| |
Learn More
San José residents generate about 500,000 tons of garbage every year and that's a pile that is hard to ignore!
 |
Garbage: 224,000 tons per year
About 45% of San José's residential waste is collected as garbage. That's over a pound per person per day!
Why should you care?
If we don't recycle as much as possible, we will need to devote more area for landfills. Let's keep that land for open space instead. Our children and grandchildren will appreciate it. Recycling also saves scarce resources such as paper, plastics, and energy! |
 |
Yard Trimmings: 147,000 tons per year
San José collects more yard trimmings than all other recyclables combined! This helps keep 50% of our waste out of the landfills as required by the State. Not bad for a pile of leaves!
Why should you care?
Putting yard trimmings in the garbage wastes this precious resource and fills our landfills unnecessarily. Putting them in the recycling container contaminates the paper. The compost produced helps to keep local soils healthy, and conserves water in agricultural production and landscaping. |
 |
Recyclables: 125,000 tons per year
San José has one of the most comprehensive recycling programs in the country. Much of what is thrown away can be recycled into new products.
Why should you care?
Maximizing recycling allows you to have the smallest garbage cart possible, keeping garbage rates low and saving resources. By recycling properly, you help provide feedstock for items made from recyclable materials. |
 |
Electronic Waste & Household Hazardous Waste: 850 tons combined
Electronic Waste
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, about 70% of the toxic heavy metals in landfills come from electronic waste.
Why should you care?
At some point electronics break or become obsolete; but the lead and mercury contained inside them have a much longer life and cause lasting damage to our environment by leaching into the ground water and polluting our streams and wildlife.
|
Household Hazardous Waste
Some everyday items such as household cleaners, paint, fluorescent bulbs and batteries need special handling and disposal as household hazardous waste (HHW).
Why should you care?
By weight, these items are a small percentage of what we throw away. But they are loaded with toxic chemicals that shouldn't end up in our soil or groundwater. Keep them out of the environment by disposing of them properly. Also, remember to never dispose of any chemicals in the storm drains as they flow directly to the Bay.
Return to top
San José has one of the best residential recycling programs in the country which manages to keep more than half of the city's waste out of landfills. However, while recycling is easy and successful in San José, it's only part of the solution. Follow these tips to reduce waste at its source.
|
Use a Cloth Shopping Bag
It's stronger than paper and plastic bags, and won't contribute to the tons of unnecessary trash in our landfills since it can be used over and over again. |
Compost Organic Waste
It's nature's way of recycling. It helps keep organic material out of landfills and turns it into a useful product. Spread fallen leaves under bushes as mulch. When you mow, recycle grass clippings on the ground to decompose and add nutrients to the soil. You can also try worm composting! Learn more about composting.
|
Use a Reusable Drink Cup
Polystyrene, plastic, and paper cups all require the use of natural resources such as trees, water, and energy, and use toxic chemicals in the manufacturing process. Bring a travel mug into your favorite coffee house, and avoid that extra daily trash. |
Use Both Sides of the Paper
Two sides are better than one: print and photocopy double-sided documents. Print drafts on used paper.
Donate Reusable Items
Electronics are perfect candidates for reuse. Rather than recycling, give it to someone who can reuse it. Many schools, charities or non-profit organizations will gratefully accept your donations. If your computer is not reusable, you can call the recycling hotline (800-533-8414) to find a local computer recycler that will take it for free!
|
Look for Less Packaging
Of all the garbage we generate, 1/3 is packaging that gets thrown away immediately. Buy in bulk or concentrate form when possible, and avoid excessive packaging layers. Avoid disposables such as juice boxes or single serving snacks. Since almost all products require some packaging, choose ones with packaging that is recyclable. |
Eliminate Unwanted Mail
Nearly 35 million trees are cut down yearly for mail people don't even read. To be removed from national mailing lists, send your name, name variations, and your address to: Mail Preference Service, Direct Marketing Association, P.O. Box 9008, Farmingdale, NY 11735-9008. Or visit www.ciwmb.ca.gov/publications/default.asp?pubid=216 to find more strategies for reducing unwanted mail.
