6094 2.01 miles
rePLANET LLC 28090 S WESTERN AVE SAN PEDRO (877) 737-5263 3.26 miles
@PLANET LLQ 2130 PACIFIC COAST HWY LOMITA (951) 520-1700 3.32 miles
LA Waste Collection 5035 Pacific Coast Hwy Torrance (213) 627-7661 3.57 miles
rePLANET LLC 1636 W 25TH ST SAN PEDRO (951) 520-1700 4.07 miles
rePLANET LLC 1516 S PACIFIC COAST HWY REDONDO BEACH (951) 520-1700 4.21 miles
rePLANET LLC 3455 SEPULVEDA BLVD TORRANCE (951) 520-1700 4.78 miles
California Metals Rec'(cling 1022 Lomita Blvd Harbor City (213) 567-7767 4.88 miles
NexCycle 4705 Torrance Blvd Torrance (909) 796-2210 5.25 miles
G & P B~cyclin_g_Ce_nter 1163 N WILMINGTON BLVD WILMINGTON (323) 533-8531 5.53 miles
Torrance Recyclin9-Qeoter 851 Sepulveda Blvd Torrance (310) 634-1464 5.58 miles
Modern J'S.§!.g'if!lo.g 601 W Anaheim St Wilmington 5.75 miles
Ponce Rec','.cling 123 E LOMITA BLVD CARSON (323) 533-4862 5.91 miles
LaLJr.Metals Co 21162 S Western Ave Torrance (213) 240-5054 6.26 miles
rePLA~ETJ,JC 1212 BERYL ST REDONDO BEACH (951) 520-1700 6.42 miles
Page 1of3 1 2 3 Show All Export To Excel Count: 37
Blue dots indicate that the recycling center is open outside of normal business hours (Monday -Friday, 8:00 am -5:00 pm).
http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/BevContainer/Recyclers/Directory /List.aspx?lang=en-US&C... 11/3/2014
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