Recycling Ordered at Multifamily Units

In an effort to encourage all Camarillo residents to recycle, owners of apartments, condominiums and mobile home parks must now provide recycling programs for their residents.

Many of Camarillo’s multifamily developments do not provide residents with adequate recycling opportunities, according to the city’s Waste Management Committee, which recently surveyed 23 developments containing more than 2,400 units.

Inadequate recycling opportunities exist at 54% of these developments and an additional 37% have no recycling containers in their developments at all.

Owners of these units will be notified through Camarillo’s quarterly newsletter, City Scene, as well as through fliers mailed with utility bill statements.

Although city officials would like to see all owners immediately set up recycling opportunities for residents, they realize it will be easier for some than others, said Robert Westdyke, director of public services.

Westdyke expects most owners will be cooperative.

“With major complexes, we’ll schedule individual appointments to figure out how to work this out so that it fits with their needs and meets the spirit of the ordinance,” he said.

The City Council unanimously approved the ordinance earlier this week.

Single-family residences have been participating in the city’s curbside recycling program since early 1991 and recycle more than 400 tons monthly.