 San Diego is a beautiful place, and people flock here to live, work and play, attracted by our natural resources. But everyone living, working, and playing here creates mounds of trash… over seven pounds per person per day. With a population of over 1.2 million, that adds up fast… to nearly 9 million pounds a day, or about 1.68 million tons annually. At this rate of waste disposal, the City's only landfill, the Miramar Landfill, will likely be filled to capacity and close in 2012. Unless we all work together to reduce and recycle our garbage we could trash the unique beauty of San Diego and risk squandering our tax dollars to pay fines of up to $10,000 per day for failure to meet California’s 50 percent waste diversion mandate.
So how will these wasteful ways impact our great city? San Diegans throw out enough recyclables to:
- waste piles in Petco Park, from infield to outfield… from dugout to nosebleeds, five times over each year. shorten the life of the landfill by seven months every year. risk our city being fined $10,000 per day by the State.
- waste resources needed to sustain future generations.
To maintain San Diego’s great quality of life, we need to work together. What can we do to avoid trashing San Diego?
"Recycle or Else" is a new City of San Diego Environmental Services Department program that provides valuable information about the potential impacts of not recycling on San Diego Communities. The program includes billboards, bus ads and a web page to educate San Diegans about the need to recycle and reduce waste. Recycle Or Else hats and T-shirt are available for sale at San Diego City Stores. To get the gear, pledge to recycle, and learn more, visit:
http://www.sandiego.gov/environmental-services/recycleorelse/index.shtm
 SAN DIEGO RECYCLING LOCATIONS
There are many items which San Diego thrift stores cannot or will not accept. Some of the reasons for non-acceptance include government regulations which prohibit the recycling or disposal of certain electronic items containing lead and other potentially hazardous materials. In addition, some items may be unpopular and may not sell--if the thrift store has to dispose of them, they lose part of their revenues which could be applied to social or charitable programs.
Thefollowing organizations reportedly accept the items noted. In addition, the City of San Diego's Environmental Services Department has extensive recycling and reuse information online; visit them at http://www.sandiego.gov/environmental-services/recycling/index.shtml However, it would be a good idea to contact them to arrange for recycling, to be sure they still accept them:
COMPUTERS/TVs 
Many of these businesses charge a fee to recycle these items. Contact each one individually for details. Check with them for recycling computers, TVs, disk drives, printers, keyboards, mice, monitors, CRTs etc.
- City of San Diego Recycling Hotline -- (858) 694-7000
- County of San Diego Recycling Hotline -- (877) 713-2784
- Dell Computers (Donation/Trade-In Program) -- (800) 915-3355
- Gateway Computers - Rebate Program
Contact local Gateway stores for more information.
- 1-800-GOT-JUNK - this is a full-service junk removal company and is approved by the State of California to collect E-Waste from residences and businesses. No job too small or too big. Book online at www.1800gotjunk.com or call 1-800-468-5865; email COXFAM@cox.net (check with company for any fees.)
- Hewlett-Packard - recycling and product take-back. (208) 472-3494
- IBM PC Recycling Program - (888) 746-7426 Reference part # 06P7513
- IMS Recycling - 2697 Main St., San Diego, CA 92113. (619) 231-2521
- Miramar Recycling Center (Allan Co.) - (located at the entrance to the Miramar Landfill)- 6733 Consolidated Way, San Diego CA 92121. (858) 578-9300.
- Recycle San Diego - This is a State of California E-waste Collector/Recycler. Electronics from homes and businesses can be arranged for pick-up. Call (619) 281-1600 or visit website http://www.recyclesd.com or email info@recyclesd.com
- Phillips Services (North San Diego County) - Hazardous waste facilities in Poway and Vista. (800) 714-1195
- RMD Technologies - 7079 Mission Gorge Rd., San Diego, CA 92120 (619) 326-1345
BATTERIES (Rechargeable)
American Battery, Chief Auto Parts, Radio Shack (see yellow pages for information)
Battery Recycling (877) 723-1297.
BOTTLES-CANS
Beverage Container Recycling - (800) 732-9253. (Most cities have recycling programs for sorting cans, bottles, and other items into separate containers. EDCO also will aid in sorting those items. Check yellow pages or call your individual cities for more info.
 BUILDING MATERIALS
Bathroom fixtures, medicine cabinets, steel pipes, chain link fencing, faucets, sliding glass doors and swing shower doors.
- Battles Hardware -- (619) 234-5118
- Brea Green -- (858) 756-7480 (Lumber and wood particles)
- Hanson Aggregates -- (858) 586-0611 (Asphalt only)
- IMS Recycling -- (619) 231-2521 (Metals and electronics-see previous section).
- South Coast Materials -- (760) 729-2010 (Concrete & asphalt)
- The ReUse People -- (619) 427-0430 (Used construction materials)
HAZARDOUS WASTE
Includes antifreeze, car batteries, drain cleaners, fertilizer, household batteries, oil filters, paint, pesticides, pool chemicals, propane tanks, and used oil.
