As disposal costs continue to rise and California doesn’t meet recycling goals, South Bay businesses are changing how they handle and manage waste. In 2024, California recycled 42% of the waste, with the rest clogging the landfills. Businesses in South Bay, especially in Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach, are adopting new technologies to help reduce waste and improve sorting. California passed SB 1383, which increases the frequency and necessity of separating organics and recyclables. This article explores how businesses are adapting to the changes in the waste stream while managing costs and meeting environmental goals.
Change is evident in the back alleys and loading docks of South Bay businesses. Owners of businesses now pay attention to how recycling and trash are managed. Waste disposal costs have steadily increased, and the California government is trying to divert more trash away from landfills.
These factors are causing businesses to reconsider their daily routines and find new, efficient ways to manage their trash. This is evident in the shops, restaurants, and warehouses in Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, and Redondo Beach.
Sustainability Becomes a Business Priority
In South Bay business operations, sustainability as a practical necessity has shifted from being just an ‘important’ factor to one of the core elements in the functioning of the business. In the South Bay, the relentless increase in the price of waste disposal and waste removal has triggered businesses to think critically about their waste disposal systems.
In 2024, the California Department of Resources stated that out of the waste created in California, only 42 per cent of the total waste volume created in that period got recycled, with the remaining 58 per cent being dumped in a landfill. The target was 75 per cent as a state, and it still raised the challenge for the businesses to the maximum to keep other materials in a productive state and use them as much as possible.
Recycling has come on-site, where materials, as they are delivered to the facility, are compressed and sorted. A recycling baler, for instance, converts loose cardboard, paper, and plastic into manageable, dense bales. Less volume means less storage space and collection haul, decreasing pickup frequency and lowering overall disposal costs. Vertical balers are suited for smaller backroom spaces as they condense bales from above into solid bales while taking minimal floor space.
California’s SB 1383 regulations require businesses to separate organic waste from general trash and implement clear recycling. These laws, aimed at reducing emissions and meeting climate-related mandates, now shape how businesses sort and store materials at the source instead of assuming waste mixing will occur on collection.
Innovations Make Recycling Easier
Innovations aimed at recycling and cost management challenges have led to improvements in waste handling. Businesses are performing basic audits on waste volume generated and where that waste is going. Scheduled pickups based on waste volume, as well as clearly marked sorting stations, significantly reduce costs related to superfluous labor.
According to industry research, the global market for waste recycling services continues to expand as businesses incorporate new tech and comply with regulations. This sector, estimated to be worth hundreds of billions of dollars, is indicative of the value of new equipment and services aimed at enhancing operational efficiency and meeting industry standards for regulation compliance.
Even the smallest operational adjustments can result in significant outcomes. Restaurants separate cardboard and other food containers for recycling, and do not allow recyclables to mix with the general waste. Retailers educate employees on sorting to avoid the recycling streams from getting contaminated. Compact baling systems assist in these efforts by lowering the amount of recyclable material and simplifying the transport of materials, which increases the acceptance of materials at processing facilities.
Community Partnerships Strengthen Impact
Waste reduction activities often go beyond the boundaries of a singular business. Some South Bay operators, for example, work with their hauliers for optimized scheduling and routing to reduce unnecessary fuel burn and avoid duplicate servicing. Other operators work with recycling partners or participate in regional programs to enhance compliance with state mandates.
Outreach from the county and nonprofits assists small companies that lack a dedicated staff member for systems and practices. Such initiatives help businesses understand the criteria for streamlining and provide access to shared services for managing organics and recyclables. The County’s waste management materials indicate that reducing the improper disposal of certain items can result in a lower contribution to landfills, which, in turn, helps to mitigate the greenhouse gases produced, in accordance with California’s Environmental Quality Act.
Some businesses view enhanced recycling as a means of fulfilling the aspirations of the community. Signage that explains the different categories of disposal, reuse, and recycling, when aimed at a concerned community member, can help improve a business’s image in the community.
Looking Ahead to Smarter Waste Management
In California, commercial waste service pricing is variable, with recycling services priced between $75 and $350 or more per month, depending on service level and the materials, as per UnionCity.
These expenses, combined with charges for organics disposals, incentivize businesses to pay close attention to their everyday waste more than ever.
