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County of Santa
Barbara Commingled Recycling Program
The Solid Waste and Utilities Division manages the County's resource
recovery and waste diversion programs, long-range solid waste management
plans, the County's solid waste collection franchises for regularly
generated solid waste, and oversees the permitting of unscheduled
solid waste collection in the unincorporated areas of the County.
In 1989, the State of California passed Assembly Bill 939, mandating
that local jurisdictions meet numerical diversion goals of 25% by
1995 and 50% by 2000, and establish an integrated framework for
program implementation, solid waste planning, and solid waste facility
and landfill compliance.
Prior to April 1999, the County's recycling programs only included
office paper and cardboard recycling. A waste sort of trash collected
at the Administration and Engineering buildings in downtown Santa
Barbara was conducted to determine the percentage of waste that
still could be diverted into the recycling containers. The waste
sort indicated that 49% of the material going into the trash containers
included recyclable materials. The Green Team expanded the County's
recycling program to include commingled recycling in facilities
where commingled recycling service is available. In order to increase
awareness about the recycling program, the Green Team affixed large
print stickers on each of the recycling containers and sent e-mail
notices out to employees in regards to the expanded recycling program.
The program has expanded to most County facilities in both the North
and South parts of the County.
Solid Waste staff has worked closely with General
Services, the Parks Department, and
local waste haulers to update the recycling programs in County facilities
to include commingled collection. To date, programs have been updated
in the following locations: the Santa Barbara Courthouse, the Administration
and Engineering Building, the Calle Real Campus, the Department
of Child Support Services, the Probation Department, the Betteravia
Government Center, Juvenile Hall, 624 Foster Road, and several County
Parks and Beaches. The Solid Waste & Utilities Division continues
to expand and establish commingled recycling services in County
facilities where available.
Recycling Information
Recyclable Materials:
The County of Santa Barbara offers a Commingled Recycling Program
to most County facilities. The following materials can be recycled
in commingled recycling carts:
How Can I Participate?
Collect commingled recyclables at your desk in your recycling box.
When your box is full, empty it into a blue or tan commingled recycling
cart located in your work area or hallway. Stickers on each commingled
recycling cart list all of the materials that can be recycled. Janitorial
staff will empty the blue or tan commingled recycling carts as needed.
Local waste haulers will collect commingled recyclables on a weekly
basis from commingled recycling bins in the parking lot of each
office.
For Further Information:
- For more information about the Santa Barbara County Commingled
Recycling Program, to receive recycling boxes, or to establish
or increase recycling services at your office, please contact
the Resource Recovery & Waste Management Division of the Public
Works Department at (805) 882-3616.
- If your commingled recycling cart needs to be emptied or you
have excessive purge files to recycle, please contact Nora at
692-7286.
Additional Activities:
- Resource Recovery & Waste Management staff coordinated with
General Services to conduct an assessment of the current purchasing
practices of the County and have prepared a new purchasing policy
to strengthen environmentally preferable product purchasing program.
- Resource Recovery & Waste Management staff conducted a waste
audit of the County Courthouse and Administration Building after
the change to commingled recyclables collection at the County
Administration/Engineering Building in Santa Barbara. This audit
showed that 50% of the trash that is placed in the dumpsters could
be recycled. For more information about the Resource Recovery
& Waste Management Division check out their Web site at http://www.countyofsb.org/pwd/rrwmd/
Battery Recycling
The Santa Barbara County Green Team initiated a battery-recycling
program, in April of 2001. Employees can place old batteries in
one of the County's brown internal envelopes and address it to:
PURCHASING / BATTERIES.
The limitations associated with the battery-recycling program include
the following:
- Battery size should be "D" or smaller.
- Corroding or leaking batteries must be placed in a plastic bag.
- Submit only batteries from work - do not bring batteries from
home.
- Batteries that can be recycled include: AA, AAA, C, D, 9V, calculator,
palm pilot, camera etc.
- No large lantern batteries, vehicle batteries or any lead acid
type batteries can be recycled.
Once the batteries are collected, they are sorted into three different
groups: Alkaline/lead/silver oxide, Nickel-Cadmium or Lithium. On
a monthly basis, these batteries are properly disposed of at the
Community Hazardous Waste Collection Center, located at University
of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) campus. Thanks to Purchasing/Mail
Room staff for taking on this important project!
Additional Activities:
- General Services coordinated with Solid Waste staff to conduct
an assessment of the current purchasing practices of the County
and have prepared a new purchasing policy to strengthen environmentally
preferable product purchasing program.
Last updated:
July 21, 2006
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