Recycling Resources
Learn about recycling, responsible disposal, and environmental resources for your home and community.
Recycle Symbol History
Did you know?
The color that most often symbolized recycling is Green.
The recycling symbol you see today with three arrows in the triangle shape was designed in 1970 as part of a contest sponsored by the Container Corporation of America (CCA) (now Jefferson Smurfit Corp).
As a special event for the original Earth Day in 1970 (started by John McConnell), CCA conducted a contest for graphic art students to design a symbol representing paper recycling. The winning entry was submitted by Gary Dean Anderson, a 5-year architecture student at the University of Southern California at Los Angeles. Later that year, William Lloyd modified the contest-winning recycling symbol to create the present-day image.
Appliance Recycling and Disposal
AC Tune-Up
Rebate Programs
Rebate Programs
Annually, a City of Thousand Oaks resident may request up to two free collections with a total of no more than four bulky items per calendar year. This service is open to residents living in single-family homes, apartments, condominiums, and mobile homes. Bulky item pickup is available through your trash company. Call your disposal company for details: G.I. Industries (Thousand Oaks and Westlake areas) at (805) 522-9400, or Newbury Disposal (Newbury Park area) at (800) 418-7274. Also visit Southern California Edison's website for information on their Refrigerator and Freezer Recycling Program.
Rebate Programs
Rebate Programs
Rebate Programs
Your utility may even pay you to get rid of inefficient appliances. These programs usually involve an incentive on the order of $35 for the collection of old units, either in the form of cash or a rebate towards an ENERGY STAR replacement. A third-party contractor that works with the utility will either come to you and pickup the appliance or hold a turn-in event where you drop it off. Existing programs predominantly target old refrigerators; a few programs also offer a rebate for room air conditioners. Contractors ensure that the old units are disposed of properly.
Universal Waste Recycling
To protect your health and the environment, California law requires all residents to take batteries, fluorescent light bulbs, e-waste, and other items known as Universal Waste to designated disposal sites.
A complete list of Universal Waste products and information about disposal and recycling options is available at the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC). You can also call the Waste Evaluation helpline at (916) 322-7676 for help in identifying items for proper disposal.
Universal Waste Items
Universal Waste Disposal
Universal Waste Disposal
- Common batteries—AA, AAA, C cells, D cells, and button batteries such as hearing aid batteries
- Fluorescent tubes and bulbs and other mercury-containing lamps—fluorescent light tubes and bulbs, high-intensity discharge (HID), metal halide, sodium, and neon bulbs
- Thermostats – old-style with the sealed glass “tilt switch” (newer electronic versions are not included)
- Electronics – televisions, computers, monitors, printers, VCRs, cell phones, telephones, radios, and microwave ovens
- Electrical switches and relays—mercury switches found in some chest freezers, pre-1972 washing machines, sump pumps, electric space heaters, clothes irons, silent light switches, automobile hood and trunk lights, and ABS brakes
- Pilot light sensors—mercury switches found in some gas appliances such as stoves, ovens, clothes dryers, water heaters, furnaces, and space heaters
- Mercury gauges—some barometers, manometers, blood pressure, and vacuum gauges contain mercury
- Novelties – musical greeting cards, mercury maze games, athletic shoes (made before 1997) with flashing lights in soles
- Mercury thermometers—Many health clinics, pharmacies, and doctor's offices have thermometer exchange programs to replace your old fever thermometer with one that’s mercury-free.
- Aerosol cans that contain or have contained hazardous materials.
Universal Waste Disposal
Universal Waste Disposal
Universal Waste Disposal
The following items can be recycled at local retail stores:
- Cell phones may generally be turned in where you purchase your new cell phone or at Best Buy, Radio Shack, or Staples. Many non-profit groups will also accept cell phones and refurbish them for reuse.
- Computers—Dell, Epson, Hewlett-Packard, Gateway, and IBM offer recycling of their products.
- Rechargeable batteries—Facilities that sell rechargeable batteries must provide recycling of used rechargeable batteries. These can also be recycled at local Best Buys, Radio Shacks, or Staples stores.
