| |
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Reducing
Junk Mail
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|
Here are several sites that can help
you reduce the amount of junk mail you receive. Start
with the Direct
Marketing Association. and continue with The
Center for a New American Dream or Global
Stewards.
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General
Reuse and Recycling Information
|
|
Rummaging
through Northern California is a free bi-monthly
newspaper promoting resale, surplus and salvage in
the San Francisco area.
How and Where to Recycle in Alameda
County, San
Francisco, Marin
County, San
Mateo County, Santa
Clara County, Contra
Costa County, Sonoma
County.
In addition to the county resources,
many cities provide information and services also.
Stanford
Recycling Center. City of Santa
Clara. Oakland.
Berkeley/Albany
Reuse Directory. The
Berkeley
Ecology Center, a fabulous source of recycling
information, is located at 2530 San Pablo Avenue, 510-548-2220.
Earth
911 is a great source of recycling information.
At this website, you choose from a list the item you
want to recycle and type in your zip code, and it will
let you know all the nearby places to recycle it.
Stuff
Ya' Don't Want has creative suggestions for how
to donate or reuse a huge variety of different types
of items.
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|
Free
Reused Boxes
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|
Most stores get hundreds of boxes,
every week, that they break down immediately and put
in recycling (hopefully). Meanwhile, people who are
moving or organizing go out and buy boxes! Well, Rainbow
Grocery in San Francisco has the right idea! They
put their boxes in a large bin at the front of the
store. Anyone who needs them can take their pick. Every
few days they do break down the boxes, since they accumulate
more than people take, so if you are unlucky to get
there after they have done this, the bin may be empty,
however, usually it is filled with hundreds of usable
boxes of all shapes and sizes. An extremely useful
resource!
You can often get reused boxes at
Trader
Joe's as well. And because TJ's sells so much wine,
you can get wine boxes with dividers that make excellent
glass packers!
If you know of other places in the
bay area that offer boxes, please let
me know.
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|
Creative
Reuse Centers
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|
Scroungers' Center for Re-Usable Art Parts (SCRAP),
in San Francisco, is a wonderful place. You can go
there to get really inexpensive office supplies (hanging
folders, paper, envelopes, pens, etc), arts/crafts
supplies, and a huge variety of other things. You can
even get binders and hanging folders for free. Anything
you pay can be used as a tax writeoff. You can also
donate many different materials. See their Material
Donation Guide for more information.
The
East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse, in Oakland,
is another good source of inexpensive supplies. See
their donation
guidelines for information about what they accept.
The Resource
Area for Teaching (RAFT), in San Jose, accepts
a variety of donations and makes the material available
to teachers, non-profits, and licensed child care providers.
Not in the San Francisco area? See
this nationwide
list of Creative Reuse Centers.
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|
Garage
Sale Tips
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|
If you think a garage or yard sale
would be good way to unload some things and make some
extra money, this garage
sale checklist will help you prepare. The article
"Putting
on a Better Garage Sale" also gives a lot
of useful information.
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|
Selling
Online
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|
The two most common places to sell
stuff online are eBay
and Craig's
List.
eBay
is an online auction where people worldwide can bid
on your items. You then ship the item to the highest
bidder. Craig's
List allows you to create free classified ads that
reach people in your geographic area. You can arrange
for the buyer to meet you and pick the item up.
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| Giving
to Individuals |
|
If you are in or near San Francisco,
the Really Really
Free Market meets the last Saturday of Every Month
in Dolores
Park. Bring usable items, food, skills and talents
to give for the sake of giving. No money. No Barter.
No trade. Everything is FREE!
The FreeCycle
Network is a fabulous way to give stuff to people
in your community who really want it. After you join
your local FreeCycle group, you can offer anything
by just sending an email. Anyone who is interested
in that item will reply to that email. You can choose
to do would like to give it to an arranged for them
to stop by and pick it up. You can simplify your belongings
without even having to leave your house!
You can also use Craig's
List to give stuff away as well. Just create an
ad in the "Free Stuff" category.
