CARE drop-off site Bena Sanitary Landfill in Bakersfield collected over 1.6 million pounds of carpet in 2020 – the most of any CARE drop-off site in California. We spoke with Sergio Furtado, Public Works Maintenance Superintendent, to find out more about the site’s successful operations.
Why do you think Bena Landfill has been so successful at recycling carpet?
Furtado observed that Bena Landfill was a high-volume site, the largest in Kern County, with expanded loading dock and collection areas. Carpet — like any recyclable material that comes to county landfill – gets a 50% “source separated discount” if it is separated and brought directly to the recycling area. He noted that besides the savings on tip fees, contractors save time by going straight to the recycling area, bypassing the line used by the franchise haulers.
Furtado credits staff education for increased carpet collection: “Our staff is part of the hazardous waste exclusion program – when they see loads bypassing recycling, they redirect them to the recycling area. Our field supervisor has the right staff on the dock who know what needs to be loaded and what can’t be.” Reinforcing good news is also helpful: when Bena Sanitary Landfill was recognized on a recent CARE call, Furtado printed out copies of the recognition to pass out to the staff.
How do contractors find out about carpet recycling?
“For every new program, we put out a media release.” For contractors, word of mouth is also important: “It starts at the gatehouse.”
How has the CARE drop-off site program helped you?
Furtado said a major advantage was scheduling a regular trailer pickup day: “We’re on a regular schedule with swaps. If there’s not enough carpet, we will cancel, but the pickup day is not a guessing game.” Another winner is the CARE recycled product catalog and samples: “Customers like to know what’s going to happen with their material.”
Do you have future plans to increase recycling?
Furtado said they have a huge area for mattress and carpet recycling: “We’re looking at covers to keep material dry – even though there’s not a lot of rain in Kern County. But that’s a big project that will take some time.”