- Inkjet cartridges may be turned in to Best Buy, Radio Shack, or Staples stores. Some schools offer inkjet cartridge recycling programs as a fundraiser.
Additional information on nearby disposal options is available at Earth 911 and the California State University, Sacramento.
For additional assistance, please call or visit:
- City of Simi Valley: (805) 583-6321 www.simivalley.org
- City of Moorpark: (805) 517-6315 www.ci.moorpark.ca.us
- City of Thousand Oaks Residential Recycling Services: (805) 449-SAVE (7283) www.toaks.org
- Ventura County Environmental and Energy Resources Division: (805) 658-4318 www.wasteless.org
Affordable HVAC Services by Total Comfort Systems, Inc.
Alameda County Computer Resource Center
Computers & Education and Computer Recycling
Computers & Education and Computer Recycling
1501 Eastshore Highway, Berkeley, CA 94710
Phone: (510) 528-4052
Fax: (510) 528-4053
E-mail: info@accrc.org
Services: Recycle all types of electronics from computers to cell phones to microwave ovens. Free pick up for Berkeley residents, recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, and an approved California electronics collector/recycler, donates refurbished computer systems to schools and non-profit organizations and individuals with disabilities and/or limited finances.
Computers & Education and Computer Recycling
Computers & Education and Computer Recycling
Computers & Education and Computer Recycling
3249 Santa Rosa Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA 95407
Phone: (707) 570-1190
Fax: (707) 570-1192
E-mail: stevew@crc.org
Ecoplast/Western Gold Thermoplastics
Computers & Education and Computer Recycling
Electronic Recyclers International, Inc.
840 East 60th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90001
Phone: (213) 235-3387
Electronic Recyclers International, Inc.
Electronic Recyclers International, Inc.
Electronic Recyclers International, Inc.
2860 S East Ave., Fresno, CA 93725
Phone: (559) 442-3960,
Toll-Free (800) 884-8466
Fax: (559) 442-3999
E-mail: intern2@electronicrecyclers.com
Services: We offer collection and recycling solutions for California’s Covered Electronic Waste, specializing in the environmentally safe dismantling of CRTs.
Englehard West
Electronic Recyclers International, Inc.
Goodwill Industries of Orange County
5510 E. La Palma Avenue, Anaheim, CA 92807
Phone: (800) 779-4873
Fax: (714) 779-6210
Goodwill Industries of Orange County
Electronic Recyclers International, Inc.
Goodwill Industries of Orange County
410 N. Fairview, Santa Anna, CA 92703
Phone: (714) 547-6301
LA Shares
Lazarus Foundation
Lazarus Foundation
3224 Riverside Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90027
Phone: (213) 485-1097
Fax: (213) 485-9237
Lazarus Foundation
Lazarus Foundation
Lazarus Foundation
30 West Mission Street, Suite 4, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Phone: (805) 563-1009
NETI Initiative
Lazarus Foundation
Polycycling of California
P.O. Box 55303, Sherman Oaks, CA 91413
Phone: (818) 780-3344
Polycycling of California
Polycycling of California
Polycycling of California
240 East Alton Avenue, Santa Ana, CA 92707
Phone: (714) 646-7879
Fax: (714) 646-7879
E-mail: polycycling@worldnet.att.net
Rapid Refill Ink
Polycycling of California
Rapid Refill Ink
1415 N. Dutton Ave. Ste. B, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
Phone: (707) 571-1965
Fax: (707) 571-1964
E-mail:james.hahn@rapidrefillink.com
Silicon Salvage
Polycycling of California
Rapid Refill Ink
1500 North Dale Street, Anaheim, CA 92801
Phone: (714) 523-2425
Fax: (714) 523-2552
Teaknor Apex
420 South 6th Avenue, City of Industry, CA 91746
Phone: (626) 968-4656
Please note that the list does not constitute a recommendation or endorsement of any organization.
