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.
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 do this, please let
me know. UsedCardboardBoxes.com
lists places nationwide, but there are none in the bay area.
If you live in Berkeley
or Albany, get a copy of the "Berkeley/Albany Reuse Directory:
Where to Buy, Sell, Rent, Repair, and Donate Reusable Goods."
Request copies by calling (510) 981-6903 or by sending email to
reuse@ci.berkeley.ca.us.
The Berkeley
Information Network (BIN) provides information
on over 3500 local organizations that accept donated materials.
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 (SF
dropoff locations), Marin
County, San
Mateo County, Santa
Clara County (408) 924-5453, Contra
Costa County (800) 750-4096, Sonoma
County. In addition to the county resources
(above), many cities provide information and services also. Stanford
Recycling Center. The City of Santa
Clara's Reference Guide to Donations
(PDF). Oakland
Recycles provides an extensive Reuse
Directory. Berkeley
Recycling and Curbside
Service. 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,
both nationwide and locally.
Used HQ has many used products for sale,
and of course, there is always eBay
for shippable items. You can also post or subscribe to the FreeCycle
Network in your area.
Locally, the online user's
community known as Craig's
List has bulletin boards for selling,
buying, or bartering items. Another local resource is the Bay
Area FreeCycle Network.
Stuff
Ya' Don't Want is a nationwide list
of resources for donating items to places that can use them. ExcessAccess,
redo.org,
and the Cole
Hardware Community Exchange are websites
that match donations with non-profit organizations that can use
them.
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. The following used and
leftover materials are in demand:
-
Leather
-
Plastic
and Mylar
-
Banners
and flags
-
Rubber
scraps
-
Wood
and trim
-
Plexiglass
-
Textiles
(fabric, yarn, mill-ends, over runs, pattern samples)
-
Paper
(mural paper, misprints and mill-ends)
-
Art
supplies (felt pens, non-toxic paints, art brushes, matte
board, poster board, foam core, drafting tables)
-
Flooring
(tile, carpet)
-
Feathers
-
Wire
-
Candles
and wax
-
Buttons
-
Beads
and decorative parts
The
East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse (similar
to SCRAP but not as big), in Berkeley, is another good source
of inexpensive supplies. It also accepts fabric, arts and craft
materials, office and school supplies, household items, and building
materials.
The Resource
Area for Teachers (RAFT), in San Jose,
accepts a variety of donations and makes the material available
to teachers, non-profits, and licensed child care providers.
Reuse
Organizations' Profiles. This is an
excellent link that lists many organizations from all over the
country that accept many different kinds of materials.
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.
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 contribute the proceeds to the AIDS
Healthcare Foundation. They have several
locations in San Francisco (9th and Folsom, Church and Duboce,
Polk and California, Mission and 20th) and one in Berkeley (University
and California).
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, mattresses,
toys, furniture, and other household goods to the needy all over
the bay area. Their
Brochure (PDF format, 80K). Emeryville
Community Action Program, 3610 San Pablo Ave., Emeryville, CA
94608, 510-652-8422.
Community Assistance for
the Retarded and Handicapped, Inc. (CARH) will do pickups for
large donations. 510-758-1441 or (800) 660-6426.
The San
Francisco Rescue Mission accepts donations
of Cars, Real Estate, Jewelery, Music Equipment/Instruments, Computers,
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.
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.
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.
See the description of
SCRAP, the East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse, and RAFT under Reuse
Organizations.
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.
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 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.
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. 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.
AdoptALibrary.org
is dedicated to keeping books out of landfill and getting them
to libraries and other organizations that can use them.
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
Building
Resources, a source for reusable, recycled and remanufactured
building and landscape materials in San Francisco.
Many stores that buy,
sell and trade used cameras and photographic equipment in Oakland.
"Some 550 million
used mobile phones in the U.S. are waiting to go into landfills.
Only about 1 percent of what is out there is being collected and
recycled right now, and the environmental consequences of hundreds
of millions of phones going into the garbage can rather than being
recycled are severe -- hundreds of thousands of tons of toxic
waste (mobile phones contain lead, cadmium, mercury, beryllium,
arsenic, and much more) are threatening our food and water supplies."
Source:
Collective
Good. Every year, 100 million cell phones are retired. That's
about 2 million a week!
This
nationwide site can help you find a location for cell phone
and computer recycling in your area.
Donate your old cell phone
to Collective
Good (the drop-off can be done at any Staples
Office Supply Store) and the proceeds will be donated to the charity
of your choice.
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.
The Sisters
of the Good Shephard have 5
collection points in San Francisco and one in Burlingame for
cell
phone recycling. The cell phones will be refurbished and sent
to family shelters and similar organizations within the United
States. All cell phones are accepted. Donors are asked to attach
the battery or charger if they have them.
