Apartments & Condos: Recycling Paper, Cardboard, Glass, Metal, & Plastic
	> At Your Complex ----· How Can I Get Recycling at My Building? ----· What Can be Recycled and How Should it be Prepared? > Recycling Centers > Recycle More Stuff ---- · Ceramics ---- · CDs, DVDs, VHS Tapes ---- · Plastic Bags ---- · Plastic Furniture & Large Solid Plastic Items ---- · Scrap Metal ---- · Textiles & Clothing and Clothing ---- · Toner Cartridges ---- · Wood ---- · Miscellaneous ---Non-Recyclable Stuff > Recycle Moving Waste > Watch Our Recycling TV Commercials

At Your Complex

How Can I Get Recycling at My Building?
Recycling is often initiated by the tenants or residents. The City can perform a cost analysis to show how the manager can save money by recycling, figure out how many containers you need, and prepare information packets for the residents. Contact Us and we will prepare a plan for recycling and cost savings for the building manager.

A small amount of recycling is free (enough for 3-4 units). The cost of recycling at larger complexes is less than the cost of trash, and the property manager can reduce overall disposal costs by increasing recycling and decreasing trash service.

What Can Be Recycled and How Should it Be Prepared?

This section only addresses conventional recycling that can be placed in your recycling bin such as paper, cardboard, plastic, glass, and metal. If you have a lot of stuff, you can bring it to a recycling center. See Recycle More Stuff for items can be recycled by bringing them to another location. For recycling of appliances, electronics, furniture, greenwaste, Christmas trees, wood, chemicals, and construction materials, hold your mouse over the menu options at the top of the page to see the sub menus for different types of materials, or click on Apartments and Condos. For clothing, eyegalsses, food, styrofoam peanuts, bubblewrap, toner cartridges, and other items not listed, try the Reuse Directory.

Contact Us to get posters showing what is recyclable that you can place in laundry rooms or common areas, or download the recycling guides listed below. Some items that are not accepted in the backyard and curbside program can be recycled or reused somewhere else. See Recycle More Stuff for places to take them. Plastic food or beverage containers must be rinsed and free of food or liquid. Removing lids and rinsing containers is recommended and makes them easier to recycle. It is not necessary to remove labels, rings, staples, paper clips or other items.

Complexes with Dumpsters

Open the Mixed Recycling Guide for Dumpsters in English and Spanish for a list of items. The guide is larger than 8 1/2 x 11 paper, so you can also just print the "What's Recyclable" pages. All recyclables can be mixed together in the container. Please do not place anything in bags. Dump your loose recycling in the container and either keep your plastic or paper bag or put it in the recycling dumpster. Please flatten cardboard boxes.

Complexes with Carts or Cans

Open the Mixed Recycling Guide for Carts/Cans in English and Spanish for a list of items. The guide is larger than 8 1/2 x 11 paper, so you can also just print the "What's Recyclable" pages. All recyclables can be mixed together in the container. Please do not place anything in bags. Dump your loose recycling in the container and keep your bag, or put it in the recycling cart/can if it is paper. Plastic bags cannot be recycled in carts or cans. Please flatten cardboard boxes.

Recycling Centers

You can also bring your recyclables to a recycling center and earn money for the bottles, cans, and scrap metals. You can drop off large quantities of paper, cardboard, and soft and hardback books for free.

Recycle More Stuff

Some things are recyclable, but not collected in the curbside program. Bring them to the location indicated.

Ceramics (dishes, pots, misc. items)
Use broken pottery as drainage media in the bottom of potted plants. Do not use porcelain or glass products since they have sharp edges.

CDs, DVDs, VHS Tapes
The South Coast Recycling and Transfer Station at 4430 Calle Real (681-4345) will recycle these for free. They also accept electronics, so save them up and bring them all together. Hours Mon-Sat 7:00 am - 5:00 pm.

Plastic Bags
All local Vons and Albertsons supermarkets accept all #2 and #4 plastic bags for recycling (their own and others). The following types of bags are #2 or #4:

• Any plastic bag or wrapping marked with #2 a or a #4
• White plastic grocery sacks the stores use to bag your purchases
• Clear bags used for produce
• Santa Barbara News Press bags
• Drycleaner bags

Plastic bags, wrappings, and shrink wrap are called "Film Plastics". For more information on film plastics, visit www.plasticbagrecycling.org

Plastic Furniture, Playground Equipment, and Solid Plastic Items
Pure plastic or plastic with small metal parts can be recyled at the MarBorg Construction Waste Recycling Facility at 119 N. Quarantina St. Call 963-1852 for details. Fee is $58 per ton or a minimum of $15.

Scrap Metal (aluminum, steel, brass, copper, stainless steel)
If an item is metal or mostly metal, it's recyclable. This includes equipment or tools with plastic pieces and non-metal parts. If it fits into your recycling bin, is not a fuel tank, and does not contain liquids or hazardous materials, put it in. If it is too big or heavy, bring it to a recycling center.

If you have an empty fuel tank, ask Santa Barbara Iron and Metal Recyclers if they will take it. If not, or if it contains liquids, look under the Paints, Batteries, & Chemicals section for disposal.

Textiles and Clothing
These are not currently recyclable, but bring usable items to a local thrift store.

Toner Cartridges
You can bring old inkjet and toner cartridges to either Staples or Office Max for recycling. Staples will accept and recycle all brands, and they will also give a $3 credit toward the purchase of new cartridges if you turn in old HP, Dell, Brother, and Lexmark cartridges. Office Max will accept, recycle, and give $3 credit for all brands except Epson. Epson offers recycling of their ink cartridges through a form on their website, but there is no explanation of how it works.

Wood
If you have a recycling dumpster (not a cart of a can), you can recycle wood there. If not, recycle as construction waste.

Miscellaneous/Other
Many items that are not recyclable can be reused! Consult the Reuse Directory to see a list of items and where you can take them.

Stuff that is Not Recyclable or Reusable
Many durable items, especially if they are made of plastic or a mix of different materials, are not recyclable anywhere. When you replace the item, see if a metal, paper fiber, or wood alternative exists so that when it breaks, it can be recycled. If no recyclable alternative exists, buy the most durable product available so it will last longer and be disposed less often.

Recycle Moving Waste

Moving In
Download both the Move-In Guide and the Move-Out Guide in case you need to get rid of some stuff that does not fit into your new home. Most of the moving in waste is recyclable boxes and packing paper. If there is recycling at the complex and it is in carts or cans, the cardboard boxes will not fit well and will probably overwhelm the recycling bins. Your landlord can get an extra pickup for recycling carts or cans, or you can take the boxes yourself to a recycling center. Flattened boxes will fit into even the smallest cars. If you have a recycling dumpster, the boxes should fit better, but your landlord may have to call the waste hauler for an extra pickup which will be charged on his/her waste bill.

Moving Out
Download the Move-Out Guide. Most of the move-out waste cannot be put into recycling bins, but can be taken to local thrift stores if it is in decent condition. Plan ahead to avoid dumping everything in the trash in the often hurried last days of move-out. Large items such as furniture and matresses will not be picked up with the regular trash, and it is illegal to put them on the street. See the trash section for disposal options.