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| Giving
To Schools |
|
In 2007, a survey conducted by the
National School Supply
and Equipment Association showed that 94% of teachers
spend money from their own pockets to buy classroom
materials for their students. The average amount was
$395, but for First-year teachers it was $770. If you
go to iloveschools.com
and type in your zip code, you can find classrooms
nearby you that have a need for many different types
of stuff. These needs include office and art supplies,
as you might expect, but it also includes a variety
of other items including chairs, furniture, air conditioners,
etc. you can unload unneeded stuff and support your
local schools at the same time!
At SproutClassrooms.com,
we purchase quality used classroom resources from retiring
teachers, teachers who are changing grades, and teachers
who are cleaning out their classrooms. Then we put
these wonderful resources on our website to allow teachers
and parents like you the thrill of finding the items
you've always dreamed about - for much, much less than
purchasing new.
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| Giving
to Nonprofits |
|
ExcessAccess
and redo.org
are websites that match donations with non-profit organizations
that can use them.
|
| Charities |
|
A good place to start is thethriftshopper.com
where you can type in your zipcode and get a complete
list of thrift stores in your area. Note that the first
part of the list that will be presented to you will
just be sponsored listings. A lot of nearby thrift
stores may not show up on this list. To see ALL listings,
you have to scroll more than halfway down the page
to the heading that says "All Listings."
DonationTown
is a free website that will let you know which charities
pick up in your area. You can even schedule a pickup
right of their website.
You can always try Goodwill
Industries (888-466-3945) or the Salvation
Army, but we have had such bad experiences with
the Salvation Army that we will never contact them
again. We recommend finding a local, smaller charity.
Below are some suggestions.
Our favorite charity is Out
of the Closet. We have used them countless times
and have always been happy with their staff, their
stores, and their mission. They have several locations
in San Francisco and the East Bay.
Andy found the people at Miracle
Ministries to be dependable and courteous. They also
make excellent use of the donations they receive. Miracle
Ministries Recovery & Transitional Homes, PO Box
7151, Oakland, CA 94601, 510.967.7112
The Emeryville Community Action Program
(ECAP) is a food pantry, supplier of clothing, furniture
and other household items to the needy. Their staff
is totally volunteer, and they depend entirely upon
donations in order to distribute food, clothing, appliances,
blankets, mattresses, toys, furniture, and other household
goods to the needy all over the bay area. They have
extremely low overhead—they don't even have a
website or an answering machine. 3610 San Pablo Ave.,
Emeryville, CA 94608, 510-652-8422.
According to Kim C. of SFSmiles,
"What we do is collect a wide
variety of goods that people no longer want and
we redistribute them to local organizations that need
them to run their programs or for their clients. We
don't sell them; we simply strive to be a convenient
resource for donors and to match up the goods where
there is the greatest need. We accept: clothing &
shoes, food, baby items, furniture, housewares, linens,
toys & games, art & school supplies and
more. We have a quick response time and can usually
pick up the items within a couple days to a week of
the request at a mutually convenient time.
Community Assistance for the Retarded
and Handicapped, Inc. (CARH) will do pickups for large
donations. 510-758-1441 or (800) 660-6426.
The
Arc of San Francisco helps with housing for people
with intellectual and developmental disabilities, so
they are always in need for many things that aren't
always suitable for thrift shops (e.g. sheets in good
condition, radios, tools, appliances).
City
Impact and the Rescue Mission Thrift Store accept
donations of Jewelery, Music Equipment/Instruments,
Housewares, and Clothing. To make donations, please
call 415-292-1770.
Fred
Finch Association
St.
Vincent de Paul. On their website, click "Giving
Help" for information about donations.
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|
Where to Recycle, Donate or Sell Specific Items
|
| Antiques |
|
Most antique stores will do on-site
appraisals. One antique dealer whom I've met is Jim
Bay, who can be reached in San Francisco at (415) 621-4390.
|
| Appliances:
Refrigerators, Dishwashers, Clothes Washers |
|
Small, working appliances can be
donated to most charities
or thrift shops.
JACO
Environmental will remove older appliances for
a fee of $35.00 for the first unit and a small charge
per unit thereafter. Call (800) 741-0172 for more information
or to schedule a pickup. This program is not a PG&E
sponsored program. This is a curbside pick up service.
Low-income households may qualify for PG&E's Energy
Partners program. If so, PG&E will remove an
older refrigerator and replace it with a newer energy-efficient
one for free.
