Good Neighbor Garbage Tips

Easy solutions for your recycling, organics, and garbage collection needs to keep our neighborhoods looking good!

Do you recycle your batteries, keep your garbage bins from overflowing, and know what stuff goes in which bins? We all need reminders now and then and that goes for garbage and recycling. This blog highlights quick recycling and garbage tips to encourage sustainable recycling and good neighbor waste etiquette.

NEIGHBORHOOD WASTE BIN ETIQUETTE TIPS

Everyone wants to live and visit places that are fresh, clean and healthy! Neighborhood bins that fill up and overflow before collection cause not only cluttered streets and bad odors but also, negative health and environmental impacts. To keep our Redwood City neighborhoods safe and clean, check out these waste etiquette tips.

1. Make less trash by reducing, reusing, and recycling

2. Not sure where your trash goes? View WhatBin to properly dispose your waste

3. Compost organic waste

4. Rent a Zero Waste Party Pack for your next event- this is a new program offered by the City of Redwood City Public Works Services Department

5. Visit the collection calendar to find out which day your trash is collected

6. Have a bed frame or large appliance that can’t fit in your cart? Schedule a free bulky item collection

7. Find out how to properly dispose electronic waste also known as E-Waste

8. Check the Waste Zero Program for tips on how to prevent waste, save money, or get an audit for your waste stream

WHAT GOES WHERE

Not sure how to arrange your garbage in particular bins? Here is a quick guide.

COMPOST

Food scraps, soiled paper, and plants go in the green compost cart. Composting refers to recycling food scraps and yard trimmings in order to improve the fertility and the quality of soil. Yard and food waste make up 30% of the waste stream. Composting your kitchen and yard trimmings helps divert that waste from the landfill, waterways and water treatment facilities.

RECYCLE

Paper, glass bottles, cardboard, cans, and most plastics should be recycled in the blue recycle cart. Commercial customers may use clear plastic bags to bundle their recyclable materials.

GARBAGE

What is trash? Not much! Thin plastics (bags and saran wrap), cat litter, animal waste, Styrofoam, ceramics and broken glass to name a few, go in the black waste cart.

RECYCLE BATTERIES RIGHT

Recycling batteries protects your family, community, and the environment from fire hazards and toxic pollution. All batteries, including discarded rechargeable and single-use batteries, in all shapes and sizes from AAA, AA, C, button cell, 9-volt and lithium-ion batteries, are hazardous waste. Collect batteries in a plastic zip-top bag, make sure to tap the terminals of lithium-ion and 9-volt batteries. Zip the bag when it is about half way full and place the bag on your black garbage bin on your garbage day.

Select apartment complexes offer orange recycling battery buckets provided by waste haulers. Don’t have one? Ask your property manager about getting one where you live. In addition, select retailers accept discarded batteries in San Mateo County. Find a location near you here.

For more resources on recycling batteries, go here. For a quick fact sheet on the harm of not recycling batteries, go here.

SAN MATEO COUNTY’S HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE PROGRAM

Have more than batteries to get rid of? Make an appointment online or call (650) 363–4718 to drop-off batteries and other hazardous waste (HHW) for free.

MORE RESOURCES

Recology of San Mateo County is the City’s selected contractor to handle all solid waste collection for the City. This includes collecting your three bins: garbage, recyclables and organics, on collection day.

For a summary of some of the helpful services Recology offers, go here.

For other environmental initiatives, go here.