- Hotline -- (877) 713-2784
- Used Oil & Used Oil Filters: (619) 235-2105 (used oil recycling hotline); Chief Auto Parts, Econo Lube, Jiffy Lube, Pep Boys, Precision Tune, Valvoline Instant Oil Change.
MAJOR APPLIANCES
- Ideal -- (800) 589-5792 ($50 rebate for working refrigerators)
- Old Town Recycling -- (619) 543-9961
- Pacific Coast Recycling -- (619) 238-6740
- Pacific Steel -- (619) 474-7081
- So. Bay Recycling -- (619) 425-7197
TIRES
Tire companies, such as Big O Tires, Discount, Evans, and Winston
WATER HEATERS
- Pacific Steel -- (619) 474-7081
- LANDFILLS (for Mattresses and other items)
- Escondido (760) 745-3203
- Fallbrook (760) 728-6114
- Miramar (858) 573-1418
- Oceanside (760) 439-2824
- Otay (619) 421-3773
- Ramona (760) 789-3410
LANDFILLS (for Mattresses and other items)
- Escondido (760) 745-3203
- Fallbrook (760) 728-6114
- Miramar (858) 573-1418
- Oceanside (760) 439-2824
- Otay (619) 421-3773
- Ramona (760) 789-3410
RECYCLING-REUSE PUBLICATIONS & LINKS (Earth Matters)
 California Materials Exchange (CALMAX) Catalog - The California Materials Exchange (CalMAX) is a free online and printed classified listing service for materials. CalMAX is designed to help businesses, government, and other organizations find markets for non-hazardous material that may otherwise be discarded. CalMAX is a forum to foster the lawful exchange, reuse, and recycling of these materials: construction and demolition, containers, durable goods, electronics, glass, metal, miscellaneous, organics, paint/wax, pallets, paper, plastic, rubber, textile, and wood. www.CalMAX.org or http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/calmax/
 Choose to Reuse: An Encyclopedia of Services, Products, Programs and Charitable Organizations That Foster Reuse --2,000 resources related to reuse in the U.S. and describes how to reuse over 200 different items – from air filters to zippers.
Beyond Recycling: A Re-user’s Guide -- By Kathy Stein. Guide offers 336 simple and practical tips for reusing products that are often not accepted for recycling which most of us may throw in the trash or cart to the dump.
BioCycle -- A journal covering the latest information on composting and recycling. Email: biocycle@jgpress.com
Consumer’s Handbook for Reducing Solid Waste
Creating Wealth from Everyday Items -- This report, which highlights several reuse businesses and collection programs, provides valuable insight into utilizing reuse as an effective tool for promoting waste reduction and local economic development.
Recycling Rag -- Eco-artware.com’s newsletter that often features articles on reuse.
RECYCLE YOUR INK-JET CARTRIDGES: Professional refills of your major brand ink-jet cartridges while you shop. Refill prices range from $3.15 to 19.19. Over 100 cartridge-specific formulas with a thirty-day, 100% satisfation guarantee. Challenge us to save you $$$ at these locations: Westfield North County, 272 East Via Rancho Pkway, Escondido, CA (760) 839-5147; Westfield Parkway Plaza, 415 Parkway Plaza, El Cajon, CA (619) 579-0637.
Reuse Links and Resources Web site -- Provides a compilation of local and national reuse links and resources.
San Diego Freecycle -- Freecycling is simple: you have something you no longer need (a couch, a crib, CD, computer) and you wish to "recycle" it rather than throw it into a landfill. Or you are looking for a specific item and you’d love to receive it for free. This is where you post notices to either give away items or find them!
Use Less Stuff Report -- A free, bi-monthly newsletter that helps people reduce waste and prevent pollution.
RECYCLING-REUSE MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATIONS
California Integrated Waste Management Board -- opa@ciwmb.ca.gov
National Waste Prevention Coalition -- The goals of the National Waste Prevention Coalition (NWPC) are to prevent waste from being created and to reduce the use of resources. NWPC members primarily include local governments, state governments, non-profit organizations, universities, and consultants.
Repair, Resale and Reuse Council -- A technical council of the California Resource Recovery Association highlighting contributions that reuse and repair businesses and other activities make to reducing waste in California.
Reuse Development Organization -- Through the creation of a network of reuse advocates through the country, organization hopes to accelerate reuse.
Recycler’s World -- Worldwide trading site for information about secondary or recyclable commodities, by-products, used and surplus items or materials.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9
NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS (Waste-Related)
Californians Against Waste
California Resource Recovery Association -- CRRA is a dynamic, non-profit organization dedicated to resource conservation through the practices of reuse, recycling and composting.
Environmental/Recycling Hotline, Earth 911
GrassRoots Recycling Network
Keep California Beautiful -- A statewide nonprofit environmental educational organization. Please..don't litter..recycle and.."Don't Trash California" -- it's a state of mine!!
National Recycling Coalition --The national organization seeking to increase awareness about recycling and other forms of resource efficiency.
National Listing of Internet Waste Exchanges
Recycling/Reuse Videos
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