Everything Green Headline

We kicked off our Everything Green special section with a sales/promotions meeting at Rainbow Disposal in Huntington Beach on May 19. Then Sue Gordon, vice president, environmental & public affairs at Rainbow Disposal gave us a walking tour of the facility. They won the 2008 Environment Award of the Year from the OC League of Conservation Voters which is given out only when a company has taken significant action to protect the environment.

If you’re an HB resident, you’re familiar with the three colors of automated collection carts you put out each week: Blue for recyclables, Green for yard waste and Brown for trash (non-recyclable). In addition, Rainbow picks up apartment and commercial waste, accepts municipal solid waste (MSW), construction & demolition debris and waste brought to the facility from the general public. They will pick up your eWaste (electronics, monitors, computers, etc.) if you call for a special pick-up or you can bring it in yourself. Just remember, it can’t go in your regular trash.

By sorting our trash, we can divert up to 75% of waste from our landfills. At Rainbow, trash is mechanically and manually sorted in their state-of-the-art Material Recovery Facility (MRF). It separates the maximum amount for recycling and the minimum for landfill.

The public dump is open to residents, contractors, roofers and landscapers. This self-haul facility is open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. $20 minimum (up to 700 lbs.); $57 per ton. They accept tires for a nominal fee.

They also accept the following household hazardous wastes: paint, solvents, used motor oil, pool chemicals, automotive batteries, all household batteries, cell phones, radios, clocks and hair dryers, pool supplies, thermometers with mercury, household cleaning products, wood preservatives and pesticides. You can dispose of them at Rainbow’s Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center at 17121 Nichols St. (between Gothard and Beach - Gate 6). It is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (except rainy days).

Visit the Stop & Swap where you can drop off your household, yard and car care products you no longer need and pick up others you can use. Same hours as the Hazardous Waste Collection Center and it’s free.

No-No’s – Things Rainbow can’t accept: business-generated waste, biological waste, radioactive waste, ammunition, compressed gas cylinders, explosives and asbestos.