Recycling Questions

Where do you bring my mixed trash?
All of our customer's mixed commercial trash is brought to Community Recycling's Material Recovery Facility in Sun Valley, where it is preprocessed to extract recyclables before delivering remaining residue to a landfill.

How do you calculate my recycling rate? How do I find out the diversion rate?
We obtain tonnage information and proof of recycling rates from all the facilities we utilize and then calculate your monthly recycling rate based on these figures. We can provide you with information about your diversion rate based on these calculations. This can change over time as additional improvements are made to each recycling facility's recycling equipment and sorting systems.

Can you help me explain to my employees that my mixed trash is being recycled?
Yes. We can place special stickers on your bins that indicate the trash is being processed at a recycling facility. We can give you posters for bulletin boards and flyers to distribute to your employees.

Will you provide separate recycling bins for individual recyclable materials?
Many of our commercial recycling services utilize the mechanical and manual sorting systems at the mixed processing facilities operated by our sister company, Community Recycling. This is done to ensure diversion of recyclables while keeping costs down and reducing the number of trucks on the road, as well as eliminating the air emissions connected with more vehicles.

We do also provide separate recycling roll-off containers for clean, source-separated green waste, wood, street sweepings, concrete, soil, asphalt, or mixed inerts (mixed concrete, asphalt, soil, cinderblock, etc.) We provide separate frontloader bins for clean, source-separated wood for customers within range of our San Fernando Valley wood recycling route. We provide separate frontloader bins for recyclable restaurant organic material (food, food soiled paper products, and landscape material) in many East and West Valley San Fernando locations. We also provide residential curbside containers for recycling of mixed recyclables and organics to municipal franchise customers, such as the City of San Fernando.

Even when some separate recycling bins are utilized, Crown Disposal still brings the remaining mixed waste bins to a preprocessing facility to extract any remaining recyclables prior to landfilling.


Frontloader & Roll-Off Services

What size roll-off bins do you provide?
See our roll-off services page for pictures and dimensions.

Are frontloader bins available with locking lids?
Yes, we provide locking lids for a one time charge of $25 when a customer provides a Crown Disposal account number.

How much can I put into a frontloader bin?
The bin cover must be able to close. Overflowing bins are not acceptable because they can cause litter and possible harm to the driver, as well as vehicles and other individuals when the bin is lifted for dumping into the truck.

Are there any items that I cannot place in my frontloader bin(s)?
Hazardous materials and electronic items should not be placed in your frontloader bins. In addition, excessively heavy items such as concrete, asphalt, and dirt should not be placed in frontloader bins.

Do you provide extra pickups for frontloader bins on an occasional basis for your current customers?
Yes, we will schedule an extra pickup for current frontloader customers. There will be an extra one-time charge based on the bin size(s).

Do I have to sign a contract for frontloader service?
The industry standard is a three year agreement, with some companies requiring a five year contract. However, Crown Disposal is flexible in this regard, in order to meet individual customer needs and requirements.


Customer Service

Why was my refuse bin not picked up today?
It could be that your bin contained hazardous materials or other materials that are not acceptable in frontloader bins, such as construction materials, because they are too heavy. Or a "stop-service" was required due to non-payment of a bill. We work hard to ensure that all customers receive prompt and regular service. If your bin was not picked up, call our customer service hotline (818-767-0675) and we will investigate immediately and explain the problem. Our drivers are all accessible by radio and are contacted to determine the issue and, if a missed pickup is a result of driver error, we can often arrange for drivers to return on the same day.

What are your office hours for customer service?
You can call Crown Disposal from 8 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday and from 8 am to 1 pm on Saturdays. And your call will be answered by a live customer service operator, not an automated message system!

What do I do if my bin breaks a lid or a wheel?
Call customer service and report the issue. We will send someone to repair the problem or we will deliver a replacement bin.

What do I do if someone breaks the lock or loses the key to my bin?
Call customer service and we will either repair the lock, replace the can and/or deliver a duplicate key.

What do I do if I need to increase or decrease service?
Call customer service and we will take the appropriate action immediately.

How do I get rid of bulky items if I have a frontloader account? Is there a charge?
Call 818-767-0675 and ask for an appointment to have bulky waste removed. Be prepared to give your account number so that our representative can better serve you. All pickup appointments are scheduled for Thursdays. There is a $25/item charge for which you will be billed after pickup. Then place your bulky item on the ground next to the refuse bin(s).

How can I get my frontloader bin exchanged for a different bin of the same size? Is there a charge?
All bins can be exchanged once a year at no charge. Call 818-767-0675 to schedule your request. There is a charge of $50. for all subsequent changes during the same 12 month period.

My bin has grafitti on it. How do I get it removed?
Our drivers usually carry spray paint to cover grafitti. Call 818-767-0675 to ask that someone come out to cover the grafitti. You can also take advantage of our once a year free exchange program. In very serious cases we may exchange the container for repainting.


Other Questions

What are your rules regarding hazardous materials?
Hazardous materials may not be placed in a frontloader or roll-off bins. If a driver sees hazardous materials in your refuse or recycling container(s), they are instructed not to collect the bin until the items have been removed and to notify the resident or business of the problem.

What is considered hazardous material?
Hazardous waste is a waste with properties that make it potentially dangerous or harmful to human health or the environment. They usually are items that can easily ignite (waste oils and solvents)), corrode (such as acids), react in a way that makes them unstable and can potentially cause explosions or release toxic fumes), or prove toxic when ingested or absorbed. A wide range of solid, liquid, or gaseous materials are considered hazardous. Some of the most common hazardous materials found in municipal solid waste include asbestos, treated wood, oil, paint, chemicals, batteries and fluorescent bulbs.

In addition, a wide range of electronic products (called "E-Waste") are also considered to contain some hazardous substances and to be inappropriate for mixing with municipal solid waste. Computers, cell phones, computers, computer monitors and keyboards, DVD players, and television sets are examples of e-waste which should be managed separately from mixed residential and commercial refuse. Proper management and recycling of e-waste poses lower risks than managing many industrial hazardous wastes and there are many opportunities for recycling these items. Residents of the City of San Fernando are provided with free collection of e-waste by Crown Disposal as part of our City franchise contract services.

Back To Top