• Agromin Receives California Resource Recovery Association's 2009 Leadership in Organics Award - Wednesday, August 5, 2009 at 10:14 AM
  • OXNARD, CALIF.--Agromin, an Oxnard-based manufacturer of premium soil products and one of the state's largest green materials recycling companies, was honored with the California Resource Recovery Association (CRRA) 2009 Dave Hardy Leadership in Organics Award. The award was presented at the August 4 CRRA annual conference in Rancho Mirage.

    Agromin was one of 10 government agencies and private sector companies honored for their innovative recycling programs. Specifically, the CRRA Dave Hardy Leadership in Organics Award is given to the business, government agency, community-based organization or school that has shown excellence in the production, marketing and utilization of organic materials.

    In 1990, California passed Assembly Bill 939, mandating all cities and counties to divert 50 percent of their waste from landfills by 2000. Since then, many jurisdictions have adopted "Zero Waste" goals. “Each year it is great to see the amazing programs that we have going on in the state," says Julie Muir, CRRA president. "Between the initiatives of local government, federal agencies, nonprofits, individuals and small private businesses, it’s no wonder California is a leader in resource conservation, and well on its way toward Zero Waste.”

    "Agromin is instrumental in helping cities comply with the AB 939 mandate," says Bill Camarillo, Agromin CEO. Each year, the company receives and processing over 300,000 tons of organics (green waste, wood waste, food and other waste) that would have otherwise ended up in landfills producing greenhouse gas emissions. "While many businesses accept organic waste, few specialize in the sustainable processing, managing, recycling and marketing of the materials as we do," notes Camarillo.

    Agromin offers green materials diversion services to waste haulers, landfills and municipalities and then converts the diverted organics into more than 200 types of sustainable products including compost, mulch and soil amendments for consumers, municipalities, agriculture and landscapers. It processes more than 300,000 tons of materials a year from more than 50 communities in California. In January, Agromin was named "Composter of the Year" by the U.S. Composting Council.

    The CRRA is the largest and oldest affiliate recycling organization in the country. Founded in 1974, CRRA is a non-profit organization dedicated to resource conservation through the practices of reuse, recycling and composting. It works to expand markets for recycled materials and promote sustainable materials policies. Its members belong to every facet of the industry – nonprofits, waste haulers, recyclers, state, federal and local government officials, and recycled product manufactures.

    For more information about Agromin, go to www.agromin.com. For information about CRRA, go to http://www.crra.com.


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  • - Friday, January 23, 2009 at 3:21 PM
  • Agromin, the green materials recycler for 19 cities in Ventura, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles counties, recycled 302,139 tons of green materials in 2008 collected from residents and businesses. The amount recycled was a 20 percent increase over the 2007 figure of 240,583 tons.

    Green materials including lawn clippings, leaves, brush and wood are delivered each day to Agromin's five recycling facilities. The company then cleans, processes and composts the material into soil products. The products are returned to the earth when used by farmers, landscapers and consumers.

    "We've created a sustainable process where very little is wasted," says Bill Camarillo, Agromin's CEO. "Participation by residents and businesses is critical--both on the recycling and reuse sides. Green materials recycling keeps waste out of landfills and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Plus, as a community, we're making better use of our resources."

    Agromin compost is listed by the non-profit Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) so it is used in certified organic production or food processing in accordance to the USDA National Organic Program standards. Agromin soil products are also approved by the U.S. Composting Council (USCC). Agromin soil products are sold in bulk and in bags at locations in Ventura, Santa Barbara, Orange and Los Angeles Counties. Products are also available online at www.agromin.com.

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  • Agromin wins key organic approval - Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 10:15 AM
  • Certification to help farm sales
    By Jim McLain Wednesday, June 11, 2008
    Ventura County Star

    Agromin Inc., a Camarillo company that uses green waste to manufacture some 250 soil and mulch products, has won a key designation that is expected to boost its sales to the organic farming industry.

    Company officials were notified last month that Agromin products meet the requirements of the nonprofit Organic Materials Review Institute, an executive said.
    The designation means that Agromin's composted products may be used in certified organic production or food processing according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Organic Program.

    "This has tremendous potential for us because now this allows us to sell our composted products into the organics agricultural marketplace," said Bill Camarillo, Agromin's chief financial officer. "We had not been able to do that before."

    Agromin is one of only five companies in the country that produce composted products from plants that are approved by the Eugene, Ore.-based organization.

    Camarillo said Agromin will include the OMRI approval in its advertising and packaging labels. The designation, he said, assures growers that Agromin products contain no chemicals or human or animal waste, and it certifies that the company uses composting procedures that kill any pathogens and tests its products regularly.

    The company recycles more than 250,000 tons of green waste annually from businesses and residences in 19 cities in Ventura, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles counties, including all 10 in Ventura County. It uses the grass, leaves, branches and other plant material to make a variety of topsoils, soil amendments and mulches for commercial farming operations and backyard gardeners.

    Launched in 1972 as a wholly owned subsidiary of California Wood Recycling Corp. in Ventura, Agromin employs 70 people in six processing facilities in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. Company sales last year totaled about $12 million, Camarillo said.
    The OMRI designation should boost sales, he added, because increasing numbers of growers are switching to organic crop production. Organic farmers use fertilizers and pesticides made from plants and animals instead of manufactured chemicals.

    Agromin has strategic partnerships with the Limoneira Co., Newhall Land and Farming Co. and other agricultural companies to turn their green waste into a variety of mulches and soil products for their crops. Because mulches retain moisture, their use enables growers to reduce irrigation, Camarillo said.

    The company also is working to earn green waste recycling agreements with additional cities, he added. He noted that state law requires cities to recycle half their total waste by 2012.

    Camarillo said Agromin is working with the state on a study that the company hopes will show that organic green-waste recycling reduces the release of carbon emissions and greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

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