2020 has been a whirlwind for everyone and caused many behavioral changes. While spending more time at home or finding new hobbies to do, we create more household waste that may not belong in the garbage, recycling or compost bins. A few people may be moving to a new location, but do not know where to discard old sofas or large household appliances. Other residents may find old paint cans and fluorescent lights as they clean their residencies to make more space. Some residents take the opportunity to garden more and have leftover fertilizers and herbicides.

Here are some guides to help residents properly dispose their waste: 

• For household hazardous waste, such as painting supplies, fluorescent lights and fertilizers, Menlo Park residents may schedule an appointment with the San Mateo County Health to drop off their materials. Please visit the San Mateo County Health webpage for a list of acceptable HHW items. 
• To discard old furniture or have a surplus of household waste, Menlo Park residents receive two (2) free bulky item collection every year. Residents may schedule their collection through Recology’s website. Please visit Recology’s webpage for a list of acceptable bulky items. Property managers are highly encouraged to schedule BIC for their tenants to reduce overflowing bins.
• To properly dispose batteries, please tape the ends with clear tape to prevent fires from occurring. Place all the batteries into a clear plastic bag, seal it, and put it on top of your black garbage cart. For those who live in multifamily housing, please ask your property manager where the orange batter collection bucket is located. If you do not have one, there are several drop off locations nearby. Please visit RethinkWaste’s webpage for a list of drop off locations. Residents are encouraged to call ahead to see if those locations are still continuing with their recycling program.

Please continue to reduce, reuse and recycle as the City strives to reduce waste by 73 percent by 2035 as outlined in the Community Zero Waste Plan and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In July, City Council agreed to update its Climate Action Plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, one of the first US cities to do so!