Newer appliances (4 years or less)
may be donated to Rebuilding
Together, East
Bay Habitat for Humanity, or Out
of the Closet (call to confirm). Out of the Closet
may even pick up, depending on the appliance.
Casebar Washers and Dryers will pickup
or buy certain models of washers and dryers. Call (510)
548-4419 with the specific make and model to see if
he's interested.
Failing everything else, you can
arrange with your local refuse company to do a pickup
of bulky items up to twice a year. You do, however,
need to get the appliance out to the street at the
scheduled time.
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| Art
Supplies |
|
See Creative
Reuse Centers.
Also, the Boys
and Girls Clubs of the Peninsula accept art supplies
for their projects. Call (650) 322-8065 to see if they
can use your offering and find out where to drop off.
|
| Batteries |
|
Household batteries contain more
than 20 toxic substances (including lead, mercury,
cadmium, nickel, chromium, lithium, copper, manganese,
silver, selenium, and corrosive acids). In landfills,
heavy metals can leach into the soil and contaminate
the groundwater. Over-exposure to these elements can
cause a myriad of health problems, including damage
to the brain, kidneys and other major organs, as well
as contributing to birth defects.
You can take used household batteries
to Rainbow
Grocery in San Francisco and all Walgreen's
stores. See this complete
list of places in San Francisco that accept batteries
for recycling.
Rechargeable batteries can be taken
to any Best Buy
or Radio
Shack and many Office
Depot or Verizon
Wireless Stores. For a complete list of places
that accept rechargeable batteries, see the Rechargeable
Battery Recycling Corporation or call 1-800-8-BATTERY.
Car batteries can be recycled for
free at Kragen
Auto Parts.
|
| Books |
|
PaperbackSwap.com
lets you trade books (not just paperbacks, also hardbacks,
audio books, and textbooks) with other readers nationwide.
Almost any used bookstore will buy
used books (look in the phone book), but here are my
favorites.
1.
Moe's Bookstore, Berkeley. If Moe's can't use your
books, they can arrange to donate them to the prison
book project.
2.
Green Apple Books, San Francisco
3.
Black Oak Books, in Berkeley and San Francisco
Extensive list of used bookstores
in Oakland.
The Books
for the Barrios Project accepts donations of books,
crayons, pencils, etc, and sends them to schools in
small villages in the Philippines.
The Children's
Book Project is always looking for donations of
new and gently used children's books (San
Francisco, Oakland).
They distribute them to teachers and schools. Since
we're spending so much money on war, there have been
huge cutbacks to school budgets, and many schools aren't
able to buy books.
The Friends
of the San Francisco Public Library accepts book
donations, sells them at their 2 stores, and all the
proceeds go to the library.
There are a number of specialty bookstores
where you can sell or donate books on a particular
topic, for example William
Stout Architecture Books.
If the books are not in good enough
condition to be reused, they can be recycled. Paperback
books can be placed in mixed paper recycling. In San
Francisco County, you can remove the bindings of hardcover
books and placed the unbound paper in mixed paper recycling.
Not so in Alameda County, where you have to take the
hardcover books to one of the following book recyclers:
• California Waste Solutions, 10th
St., 510-836-6200
• EB resources, 510-419-0294
• Shred Works, 510-729-7110
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| Building
Materials |
|
Building
Resources, a source for reusable, recycled and
remanufactured building and landscape materials in
San Francisco. And the best place to donate any of
these items as well. Highly Recommended! 701
Amador St (close to 3rd and Evans),San Francisco,
415-285-7814.
Caldwells
Building Salvage, 195 Bayshore Blvd., San Francisco.
Urban
Ore, Inc., 900 Murray Street (near 7th and Ashby),
Berkeley.
Ohmega
Salvage, 2407 San Pablo Ave. (at Channing), Berkeley.
East
Bay Habitat for Humanity Restore, The
Reuse People, Both at 9235 San Leandro St, Oakland.
This
& That. This place is massive! 1701 Rumrill
Blvd., Richmond.
Whole
House Building Supply and Salvage, 1000 S. Amphlett
Blvd, San Mateo.
Fairfax
Lumber, 109 Broadway, Fairfax. They have recently
created a building material recycle center where you
can drop off items and/or purchase reusable goods.
And specifically for recycling of
Metals:
Circosta
Iron & Metal, 1801 Evans at Rankin, San Francisco.
