Taking Care of Waste Is Just Good Horse Sense

Since today is Earth Day, I thought I would let you know that brown is the new green.  Before we debate which of the two colors is more slimming, more complementary with your hair, or easier to match up with a pair of well-worn cowboy boots, I must explain that I’m talking about refuse containers. Yes, I’m going to talk trash and ... other waste.

Brown containers are designated by the Los Angeles city Bureau of Sanitation (BOS) for the collection and disposal of horse manure—and horse manure only, so you won’t see any containers stacked up outside City Hall any time soon (of course, our Council District 12 office is excluded from that last comment)!

To get your brown containers, you need to complete a request form online at  the BOS website. A field visit is required before the containers will be delivered.  The cost is $10 per month per 60-gallon container, and a six-month minimum commitment is required. 

Other colored containers available are black, for household refuse; blue, for recycling; and green, for yard trimmings. Green and blue containers hold 90 gallons each, so the brown containers are the smaller size and the cost is the same as hauling other types of refuse such as household, which costs $5 monthly per extra 30 gallons.   

Proper disposal of horse manure is important. For years we’ve been told that the old practice of dumping horse manure out behind the barn or in an open field or arena pollutes our waterways. And for years, equestrians have scoffed at the notion, questioning why the water wasn’t polluted when, for years, horses freely grazed and dropped manure on open acreage. The problem with this logic is that just because you can’t see or taste something doesn’t mean it isn’t hurting you or the environment. Back in the days of horses grazing on open land, most people weren’t putting two and two together when they traveled to the ocean and saw a dead fish on the beach or got sick after swimming. 

BOS provides some good information to help explain the situation and why it is a major concern. Their Stormwater Best Management Practices website states that when manure washes into streams or to the ocean through the storm drain system, its harmful bacteria can cause problems for swimmers, and its fertilizing action can harm sea life by decreasing the oxygen levels in the water.

The city has on record 1,500 horses licensed by Los Angeles residents (I know there are more horses than that in the city, but I’ll reserve the horse licensing soap box for another day). That means that, daily, more than 9.4 tons of manure hits the ground.  A semi-trailer load of hay weighs 12 tons.  That’s one big load of dung heading to our waterways, unless properly managed.

Another problem besides bacteria from horse and small animal waste results from sediment that is washed from pastures and livestock facilities that can harm sea life. It clogs the gills of fish and, according to the BOS, it affects the water temperature in the ocean by blocking light. This last bit of information about blocking light seems to support our efforts to reduce global warming by cooling things down, but hey, I’m just a rancher from Chatsworth so what do I know?

Here's the trash-talk part: You should know that BOS will pick up just about any kind of refuse at no extra charge, including furniture, appliances and even dead animals. Hazardous materials such as household cleaners and electronics must be brought to a S.A.F.E. Center.

BOS provides many services that I was unaware of, such as free technical assistance for homes, small businesses and multi-family complexes and educational workshops on composting.

Prompted by Assembly Bill 939, the Solid Resources Citywide Recycling Division (SRCRD) created the Solid Waste Integration Plan in 2007 and set a goal of zero waste by the year 2030. Did you know that Los Angeles had the highest recycling rate out of the 10 largest U.S. cities? (Waste & Recycling News, March 2, 2009). 

According to these statistics, we are well on our way to meeting that goal. To keep us on the right track, BOS offers some great programs free of charge:

Technical assistance
If you need help understanding the ins and outs of recycling for your home or business, the SRCRD provides free recycling technical assistance. It can also help you set up public/private recycling partnerships. SRCRD can be contacted at 213-485-2260.

Backyard composting workshops and bin sales
The city offers free composting workshops at the Griffith Park Composting Facility. Composting bins are provided for a small cost and range from $5 for a simple, plastic worm bin to a $20 Earth Machine. A handy composting guide along with other resources, such as worm suppliers, are provided online at lacitysan.org.
   
Dead animal pickup
Sorry, horses and cows aren’t included in this service, but small animals such as dogs, cats and rabbits can be picked up by BOS. Just call them at 800-773-2489 during business hours or at 311 on Sundays or after hours.

Pickup for yard trimmings, bulky items and 'white goods'
Annually, BOS provides pickup service for large amounts of yard trimmings.  Bulky items such as furniture, “white goods” (large metal items and household appliances such as refrigerators) and large pickups to accommodate extra trash when you move in or out of your Los Angeles city residence are collected free of charge. 

Illegal dumping request form
This is perhaps my favorite service! For those of you who have had the frustrating experience of being stopped dead in your tracks on a trail ride due to a large load of junk dumped in the middle of the trail, we now have an online request form to have the trash removed. Only items within L.A. city limits are picked up, which means that nearly everything north of the 118 Freeway is left to the county to pick up.

On Earth Day, I challenge you to familiarize yourself with the BOS website and all the great services they provide to help Los Angeles achieve its zero-waste goal, and I invite you to talk trash as often as possible.