|
More information on waste reduction from the California Integrated Waste Management Board's Waste Prevention World |
Return to top
Earth Friendly Gift Ideas |
|
Gift-giving, parties, and mail greatly increase the volume of garbage and recycling during the holidays. Instead, choose memorable gifts that reduce waste, support local businesses and are easy to buy over the phone or on-line. Here are some ideas: |
Honor Someone
- Adopt a rose at Guadalupe River Park &Gardens, (408) 298-7657
- Adopt a zoo animal at Happy Hollow Park and Zoo, (408) 277-3065
- Plant a tree in someone's name with Our City Forest, (408) 998-7337
Visit Local Attractions
- Children's Discovery Museum, (408) 298-5437
- The Tech Museum of Innovation, (408) 294-8324
- The San Jose Museum of Art, (408) 294-2787
Attend Local Performances Together
- Ballet San Jose Silicon Valley, (408) 288-2820
- San Jose Repertory Theater, (408) 291-2255
- San Jose Center for Performing Arts, www.sjcc.com
- Symphony Silicon Valley, (408) 286-2600
- Children's Musical Theater, (408) 288-5437
- San Jose Opera, (408) 437-4450
- Give "Green" Gift Certificates
- Find certified Green Business restaurants and other businesses in Santa Clara County at www.greenbiz.abag.ca.gov/ShopGreenSCC.html
For other green holiday gift ideas, check out www.reducewaste.org.
Return to top
New Products Made From Recyclables |
Your recyclables are made into new products that we see and use every day. Examples are:
- cardboard from mixed paper
- backyard decking from plastic bags
- park benches and playground equipment from milk jugs, and
- fleece clothing from plastic bottles
- toys made from recycled plastic
- paper products such as bags, towels and plates from recycled paper
Thank you for recycling as much as you can and for remembering to buy recycled-content products.
Return to top
Residential Garbage, Recycling and Yard Trimmings Haulers |
Four companies help the City to collect your garbage,
recycling, and yard trimmings. To find out which company serves your address,
view the service area map.
(408) 988-4500 |
Garden City Sanitation and its affiliates operate in more than 10 Bay Area jurisdictions. Among the communities served are Alameda, Brisbane, Millbrae, San Leandro, Santa Clara, South San Francisco, Sunnyvale and now San Jose. Also served are Stanford University, University of Santa Clara, and SFO. Garden City affiliates operate waste transfer stations and material recovery facilities. |
(408) 213-7800 |
California Waste Solutions, Inc., is a privately owned recycling and waste management company operating in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1990. They provide collection and processing services to communities in the Bay Area. |
(408) 282-4400 |
GreenTeam of San Jose collects
garbage and recycling from about 45,000 single-family homes in west
San José. GreenTeam, who has worked with the City since 1993, continues
to collect from
all of the 85,000 multi-family homes (apartments, condominiums and
mobile homes). |
(408) 283-4800 |
GreenWaste Recovery has been a Recycle Plus partner since 1993. They
currently provide yard trimmings and street sweeping services to
all single-family households in San José. |
Return to top
 |
Bay Area Green Business Program
We are working together to recognize and assist businesses
that operate in an environmentally friendly manner. A partnership
of environmental agencies, professional associations, waste
management agencies, utilities and a concerned public. |
 |
California
Department of Conservation
(800) RECYCLE works through programs to safeguard farmland
and open space resources, regulate oil, gas and geothermal
wells, study and map earthquakes, landslides and mineral resources,
ensure reclamation of land used for mining, and promote beverage
container recycling. |
 |
California
Integrated Waste Management Board
(800) 553-2962 - The California Integrated Waste
Management Board is responsible for managing California's
solid waste stream. The Board is helping California divert
50 percent of its waste from landfills by 2000. |
 |
California
Materials Exchange Program
(916) 255-2369 CalMAX diverts items traditionally discarded
by business and industry through reuse and recycling. |
 |
California
Resource Recovery Association (CRRA)
(916) 652-4450
|
 |
Earth 911
Earth 911 empowers the Earth’s citizenry with community-specific “actionable” environmental
information for you to use in everyday life for the purpose
of living responsibly by contributing to the solution of sustainability. |
 |
EPA's
WasteWi$e Program (800) EPA-WISE
WasteWise is a free, voluntary, EPA program through which
organizations eliminate costly municipal solid waste, benefiting
their bottom line and the environment. |
 |
National
Recycling Coalition (NRC)
1325 G Street NW
Suite 1025
Washington, DC 20005
Tel: (202) 347-0450
Fax: (202) 347-0449
|
 |
Northern
California Recycling Association (NCRA)
(510) 558-0991 |
 |
Recycle
City
Welcome to Recycle City! There's lots to do here - people
and places to visit and plenty of ways to explore how the
city's residents recycle, reduce, and reuse waste. When you
leave this place, you'll know much more about what you can
do to help protect the environment. |
 |
Santa
Clara County Recycle Hotline
(800) 533-8414 - The Recycling Hotline helps residents, public
officials, businesses, government agencies, consultants, non-profit
organization, special interest groups, and private sector
managers in obtaining information on recycling and solid waste
management. |
 |
U.
S. Environmental Protection Agency
EPA's Mission: To protect human health and to safeguard the
natural environment — air, water, and land — upon
which life depends. |
Return to top
|
|
