Community rids of tons of trash on clean-up day
Sofas, stoves, exercise equipment, even grandpa’s patio chair – everything must go! No, it’s not a clearance sale. It’s clean-up day for El Centro residents.
Linda Laveaga , CR&R Environmental Services, said it’s a special opportunity to unclutter the home. “They’re entitled to bring in unlimited loads and trailer loads with items that we can accept,” Laveaga said.
They’re located at 599 E. Main Street in El Centro. They offer four community clean-up days per year with proof of residency. On those days, they said they usually receive over 30 tons of trash.
“They can bring in anything that’s furniture, appliances, nine tires per year without the rim, anything that’s electronics, any old metal scraps,” Laveaga said.
The items must be secured. CR&R is not a public landfill. They do have special requirements.
“If they’re cleaning out a garage or storage make sure everything’s in trash bags or cardboard boxes, no loose trash,” Laveaga said.
She said trash accumulated or thrown in the alleys can be a health risk.
“We want to avoid people throwing trash in the alleys contaminating their trash cans,” Laveaga said.
California penal code states that fines for illegal dumping can go up to $10,000 with six months in jail.
” We do have a code enforcer. And we do have the city checking up on the alleys and making sure there’s no illegal dumping, ” Laveaga said.
Besides clean-up day, they’re also open weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
” We want to keep the city clean. We want to make sure we have a nice community and so we provide year-round service for people to get rid of the trash they don’t need, ” Laveaga said.
She encourages the community to not risk getting fines. If they have any questions, they’re welcome to contact CR&R at 760-482-5656 or at their website www.crrwasteservices.com.
“They can always contact us at our office and we can direct you to Francisco Ochoa, who’s the General Manager here, and he can help you with any issues or concerns,” Laveaga said.
