California Waste Services LLC (CWS)

California Waste Services LLC (CWS) is an independently owned company that began operations in 1999 to provide superior customer service to the Greater Los Angeles market. The company was founded by two waste industry veterans from Colorado after their roll-off dumpster hauling operation and transfer/processing facility, located in the Western Rocky Mountains, was sold.

CWS began operations solely as a roll-off dumpster hauling company. Within a short period of time, the owners realized that to remain relevant in the future would require integration of recycling of Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste. In the late 1990s, California State Assembly Bill 939 (AB939) — which mandated 50 percent of a municipality's waste stream must be diverted from sanitary landfills — was winding its way though the State Legislature. Once the bill passed, recycling became state law. CWS was one of only a handful of dumpster hauling companies to immediately act upon this development and take action. In year 2000, CWS opened the first C&D processing facility in Southern Los Angeles County. The Gardena/Harbor Gateway facility remains our only location and includes our corporate offices, maintenance facility and equipment storage area.

The C&D facility is permitted by the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) and CalRecycle. The permit allows processing of up to 1000 tons a day of C&D waste. Today, more than 80 percent of all C&D waste delivered to the recycling facility is sorted into separate, reusable commodities. In fact, our current recycling rate meets the AB939 recycling goals set for the year 2020.

In 2005, CWS identified another industry need as the availability to dispose inert waste materials in the South Bay of Los Angeles was finite and nearing capacity. CWS was granted a permit by the CIWMB/CalRecylce to accept up to 1,500 tons a day of inert waste (dirt, concrete, asphalt shingles, sand, etc.). Moreover, within the next decade, the CWS Inert waste recycling facility will become the South Bay's main transfer point when the two remaining local inert landfills reach capacity and ultimately close permanently.

On December 15, 2011, CWS was granted a permit to construct an automated sorting system that incorporates the world's latest technology. A 7.5 million dollar capital investment will allow CWS to remain the industry leader in C&D processing. The expected date to be fully operation is tentatively scheduled for the latter end of 2012.

CWS would not be a success were it not for the outstanding individual effort from the more than 100 area employees, most of whom have been with our company for more than a decade.