|
Reducing
Junk Mail |
|
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. |
General
Reuse and Recycling Information |
|
General
Recycling Frequently
Asked Questions
How and Where to Recycle in San
Mateo County, Santa
Clara County, Contra
Costa County, Sonoma
County, and other
counties.
In addition to the county resources, many
cities provide information and services also. Stanford
Recycling Center. City of Santa
Clara. 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.
And here's
another great source of information about recycling
that answers frequently asked questions about recycling
(many different types of materials), composting, and many
other topics. It was suggested by Erika. Reduce
Waste and Save Money at Home is a link suggested by
a Girl Scout Troop in Colorado and Recycling
Saves Money was suggested by kids at Brenham Community
Center. Mary suggested A
Kid's Guide to Recycling. Paper
Making Arts and Crafts: Fun projects intended for students,
suggested by students. There's also a Guide
to Glass Recycling for Kids, suggested by Mrs. B, and
a Green
Home Guide for families, suggested by Carolyn and Claire.
This
resource with everything you want to know about reducing,
reusing and recycling plastic bottles was suggested
by a middle school student. Thanks, Anna!
Understanding the Life
Cycle of Trash makes it obvious why recycling is so
important. This link was found and suggested by a Girl Scout
Troop from California. |
Free
Reused Boxes |
|
Most
stores get hundreds of boxes 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. |
Creative
Reuse Centers |
|
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. |
Selling
Online |
|
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.
There's also UniSquare,
a 100% free online marketplace and alternative to eBay.
There are no registration fees, no listing fees, no commission
fees, no monthly fees, nor any other fees since they make
their revenue solely from 3rd-party ads. So, if you want
to sell something without all the fees that eBay charges,
give it a try. |
Giving
to Individuals |
|
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. |
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.
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. |
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.
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. |
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, 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. |
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.
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
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.
You can sell textbooks, as well as buy
and rent used textbooks at bookbyte.com
and rentbooks.com.
Thanks to Ben for suggesting these resources.
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
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.
Urban Ore, Inc., 900
Murray Street (near 7th and Ashby), Berkeley.
Ohmega
Salvage, 2407 San Pablo Ave. (at Channing), Berkeley.
Habitat for Humanity has ReStore locations
that receive appliances, tools, antiques and building materials.
They pick up in Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo Counties,
and have ReStore locations for browsing and drop off in
Oakland, San
Jose, and San
Carlos.
The
Reuse People, 9235 San Leandro St, Oakland.
This & That. This place is massive!
1701 Rumrill Blvd., Richmond. 510-232-1273
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
|
Cell
Phones |
|
Charitable
Recycling can help you find a location for cell phone
and computer recycling in your area.
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!
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.
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).
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 |
|
Start
Here: electronicsrecycling.org,
Where
to Donate Used Computers and Electronics in the Bay Area.
Green
Citizen accepts electronics at 5 Bay Area locations.
All California Goodwill
Thrift Stores will accept computers and computer equipment
and peripherals for recycling.
The EWaste
Collective diverts technological and hazardous waste
from landfills. They accept donations of working and non-working
computer equipment, phones, and other electronics.
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. |
Eyeglasses |
|
You
can often find blue and white boxes at your local library
into which to deposit eyeglasses for the Lions
in Sight Foundation. New
Eyes to the Needy is also 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 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. |
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. More
info. |
Medications |
|
Go
to Earth911.com, click
on "Recycle Search" type in Medications and your
zip code. |
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.
Real
Guitars (San Francisco) (415) 552-3310 and Ifshin
Violins (Berkeley) (510) 843-5466 will buy guitars and
string instruments, respectively. |
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.
For more information on why recycling,
especially of plastic bags and bottles, is a good idea,
see this article, suggested by Liz, "How
Recycling Can Keep Our Waters Clean." |
Sporting
Goods |
|
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.
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. |
Styrofoam |
|
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.
Green
Citizen recycles styrofoam for a small fee. You can
drop off at locations in San Francisco, Berkeley, Burlingame,
and Mountain View.
Waste
to Waves has collection points in San Francisco, Mill
Valley, and Santa Cruz. They receive styrofoam packaging
and use it to make surf boards! Watch the video on their
website for more information. Find
a location.
Sonoco
Protective Solutions (3466 Enterprise Ave, Hayward,
CA) has a bin on the left side of the building where they
accept block styrofoam for recycling.
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." |
Televisions |
|
In
general, places that accept computers
and computer monitors also accept TV's, so see Computers
for the list. |
Tires |
|
See
this list of Tire
Recyclers. |
Tools |
|
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. |
Toxic
Wastes, Household Cleaners |
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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. |
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 accepted
item on their website. The place is Reuse
It, and they are at some Bay Area ThriftTown locations.
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! |
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. |
Additional
Information |
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If you have a question
that is not answered in this page or by these links, another
great resource is How
to Recycle Anything: A List of 200+ Items. You may also
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. |
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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