BALANCE has selected a list of recycling resources that maximize your ability to give well. Lots of Double Gives here. That is you give and then the Donation source gives again.
Recycle
Reuse
Live on Planet Earth!
Donations
For General Donations: Community Thrift - 623 Valencia St., S.F., CA 94110 - (415) 861-4910
When you donate at Community Thrift, the charity you choose will get the proceeds of your donation. Community Thrift will actually send them a check from the proceeds of your stuff!!! It’s a Double Give!!
http://www.communitythrift.org
If you have lots of big stuff, like furniture in multiples, these folks will pick up!
- Community Thrift - (415) 861-4910, http://www.communitythrift.org (call first, they have a minimum for free pick-up.
For Video Tapes, Computer media -those old floppies and disks - and CD’s -including the jewel cases. - http://www.actrecycling.org/
You can mail ACT your media, they will send a certificate of Destruction if you need it. And then More than individuals with disabilities invest their time and energy throughout the week recycling videotapes and computer diskettes. It’s another Double Give!!
For all sorts of stuff - SCRAP - Scroungers’ Center for Reusable Art Parts.
SCRAP takes donations of high quality, low cost, re-usable materials such as fabric/textiles, paper, jewelry findings, wood, buttons, plastics and more. Donations are collected, sorted, displayed and distributed by SCRAP for artists, educational and community groups.
http://www.scrap-sf.org/
Toxic Stuff
Please don’t put these items in the trash – they are VERY TOXIC! Live on, Planet Earth!
For batteries, lots of places take them, including:
- Walgreen’s
- Most Hardware Stores - call your local store to check.
- Cliff’s Variety (in the Castro)
- The UCSF Store, on Parnassus
- Sports Basement
- Discount Builders Supply at 13th and Mission
- Rainbow Grocery
- Whole Foods
- SF Recycling and Disposal (501 Tunnel @ Recycle Road)
For fluorescent lights, drop them off at:
- Most Hardware Stores - call your local store to check.
- Cliff’s Variety (in the Castro)
- Rainbow Grocery
- Discount Builders Supply at 13th and Mission
- SF Recycling and Disposal (501 Tunnel @ Recycle Road)
For Latex Paint, take it to:
- Cole Hardware Stores (call first to double check)
- Cliff’s Variety (in the Castro)
- Last’s Paint Clearance Center (2141 Mission)
- SF Hazardous Waste Facility (501 Tunnel @ Recycle Road)
For technology and electronics, including computers, keyboards, stereo components, TV’s and “cordage”, these folks will recycle or dispose of this waste in an eco-friendly way:
- Goodwill - http://www.sfgoodwill.org/
- SF Recycling and Disposal (501 Tunnel @ Recycle Road)
- Green Citizen (fees may apply) - Howard at 2nd - http://www.greencitizen.com/
- For SF residents, if you are a Sunset Scavenger client, they offer 1 free bulk pick-up a year, including your electronic stuff.
Junk Mail
Want to cut down on your junk mail? Try these resources, and you’ll notice the difference!
The Direct Marketing Association - They do an every three month check to make sure you are still off the list and it lasts for 5 years. Fill out the online for at http://www.the-dma.org. It only costs $1
GreenDimes.com will reduce your junk mail for only $36 dollars a year. They promise to reduce your postal junk mail by 70-90% and they will also plant a tree every month on your behalf!
A similar organization called 41 Pounds is $41 for five years, and half the profit on each subscription goes to environmentally-focused charities. See https://www.41pounds.org/.