Computer Donation & Recycling
Buying a new computer? Know what to do with the old one?
You don't need to store it in your attic or put it on the curbside. There are many organizations that can find a new home for your computer—or at least recover some valuable materials inside—before it reaches the garbage heap.
Donation of Computers to Schools, Charities, and Nonprofit Organizations
If your unwanted computer still works, donating it is probably the best way to go, and doing so will help keep toxins such as lead, mercury, and other electronic byproducts out of the environment.
Each computer dumped in a landfill is a missed opportunity to provide a computer for others to use through a nonprofit or school-based refurbisher.
In addition, depending on the current market value of your donated computer, you might be able to deduct its value from your taxes (refer to current federal and local tax laws for more information).
An online directory of agencies that facilitate the donation of used computers to schools and community groups is available at the following Web sites:
http://www.microweb.com/pepsite/Recycle/recycle_index.html
http://www.nonprofit-info.org/npofaq/05/19.html http://www.libertynet.org/share
Reuse
Recycling
Recycling
Charitable groups, such as Goodwill Industries, have begun accepting older equipment and refurbishing it for resale to individuals or donation to schools and nonprofit organizations. There are also several retail stores that refurbish older electronic equipment and resell it with a warranty. You may be given a small cash rebate for turning in your old computer.
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
If your older computer isn't worth donating or reusing, you can recycle it. Computer components may contain small amounts of gold, silver, and platinum in the printed wiring boards and connectors. The metal is difficult to separate from the rest of the materials, some of which may be hazardous. Electronics recycling firms, and even some state and local governments, have collection days and may be able to take your equipment—even if no one else will.
Electronics
Simi Valley Landfill and Recycling Center
Simi Valley Landfill and Recycling Center
Electronics, most notably televisions and computer monitors, involve a variety of recyclable and toxic materials, including plastics, glass, steel, gold, lead, mercury, cadmium, beryllium, nickel, zinc, and brominated flame retardants, many of which can be recaptured and used again.
Several major electronics manufacturers have programs in place to accept their old hardware, usually as a trade-in upon purchase of a new unit. They are joined by retail stores, including Staples, Best Buy, Office Depot, and Wal-Mart, which have programs to collect appliances such as computers, monitors, laptops, printers, faxes, and all-in-ones for recycling in accordance with environmental laws.
Find a local e-waste recycling or donation program by visiting EPA's eCycling page
Simi Valley Landfill and Recycling Center
Simi Valley Landfill and Recycling Center
Simi Valley Landfill and Recycling Center
Residential Free Days for 2009
Due to the overwhelming success of these events, please be prepared for wait times that could take up to 90 minutes.
To help minimize delays, please follow these simple suggestions:
- Be ready with valid identification to show proof of residency to the cashier
- All loads must be tarped pursuant to California State Law
- This event is for non-hazardous, residential trash and green waste. Please see our list for waste that is not accepted at Simi Valley Landfill.
- All loads are subject to inspection
- All commercial vehicles are subject to applicable rates unless prior arrangements have been made
For more information, please call Simi Valley Landfill at
(805) 579-7267.
For information on bulky item pick-up at your home, please contact your refuse company.
Trash/Recycling Collection Services and hauler contact information. The Curbside Recycling Program accepts plastic containers with numbers 1–7, glass bottles, jars, metal cans, newspapers, phone books, cardboard, empty and dry paint cans, junk mail, paper bags, and empty aerosol cans. Contact your trash hauler for any trash, recycling, or yard trimmings-related issues. Visit Curbside Recycling for more information.
- Information in Spanish is offered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on a wide variety of issues, from health questions to recycling to pesticide management. To view EPA's Spanish site, visit: www.epa.gov/espanol
- Environmental Education using English as a Second Language (ESL)—Visit Resources for Multi-Cultural Education, which offers three free downloadable textbooks (12 languages in all) that teach recycling and education on environmental issues for everyone.
- Battery Recycling—Turn in your old batteries at four convenient locations!
