Did you know our local trash and recycling hauler, E.J. Harrison & Sons, is celebrating its 50th year of servicing the Ojai Valley this month? The locally based company was founded in 1932 and is one of the oldest and largest privately owned collection businesses in the U.S. – serving over 90,000 customers. Maybe it’s their company motto, “Service is Everything” that has ensured their success and longevity. Or maybe the fact that it’s still a family run business with Ralph Harrison as President, and his brothers Jim and Myron serving as Vice Presidents.
Along with company partners Gold Coast Recycling and Transfer Station and Agromin, Harrison offers Ojai commercial and residential trash removal, recycling, green waste recycling, roll-off trash bins, and bulk item removal.
E.J. Harrison & Sons is also our “In Pursuit of Zero Waste” educational series sponsor this year:
- Sunday, November 8 – Ojai Film Festival screening, panel discussion and mini-expo
- Monday, November 9 – Harrison Recycling Facility Tour
- Thursday, November 12 – Harrison Recycling Facility Tour
If you’ve lived in the Ojai area most of your life you probably don’t really think about your trash removal. It works. However, if you visit other areas across the U.S. you may discover how lucky we are to be offered all these conveniences and green services available at curbside. Much of the rest of the country is only now thinking about recycling and green waste options. Harrison has allowed Ojai and the surrounding areas to be ahead of the game in waste management.
According to the Harrison website, diversion is their “… number 1 goal with all possible materials sorted to assure that as much tonnage as possible is extracted before the materials are compacted and transferred to a landfill. Diversion takes precedence above all else.”
To accomplish this goal, Harrison and Gold Coast have installed a state of the art recyclable material sorting system using screens and air technology to separate materials such as newsprint, mixed paper and plastic, metal and glass containers, cartons and aseptic packaging. Materials are picked off the commercial picking line and from construction and demolition loads as well. All construction and demolition material is recycled.
Electronic waste, like that collected during the Ojai Valley Green Coalition’s annual E-waste Event, is loaded for international markets. Harrison also partners with the Oxnard based Agromin to process all green waste and then it is sold for reuse in agricultural products, fuel, and landscape materials. By the time Harrison’s remaining sorted loads arrive at the Toland Landfill they have been picked clean of any recyclable or reusable materials.
Our hats are off to our newest, local business partner E.J. Harrison & Sons and their philosophy: “… people should not have to think about trash or recycling and that the collection be simple as possible to help people ‘to do the right thing.’”