City reviews proposed amendment with Athens Services to meet new state recycling rules

Redondo Beach City Council members heard an introductory presentation and discussion on a proposed second amendment to the city's solid waste handling services agreement with Athens Services, the city's long-time hauler, and asked staff to return with additional data and analysis before making a decision.

The amendment would respond to state mandates including SB 1383 by moving more properties to a three-stream collection model (trash, recycling, organics), reclassifying multifamily buildings of five units or more onto a commercial rate schedule, and extending the contract term to amortize capital investments needed for new vehicles, carts and bins. Public Works Director Andy Wingief told the council "this is the city's biggest vendor contract" and that changes in the recycling market and the recent closure of the Southeast Area Resource Recovery Facility (SURF) have reduced options for mixed-waste processing.

Why this matters: State rules and market shifts have reduced the viability of mixed-waste sorting and pushed jurisdictions toward source-separated (three-stream) collection. The proposed changes would shift…