Sims Metal Management,
at five
locations in the Bay Area, including San Francisco
and Hayward.
Materials Exchanges are exchanges that match up those
who have excess materials, mostly industrial materials
from demolition, with those who need them.
California
Materials Exchange
MarinMax Materials
Exchange
CocoMax
(Contra Costa County Materials Exchange)
|
| Cameras |
|
Many stores that buy, sell and trade
used cameras and photographic equipment in Oakland.
|
| Cell
Phones |
|
This
nationwide site and Charitable
Recycling can help you find a location for cell
phone and computer recycling in your area.
Green
Phone and Recellular
will pay for some recent cell phone models. The rest
can be donated.
Recycle
for Breast Cancer is no-cost, national recycling
program that serves in two ways. It recycles cell phones,
ink cartridges, digital camers, PDA's and other items
and the proceeds go to breast cancer research. Keep
these items out of landfills and support a great cause!
The Wireless
Foundation has collection
centers all over the country, including San Francisco,
Concord, Pleasanton, Palo Alto, and San Jose. Your
can also mail the phone to "Call to Protect,"
2555 Bishop Circle West, Dexter, MI 48130-1563. They
will refurbish the cell phones and provide them to
victims of domestic violence.
Stand Against Domestic Violence operates
a thrift store and a shelter for battered women. They
accept cell phone donations at 1720 Linda Drive in
Pleasant Hill. 925-602-0575.
Most Staples,
Target, Radio
Shack, Verizon
Wireless and Best
Buy stores will accept cell phones for reuse or
recycling.
|
| Cleaning
Supplies |
|
Often homeless shelters will accept
donations of cleaning supplies. An example is the Shelter
Network in San Mateo County. Cleaning suppies are
generally listed on their in kind donation
wish list.
|
| Clothes,
Linens, Fabric |
|
Professional clothing can be donated
to Dress
for Success. They have locations
all over. Here are the San Francisco location's donation
policies. It is used to promote the economic independence
of disadvantaged women.
Clean, gently-used coats and sweaters
can be donated to OneWarmCoat.org.
Find a location
near you.
Try a clothing swap! Attend one that's
already been organized (see clothesswap.meetup.com,
swaporamarama.org,
clothingswap.com,
or swapstyle.com),
or arrange
one yourself.
Crossroads
Trading Company and Buffalo
Exchange will buy good quality clothing, although
I've found that these stores are so incredibly particular
about what they will take that it's usually not worth
the effort (unless you're into hip, trendy clothing).
This
website lists stores that buy vintage clothing,
and Kitty
Girl Vintage buys women's clothing only.
Most charities
will accept donations of clothing. A great charity
to which you can donate women's business clothes is
Wardrobe
for Opportunity. They provide people transitioning
out of homelessness with clothing appropriate for interviews
and other professional contacts. For clothing in good
condition, try the St.
Anthony Clothing and Housewares program.
There are also large green drop boxes
that you can drop bags of clothing and shoes into at
any time. These boxes are provided by an organization
called Campus
California TG. To see if there's a drop box near
you, call 510-932-3839 or send
email. NOTE: This organization
is possibly not all they claim to be. Some
allege that clothes dropped in the boxes are resold
to thrift stores and that CCTG is affiliated with a
Danish Organization that has been indicted for fraud.
You can make a tax-deductible donation
of fabric and material to SCRAP
(see Reuse
Organizations, above).
And finally, sheets, blankets, linens,
or other fabrics that are too worn out to be donated
can be dropped off at the San
Francisco SPCA (or probably any other SPCA) to
contribute to the comfort of their animals. In San
Francisco, the drop off location is inside the Spay/Neuter
clinic at 2500 16th Street (between Harrison and Bryant).
For more information, call (415) 554-3000.
|
| Computers,
Computer Monitors, Computer Peripherals |
|
To see why computer recycling is
important, see "Where
Computers Go To Die" or this other
article of the same name.
Start Here: mygreenelectronics.org,
electronicsrecycling.org,
Where
to Donate Used Computers and Electronics in the Bay
Area, or Computer
Recycling in California.
All California Goodwill
Thrift Stores will accept computers and computer equipment
and peripherals for recycling.