Cellular
Cycle in Fremont receives donations of cell phones, and donates
all proceeds to charity. You can drop off or mail cell phones
to them. See also WirelessRecycling.com
You can also mail cell
phones to:
Prime
Traders Against International Hunger
c/o Ernie Gonzaga
16005 Mateo St., Suite C, San Leandro, CA 94578
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.
All Radio
Shack stores will accept cell phone donations. Many Verizon
Wireless stores also have bins where you can deposit old cell
phones with battery and charger, and they will be distributed
to charities.
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.
A great charities 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.
Most charities
will accept donations of clothing.
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 apparently
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.
It's estimated that 2 million
computers go into landfill each day! To see why recycling is important,
see the article "Exporting
Harm: The Techno-Trashing of Asia," "Where
Computers Go To Die" or this other
article of the same name.
Start Here: Computer
Recycling and Reuse Directory, Where
to Donate Used Computers and Electronics in the Bay Area,
Computer
Recycling in California, or City
of San Francisco Computer Directory.
For Macintosh computers,
try the Happy Mac, San Francisco, 415-337-4090.
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.
Tax receipts are available. You can arrange a pickups via phone
or email to ncf@cristina.org.
Computers
For Schools (800-939-6000) has grown from a small Southern
California non-profit to one of the largest computer refurbishers
for schools. Pickups can be arranged, depending on your location.
Email should be addressed to willie@pcsforschools.org.
C.U.R.A. accepts donated
computers in Fremont, 510-713-3200. 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, 415-457-8801, receives computers, but there is
a fee for anything older than 5 years.
South Bay: Bay Surplus
in San Jose, 408-298-9909. Bay Area Computerman, San Jose, 408-249-4821.
Wierd 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.
The Lions
in Sight Foundation is happy to receive donations of eyeglasses
that they pass on to those in need. New
Eyes to the Needy accepts eyeglass as well as hearing aids.
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.
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.
Fluorescent light bulbs
contain a small amount of mercury and California law prohibits
putting them in the trash. More
Info. Many hardware stores will accept them for recycling.
Here's a complete list of places in San
Francisco. Even though fluorescent bulbs contain mercury,
incandescent bulbs are responsibile for releasing more mercury
into the environment. Source.
The Berkeley
Public Library will often accept magazine donations, but 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.
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.
Go to Earth911.com
and select Medications (under Hazardous) and type in your
zip code for locations near you.
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.
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.
Music
in Schools Today accepts donations at 5
locations 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.
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.
Latex
paint can be picked up at any San Francisco resident's home
for free, and Latex paint can be dropped off at any of these
locations. Non-latex paint must be taken to a toxic
disposal facility.
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. They have 9 drop off sites in San Francisco. It's
a great place to donate samples and the soap and shampoo that
many people pick up during hotel stays.
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
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.
We support legislation
to impose a fee for plastic bag use. Many people do not reuse
or recycle unless given a financial incentive for doing so, and
free plastic shopping bags are taken for granted. This
article describes a proposed plastic bag fee program in San
Francisco.
Sports4Kids
Swap Shop (Berkeley) resells donated sporting equipment and uses
the proceeds to benefit school sports programs. (510) 868-1591.
Also, 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.
Wilderness
Exchange (Berkeley) specializes in camping, climbing, and
outdoor equipment, but in addition to the stuff they normally
sell, they also host bi-yearly swap meets, where any kind of sports
equipment can be sold or bought. The swap meets usually take place
at the end of winter and at the end of summer.
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. The have locations in Fremont,
Mountain
View, Pleasanton,
Pleasant
Hill, San
Rafael, Santa
Rosa, and San
Jose.
Another site for Used
Sports Equipment, and here is a list of on
line auctions for buying or selling used sports equipment.
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.
Timbron
International recycles styroform into building materials.
They're at 4331 Pock Lane, Stockton, California. Tel: 209.983.8393.
Monday through Thursday, 8-5.
UPDATE: As of July 2009,
a representative of GB
Industrial Materials Corporation (1528 Atlantic Street, Union
City, CA, 510-489-0881) told me they lost their approval to do
styrofoam recycling because of emissions created during the recycling
process. At this time, I know of no styrofoam recyclers in the
San Francisco Bay Area. The closest is Timbron (see above). You
can mail styrofoam 4th class to the address above. Because #6
EPS is so light, this normally costs about $2/box.
The Alameda
County Computer Resource Center accepts televisions, working
or not in most cases. Call them in advance to confirm. Another
possibility is to take them to your local toxic disposal facility.
At either place, you may be charged a fee.
See this list of Tire
Recyclers
The Tool
Lending Center in San Francisco accepts donations of tools.
Call 415-330-9999 for more information. They are located at 1016
Howard Street, between 6th and 7th.
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.
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.
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.