- Beverage Container Recycling Centers—Turn in your plastic, glass, and aluminum beverage containers at one of the many redemption centers in Thousand Oaks. Visit Beverage Container Redemption Centers for more information.
- Bulky (large appliances) Item Pickup—Annually, a City of Thousand Oaks resident may request up to two free collections with a total of no more than four bulky items per calendar year. This service is open to residents living in single-family homes, apartments, condominiums, and mobile homes. Bulky item pickup is available through your trash company. Call your disposal company for details: G.I. Industries (Thousand Oaks and Westlake areas) at (805) 522-9400, or Newbury Disposal (Newbury Park area) at (800) 418-7274. Also visit Southern California Edison's website for information on their Refrigerator and Freezer Recycling Program.
- Junk Mail—Information on how to stop receiving unsolicited mailings and reduce junk mail.
- Planning to move? Download a copy of Moving? And Odds n' Ends, provided by the Ventura County Environmental and Energy Resources Department, on countywide programs for disposal of hard-to-handle items.
- Plastic Bag Recycling—Click here to search for participating grocery stores and recycling centers in your area that accept clean, dry, empty plastic bags (i.e., plastic grocery, retail, newspaper, and dry cleaning bags) for recycling. For information on packing material/plastic peanut recycling, call the Peanut Hotline at (800) 828-2214 for the nearest collection site. You can also call to see if your local mailing store will accept extra packaging peanuts.
- Recycle those tennis shoes! The City of Thousand Oaks is part of a national program to collect and recycle athletic shoes. All brands of old athletic shoes (sneakers), along with defective pairs donated by Nike, are collected, ground up, and turned into surfaces for use on local athletic courts. G.I. Industries, Harrison Industries, and Gold Coast Recycling support the program. Shoes must be clean and free of mud with no metal, cleats, or spikes. Please do not place in your curbside container. Click here for a list of Thousand Oaks area athletic shoe drop-off locations. Also visit the Nike Reuse-A-Shoe Program for additional information.
- Recycled-Content Products—Buy products made from recycled materials. Look for the recycling symbol (or “made from post-consumer material”) on a wide range of products, including wrapping paper, greeting cards, paper towels and napkins, and bathroom tissue. In addition, there is a growing array of new products made from recycled beverage containers, ranging from backyard planter boxes to fleece vests!
Check out your city's website on:
- Community Clean Up and Recycling Day (FREE)
- Community Enhancement Grant Program
- Landfill Disposal Day (FREE)
- Neighborhood Clean Up Program (FREE).
- Temporary Service for Clean Up & Construction Projects
For more on all the above and more, visit your city's website.
- Agoura Hills http://ci.agoura-hills.ca.us/
- Calabasas http://www.cityofcalabasas.com/
- Camarillo http://www.ci.camarillo.ca.us/
- Thousand Oaks http://www.ci.thousand-oaks.ca.us/
- Los Angeles http://www.lacity.org/
- Malibu http://www.ci.malibu.ca.us/
- Moorpark http://ci.moorpark.ca.us/cgi-bin/start.exe/moorparkcity/index.html
- Oxnard http://www.ci.oxnard.ca.us/Default.aspx? DepartmentID=22
- Santa Barbara: http://www.santabarbaraca.gov/home.htm
- Santa Monica http://www.smgov.net/home/index.asp
- Simi Valley http://www.ci.simi-valley.ca.us/
- Thousand Oaks http://www.ci.thousand-oaks.ca.us/
- Ventura http://www.ci.ventura.ca.us/
- Westlake Village http://www.wlv.org/
Have you ever heard of Freecycle? The Freecycle Network™ is made up of 4,334 groups with 4,872,000 members across the globe. It's a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. It's all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills. A local volunteer moderates each local group. You can search for your community. Membership is free. Have fun!
FYI, there's a Conejo Valley and a Ventura County group that we are personally a part of.
Looking for More Recycling Information?
Find local recycling programs, disposal resources, and environmental information to help reduce waste and protect the environment.
Don't forget to check out our Just 4 Kids page on recycling!
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