The Alameda
County Computer Resource Center (ACCRC) is a nonprofit
organization that diverts technological and hazardous
waste from landfills. They accept donations of working
and non-working computer equipment, phones, and other
electronics. Tax-deductible receipts are provided with
each donation. They charge a handling fee for some
items. Call (510) 434-1325 for details.
Oakland
Technology Exchange West accepts working Windows-based
computers (386 and above) only.
Computer
Recycling Center. Run mainly by volunteers, they
have pickup times in Santa Rosa, Santa Clara (408-327-1800),
and San Francisco (415-342-2244). Computers are lent
out to schools and community non-profits, and the organization
provides maintenance as needed to keep the machines
in good working condition. The group does ofter to
pick-up donations from consumers who give them advanced
notice. They charge a handling fee for some items.
The National
Christina Foundation (203-863-9100) places donated
computers with non-profit agencies that help the disabled
or economically disadvantaged. The NCF will match your
donation with a local group.
Computers
For Schools (800-939-6000) has grown from a small
Southern California non-profit to one of the largest
computer refurbishers for schools.
You can also contact public schools
in your area, as many of them will accept old (but
working) computer equipment.
North Bay: Renew
Computers in San Rafael.
South Bay: Bay
Area Computerman, San Jose, 408-249-4821. Weird
Stuff Warehouse, Sunnyvale, 408-743-5650.
More
suggestions. Even if the computer no longer works,
you can still recycle the CPU at Sims Metal. They will
even pay you for it, but only a few cents per pound.
They have locations in Hayward 510-471-6600, Richmond
510-412-5300, and San Jose 408-494-4200.
If you are a San Francisco resident,
you currently have several options for computer (and
other electronic waste) disposal. Computers are accepted
for recycling in the Bulky Item Collection program
offered through your garbage company. This program
is free and available for residents 2 times per year
by appointment only. Call (415) 330-1300 to make an
appointment.
Unwanted computers can also be dropped
off for a small fee at Sanitary Fill Company, located
at 501 Tunnel Avenue in San Francisco. They are open
Mon-Fri 7-6 and Sat-Sun, 8-4. For more information
or directions call (415) 330-1400.
Other computer recyclers as well
as charitable organizations that accept donations may
also take your unwanted computers. To receive a free
Commercial Reuse and Recycling Directory listing all
local computer recyclers or donation centers, please
call the San Francisco Recycling Program at (415) 554-3400.
This
nationwide site can help you find a location for
cell phone and computer recycling in your area.
|
| Eyeglasses |
|
The Lions
in Sight Foundation and New
Eyes to the Needy are happy to receive donations
of eyeglasses that they pass on to those in need. |
| Food |
|
Collection bins are located at Rainbow
Grocery in San Francisco, the Berkeley
Bowl Marketplace, and California Federal Banks
in Berkeley. Large donations can be made at the warehouse
of the San
Francisco Food Bank, at 900 Pennsylvania Avenue
(at 23rd), or the Alameda
County Community Food Bank in Oakland. |
| Furniture |
|
Most charities
will accept furniture, but Uhuru
House in Oakland specializes in furniture (solid
wood only—no particle board). 3742 Grand Avenue, (510)
763-3342. |
| Greeting
Cards |
|
St. Jude's Ranch for Children has
a card
recycling program. They accept used cards year-round.
Cards can be for any occasion. The children learn entrepreneurial
skills receive payment for their work of removing the
front and attaching a new back to make new cards that
are sold to the public. They currently (2011) have
a need for birthday and Thank You cards.
|
| Hangers |
|
Most dry cleaners are happy to receive
any wire hangers in good condition for reuse.
|
|
Ink Cartridges
|
|
Most Best
Buy stores have a bin at their front entrance where
you can deposit used ink cartridges for recycling.
Staples, Office
Max and Office
Depot Ink Cartridges will give a $3 store credit
on certain makes of ink cartridges if you join their
rewards program.
|
| Light
Bulbs |
|
Fluorescent light bulbs contain a
small amount of mercury and California law prohibits
putting them in the trash. Household
Hazardous Waste Facilities, IKEA,
Home Depot,
and many hardware stores will accept them for recycling.
