Santa Barbara County has approved a new ordinance aimed at chronic littering and illegal dumping in Isla Vista.
The rules put trash responsibility on landlords rather than tenants and make recycling mandatory for all properties. Officials say the changes are designed to prevent missed pickups and reduce overflowing trash.
Johnny Paruts, who is experiencing homelessness, comes to Isla Vista to pick up trash for recycling, earning a small amount of money while cleaning the streets.
“There’s a lot, yes, and I’m unemployed, so this is the second-best form of unemployment,” Paruts said. “Used to be every ten days, a load of trash of that nature… I’m guessing over $250.”
Paruts also cleans up after fraternity events and says the upcoming Deltopia weekend is another opportunity to get to work.
“Yeah, as soon as I come back tonight, I will be busy, but most certainly tomorrow night,” he said.
UCSB student Mar Flores said litter is a common issue across the community.
“I’d look on the floor, and there would be trash everywhere. There’s even gum on the ground. It’s a really disgusting issue,” Flores said. “Even though we have so many trash cans and recycle bins on campus, they get flooded super quickly.”
Some of the new ordinance requirements, such as screening or hiding garbage bins, extend to 2028, giving landlords time to adjust.
