Recology San Mateo County is pleased to offer a variety of other services beyond the three carts and bins to our Commercial customers. Please keep reading for important information on our programs.

When it comes to large or bulky items that don't fit in your carts or bins, like appliances, electronics, office equipment and furniture, metal, textiles or carpets, Recology is happy to make special arrangements to pick them up.

In many cases if you give us a detailed list of items and their location, we can provide an estimate over the telephone. Our drivers can provide free estimates, and in many cases service on the same day, or our supervisors will give you a free estimate and schedule your collection. We can place the charge on your garbage bill or we accept cash, checks, Visa or MasterCard. Just contact us to make an appointment.

Please consider donating to any number of local non-profits and community groups. This can help reduce the waste stream and provide a second life for the items you are discarding. Please visit our Don't Toss It page for a list of organizations that are happy to take your unwanted items off your hands.

Hazardous and Universal Waste (including Electronic Waste) are rapidly growing problems that account for significant amounts of toxic waste in landfills. They are illegal to put into the trash or pour down a drain or gutter because they will contaminate the soil, drinking water and air.

To learn how to legally, safely and properly dispose of these and other items, visit our Hazardous Waste page or contact us directly. You can also visit RecycleWorks or www.FlowsToBay.org for more information.

Recology Peninsula Services provides debris box, compactor and commercial recycling services throughout San Mateo County. *excludes cities with exclusive franchise agreements.

We offer an extensive Construction & Demolition Recycling program, which includes providing our customers with diversion documentation required for City and County Recycling Ordinances.

Visit our Debris Box page for more information.

Recology provides several options for you to pay your bill. You can mail in a check or pay online - you can also set up automated billing through our website to receive bills via e-mail you can pay online, and you can even drop off your payment at our facilities.

Recology will provide on-site technical assistance to help you determine the most cost effective recycling and garbage collection programs available to meet the specific needs of your company. Because at the end of the day, smaller containers and fewer pick-ups mean more savings for you.

Spread the word. Provide information on an ongoing basis about recycling and composting and keep employees informed about any changes. The key is to make recycling easy and simple. Use various methods - e-mail, meetings, e-letters and signage near the recycling bins and in common areas.

Place signage by every corresponding container in the kitchen and work rooms of which items go into each container.

Place a recycling box or container beside every desk, workstation, copier, printer and garbage can.

Designate a recycling coordinator or leader to be in charge of the recycling programs.

Make the most out of your paper. Purchase printers that allow double sided printing, or use the other side of paper for your fax machine or note paper. Avoid printing multiple copies of something when one will do. And buy recycled paper!

Use washable mugs instead of paper or Styrofoam cups, and use drinking glasses for tap water or water delivered in large bottles for dispensing instead of buying individual bottled water. Invest in washable cloth dish towels and napkins, reusable plates, bowls and utensils. Not only will you have less garbage, you'll save money by not having to constantly replenish supplies.

Packing Materials: Shred or bunch up old paper or catalogues to use as packing material. Ask your vendors to avoid using excessive packaging, and reuse packaging materials whenever possible. Styrofoam peanuts, bubble wrap, and most packing materials can be donated to packaging stores.

Provide information on an ongoing basis about recycling and composting and keep employees informed about any changes. Use multiple means of getting the message out: meetings, e-newsletters and e-mails. Place signage by every corresponding container in the kitchen and work rooms of which items go into each container.

Get off unwanted mailing lists. Visit any of the following sites for more information.

• www.stopjunkmail.org
• www.41pounds.org
• www.CatalogChoice.org

Invest in rechargeable batteries and battery chargers for digital cameras, flashlights, and other small devices. If you believe your staff won't accidentally throw away or lose the rechargeable batteries, in the long run it will be cheaper and greener.

RecycleWorks of San Mateo County offers additional information on waste reduction ideas, and recycling information.