Even though fluorescent bulbs contain mercury, incandescent
bulbs are responsibile for releasing more mercury into
the environment. Source.
|
| Magazines |
|
The Berkeley
Public Library will accept magazine donations,
but only National Geographic and Architectural Digest.
In any case, call (510) 981-6144 first to confirm.
San
Francisco General and other hospitals are grateful
to get donations of magazines for their patients and
waiting rooms. You can usually drop them off at the
front desk.
SF
Veterans Administration Medical Center accepts
donations of books in good condition and recent (in
the last year) magazines. Children's Hospital in Oakland,
(510) 428-3471, is especially interested in spanish-language
periodicals and magazines oriented toward children
and teens. According to a fellow reuse enthusiast,
Kaiser
Hospital in San Jose accepts donations of magazines.
They can be dropped off at the volunteer office in
the main lobby. (Thanks, CiCi!)
|
| Mattresses
and Box Springs |
|
In most cases, mattresses and box
springs must be in excellent condition in order for
them to be reused. Here's a list
of places that accept mattress donations. The only
other option would be to arrange a bulky item pickup
from your municipality. There may be a fee charged.
|
| Medications |
|
Go to Earth911.com
and select Medications (under Hazardous) and type
in your zip code for locations near you.
|
| Medical
Equipment |
|
Home Cares Equipment Recyclers accepts
donations of usable in-home medical equipment and supplies
and makes them available at no cost to individuals
in need of these resources. They have locations in
San Francisco (415) 487-5405, Oakland (510) 251-2273),
Fremont (510) 574-2041, and Marin (415) 388-8198. Call
for drop-off times and specific locations.
The CALL Primrose Center in Burlingame
accepts wheelchairs, canes, portable toilets, and shower
chairs (650) 342-2255.
|
| Music |
|
Almost any used music store will
buy used CD's (look in the phone book). Specifically,
you might try Amoeba
Music (San Francisco and Berkeley) or Rasputin
Records (seven Bay Area locations).
The Groove
Yard specializes in soul, blues and world music
LPs. The owner, Rick, is "always buying,"
and will make house calls. 5555 Claremont Ave. in Oakland.
(510) 655-8400.
|
| Musical
Instruments |
|
Music
in Schools Today accepts donations and provides
them to needy young musicians. Oakland Unified School
District, (510) 879-8116. UC Berkeley Young
Musicians Program (510) 642-2686.
Real
Guitars (San Francisco) (415) 552-3310 and Ifshin
Violins (Berkeley) (510) 843-5466 will buy guitars
and string instruments, respectively.
Other
places in Oakland.
|
| Packing
Materials |
|
Styrofoam peanuts, bubble wrap, and
most packing materials will be accepted by any UPS
Store. Bubble wrap can also be placed in the plastic
bag recycling bins found as most major supermarkets,
but it's always better to reuse than to recycle.
Or, to find a local business that
will reuse your packing peanuts, call the Peanut Hotline
at (800) 828-2214.
|
| Paint |
|
Latex paint can be dropped off at
any of these
locations. Non-latex paint must be taken to a toxic
disposal facility.
|
| Soap,
Shampoo, Cosmetics |
|
Working
Essentials was founded in 1996 with the mission
of eliminating one of the main barriers to employment
for people who are homeless. By providing items such
as shampoo, soap, datebooks and haircut vouchers, Working
Essentials helps people look more presentable and
feel more confident greatly increasing their ability
to secure and maintain employment. It's a great place
to donate samples and the soap and shampoo that many
people pick up during hotel stays.
According to the World Health Organization,
the lives of 2 million children worldwide could be
saved by simple hand washing with soap and water. Meanwhile,
hotels throw out thousands of once-used bars of soap
every day. Clean
the World and the Global
Soap Project will collect these bars and distribute
them to countries like Haiti where they can really
help control the spread of communicable diseases. Hotels
can donate to these organizations, and you can too!
Also, the following local charities
will accept donations of soap and shampoo.
Shelter
Network, San Mateo County
Building
Futures for Women and Children, San Leandro
La
Casa de las Madres, San Francisco
Compass
Community Services, San Francisco
Homeless
Prenatal Program, San Francisco
|
| Shopping
Bags |
|
The best thing to do with shopping
bags is to take them back to the store on your next
trip and reuse them. You can use the same bag for months!
