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

All batteries and cell phones are considered Universal Waste once discarded. They contain heavy metals such as arsenic, mercury, lead, cadmium and nickel, which can contaminate the environment when batteries are improperly disposed of. This includes all sizes: AAA, AA, C, D, button cell, 9 Volt, and all others, both rechargeable and single use. However, batteries and cell phones can be safely recycled.

Property Managers: We suggest establishing a centrally located collection container within the property - a lobby, multi-use room, mail room or clubhouse for residents to place their bagged batteries. Call us for a scheduled or on-call collection service.

With button batteries taped to paper, place them all in a sealed plastic bag and leave in the mutually determined collection location.

You can also recycle your old cell phone. Just wrap it in paper and place in the sealed plastic bag along with your batteries.

If you have your own Recycle cart, you can place the bag on top of the cart when you leave it out to be serviced. Recology will take the bag away for you and safely, properly recycle them.

You can also find more information on FlowsToBay.com.

Twice a year, Recology offers a scheduled pickup service for items you don't need anymore at no additional charge. In addition to 2 cubic yards of bagged or boxed solid waste, items accepted are:

Visit our Bulky Item Pick Up page for more information.

Before contacting us to schedule a pick-up, please consider donating to any number of local non-profits and community groups. This can 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.

Once you've removed all the tinsel, lights, decorations and stands from your holiday tree, you can leave the tree in the designated area determined by the property manager and a route supervisor, and we will pick it up between December 26 and January 31.

Please make sure trees are 8 feet and under. If it's taller than 8 feet, cut the tree into lengths of 8 feet or less.

Property Managers: You can request a bin or drop box for leftover trees. Contact us to schedule a time for a route supervisor to determine the best location to place the bin or drop box, or an area for a consolidation of loose trees. Once a location has been identified, that information will be saved and future visits won't be necessary.

We host an annual "Bring Your Own Bucket", or "BYOB" days to give away nutrient rich compost. Residents are welcome to take home a free bucket of compost to help enrich their gardens while learning about the benefits of home composting.

We will also host a confidential destruction event once a year to help you destroy sensitive documents thoroughly and discreetly. Look for information on this website for dates and locations coming soon.

Household Hazardous Waste 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. Items such as electronics, fluorescent bulbs and tubes, paints, pesticides, cleaning products, old medications and other chemicals are illegal to put in the trash.

To learn how to legally, safely and properly dispose of these and other items, visit our Household Hazardous Waste page.

Several communities within the SBWMA service area now have a Door to Door Hazardous Household Waste program offered at no extra charge. Visit RethinkWaste for more information.

By recycling more and throwing away less, you can save money on your garbage costs. And green is the thing! Tenants want to live on a property that does its part to reduce its carbon footprint. The following helpful tips can make it easier for you - and your property - to successfully go green! Visit our Tips for Property Managers page to learn more.

For more general recycling and waste reduction information, please visit RecycleWorks of San Mateo County.

Questions? Please contact us.

Language Assistance:
We offer a free Language Line with over 170 different languages through our Customer Service Department. Please contact us for more information.

Recology San Mateo County provides recycling, compost and garbage collection services to the 12 Member Agencies in the RethinkWaste service area.