Don't trash that old skirt that no longer fits or throw away that old paint in your shed.
There are places in and around Berkeley where you can ditch things you don't use anymore without filling up the landfills.
A good place for Berkeley residents and business owners to start their recycling mission is to visit the website of Stopwaste.org. There you can find out what you can recycle curbside or elsewhere.
The City of Berkeley also offers a comprehensive list of the many recycling initiatives in place for Berkeley residents and business owners.
Paper and Plastic:
Drop-off Locations and Hours Stopwaste.org has an on-line "Recycling Wizard" that can lead you to places in the area you can recycle paper and plastics. Just type in the item you want to recycle and it will tell you where you can go and their hours of operation. You can also call a toll free hotline at 1-877-786-7927 for more information.
Clothing:
Drop-off Location and Hours Goodwill Industries (Click here and type in your zip code to find the location and hours of the Goodwill store nearest you.) Other area charities that accept clothing include St. Vincent de Paul and Salvation Army.
Berkeley's Urban Ore accepts donations of clothing along with building materials, furniture and much more. The Bambino Thrift Shop in Oakland, that benefits Children's Hospital of Northern California, has a list of donations it accepts here. Another thrift store in the area is Clausen House in Oakland. Clausen House offers guidelines for donations it will accept. Out of the Closet, which benefits AIDS patients, has stores in both Oakland and Berkeley that accept donations.
Consignment stores are also a good option to recycle gently used clothing. Dress Best for Less and Crossroads Trading Company are just two in the area where you can sell your items on consignment.
Electronics, Computers, Cellphones:
Drop-off Location and Hours Stopwaste.org provides a comprehensive list you can find here of places in the area which accept e-waste.
Staples Office Supply Stores located throughout the Bay Area, also accept computers and electronic devices for recycling. You can find out about their recycling program here.
Paint: (Hazardous Waste)
Drop-off Location and Hours Alameda County Household Hazardous Waste has drop-off locations in Oakland, Fremont, Hayward and Livermore serving Alameda County residents. Each site has its own days and hours of operation which you can find here. You can also call 1-800-606-6606 for more information. Keeping hazardous materials such as paint, pesticides, solvents and other chemicals out of the waste stream (where it can pollute water, air and soil) is essential.
Household Goods, Furniture:
Drop-off Location and Hours of Operation In addition to the obvious purveyors of used household items, such as Goodwill, Salvation Army and St. Vincent de Paul, where you can donate goods. you might also try recycling your housewares at consignment stores.
In the East Bay you can consign your gently used household goods and furniture at places like, Chameleon Consignment, Second Home, Urban Island or Red Wagon.
You might also try listing your items for sale on EBay or Craig's List. Post your items free of charge on Craig's List or the Freecycle network.
Still stumped how to get rid of sometimes difficult to recycle items such as well used upholstered furniture or mattresses? Visit Stopwaste.org's "Recycle Wizard" and search for how to recycle "special materials". It will provide you with places in the Bay Area to get rid of many items including couches, mattresses and box springs, tires, appliances, hearing aids, exercise equipment, cars, carpets and much more.