Most supermarkets will give you a 5 cent bag credit
for each one you reuse. If a bag gets punctured or
is otherwise unusable, it can be placed in the plastic
bag recycling bins found in most supermarkets.
Ireland mandated a 15 cent charge
for each plastic bag used. When they did this, some
merchants reported a 97% drop in plastic bag usage.
We support efforts to impose a fee in this country
also, because when bags are free, people consume them
carelessly. We've all seen the baggers at Safeway use
12 bags to bag 6 items. See this
article for more information.
I support legislation to impose a
fee for plastic bag use or to ban it altogether. Many
people do not reuse or recycle unless given a financial
incentive for doing so, and free plastic shopping bags
are taken for granted.
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| Sporting
Goods |
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The Boys
and Girls Clubs of the Peninsula accept sporting
goods for their activities. Call (650) 322-8065 to
see if they can use your offering and find out where
to drop off.
At Rematch
Sports (San Francisco), you can sell sports equipment
on consignment.
Play
It Again Sports will buy some used sports equipment,
but they are extremely selective about what they buy.
Their stores usually contain more than 50% new products,
so reuse is apparently less important to them. Find
a location
here.
Here is a list of on
line auctions for buying or selling used sports equipment.
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| Styrofoam |
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For styrofoam peanuts, please see
Packing
Materials, above.
Styrofoam recyclers will only accept
clean #6 EPS. This is the white, hard, brittle styrofoam
that is used in packing computer and stereo equipment.
It will have #6 in the chasing arrows recycling symbol.
If it does not have #6 marked on it, it is probably
not recyclable.
GB
Industrial Materials Corporation (1528 Atlantic
Street, Union City, CA, 510-489-0881) accepts block
styrofoam for recycling between the hours of 7am and
3:30 pm.
The El
Cerrito Recycling Center is the only recycle center
I know that will accept styrofoam. They accept only
"clean white block styrofoam, no packaging
peanuts, no cups or food containers."
Timbron
International recycles styroform into building
materials. They're at 4331 Pock Lane, Stockton, California.
Tel: 209.983.8393. Monday through Thursday, 8-5. You
can also mail styrofoam 4th class to them. Because
#6 EPS is so light, this normally costs about $3/box.
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| Televisions |
|
In general, places that accept computers
and computer monitors also accept TV's, so see
Computers for the list.
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| Tires |
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See this list of Tire
Recyclers.
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| Tools |
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The Tool
Lending Center in San Francisco accepts donations
of tools.
Oakland's Temescal
Tool Lending Library is located at the Temescal
branch at 5205 Telegraph Avenue (at Claremont).
Berkeley also has a Tool
Lending Library, located at 1901 Russell (at MLK).
510-981-6101.
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| Toxic
Wastes, Household Cleaners |
|
It's easy to get information on hazardous
waste disposal. Click on the county name, or call the
number: San
Francisco County (415) 554-4333. Alameda
County (800) 606-6606. Marin
County. San
Mateo County (650) 363-4607. Sonoma
County.
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| Toys |
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Toys are getting harder and harder to donate. Many
Goodwill and Salvation Army locations refuse to accept
them. "Out of the Closet" never has. There
is only one place I know in the Bay Area that consistently
accepts donated toys. Toys are even listed as a needed
item on their website. That place is CARH,
Community Assistance for the Retarded and Handicapped.
But think ahead! Rather than buying a bunch of toys
that your child will get bored with in 2 weeks, and
that you'll have to find a way to get rid of, why not
save time and money by renting
toys? This
article has more information
and locations. Check it out!
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| Wigs |
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The Wig
Source is part of the John Muir Medical Center.
They accept wigs (not costume wigs—realistic-looking
ones only) and provide them to people with hair loss
as a result of medical treatments. This service is
provided regardless of where treatment is being received.
1656 N. California Blvd., Walnut Creek, (925) 947-5328.
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| Additional
Information |
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If you have a question that is not
answered in this page or by these links, feel free
to contact me. I'll be happy
to try to answer it. Also, if you have additional information
you feel should be included here, please let
me know.
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| Disclaimer |
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Although every effort is made to
keep this page accurate, due to the huge amount of
information presented here, it is possible that some
of it may become out of date or otherwise incorrect.
If you see information that is inaccurate, feel free
to let me know.
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