(D.JORDAN) – Have you ever wondered why Simi Valley, city owned trash cans are blue and our recycling cans are black/dark brown or gray? As most of us know, recycling cans are typically supposed to be blue.
A very helpful citizen inside the Simi Valley Public Works Office recently shed some light on this long standing Simi Valley question.
The fact is, the current waste receptacle color code was a decision made by Simi city officials a long time ago, perhaps as far back as the 1980’s or even earlier. This decision was made before the State of California put the current color coding regulations in place. The exact reasoning however, seems to be lost now. The City of Moorpark followed the same color coding as well.
Currently, the policy within Simi is that all new accounts and cans that are replaced are to receive the State standard coding, blue for recycling, gray for trash and green for organics.
Right now, the new Waste Management bins have a black body, with a color coded lid. Eventually, the City bins will be retrofitted with this color coding as well. By 2035 all cans and bins will follow the State standard.
When the question about trash bin color was posed to a few residents around town, someone commented that it’s because the city wanted to save money on paint.
Another said that it’s because blue was traditionally seen as a “trashy” color, while black was seen as more refined.
Whatever the reason, it’s clear that the city’s trash cans are not your typical garbage pails. In a sea of green and brown, they stand out like beacons of refuse. But perhaps that’s not such a bad thing. After all, they’re helping to remind us of the importance of recycling. So next time you see a blue trash can, think of it as a reminder to reduce, reuse, and recycle.
