The Shoreway Recycling Center in San Carlos is now accepting used clothing from San Mateo County residents at its public recycling center, along with other items previously not collected, including hard and soft cover books, working household goods (dishes/utensils, pots/pans, kids toys and games, lamps, fans, etc.), car batteries, and scrap metal.

South Bay Recycling, which operates the Shoreway facility on behalf of RethinkWaste, has partnered with St. Vincent De Paul to collect the reusable clothing, books and household goods for their programs.

The goal is to reuse or recycle as many of the items brought to the center as possible.

The Recycling Center is open to the general public, including businesses, for buy-back items and some drop off items. Some limitations apply to waste items such as batteries and fluorescent tubes.

Here’s a list of other items the center will accept at no charge to San Mateo County residents:

• Cardboard
• Mixed paper
• Glass
• Cans
• Plastic containers
• Used motor oil filters
• Used motor oil (up to 15 gallons)
• Used motor antifreeze (up to 10 gallons)
• Latex paint (up to 10 gallons)
• Electronics (computers, TVs, cell phones, etc.)
• Batteries
• Sharps (must be in authorized sharps container)
• Residential cooking oil (up to 15 gallons)
• Fluorescent light tubes (household only, 6 tubes per visit, must be less than 6ft)

The Public Recycling Center is open Mondays through Saturdays from 8:30a.m. to 4:30 pm, and is located at 333 Shoreway Rd., San Carlos, just off Highway 101 at Ralston Avenue.

It’s wonderful that during the holiday season our community always comes through with donations of clothing and household goods for the less-fortunate, at a number of legitimate donation locations. Unfortunately, during this season there is also an increase in illegal dumping of such items – often with good intentions but in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Redwood City’s Code Enforcement staff reminds the community that it is illegal to dump or leave household goods or clothes, even as a donation, in a location that does not accept such items, or at a time when such donations are not accepted. These items often do not find their way to those in-need, and they are also an eyesore, foster further unlawful dumping of garbage and other materials, and create a habitat for rodents and other pests.

For example, the Savers store at 875 Main Street generously accepts donations from 7 am to 9 pm weekday and 10 am – 6 pm weekends. However, there are many instances of donated items being left there at other times – they merely pile up and attract illegal dumping of garbage and debris. It’s important to point out that the donation area behind Savers is now under 24 hour-a-day video surveillance and violators will be prosecuted. The Salvation Army, Goodwill, and other groups also accept donations during certain hours. Three other areas that seem to attract dumping are the alleys on Jefferson Avenue between Fulton and Adams Street, and on Redwood Avenue and Poplar Avenue between Hudson Street and El Camino Real.

Everyone is responsible for helping to keep our community clean, and the condition and appearance of our streets reflects on the entire community. Redwood City Code Enforcement reminds the public to not dump illegally, or drop-off donated items outside of the appropriate times. Go to www.recycleworks.org for information about how and where to recycle a variety of materials. Contact Allied Waste at 650-592-2411, or (after January 1, 2011) Recology at 650-595-3900 for information about how to properly dispose of debris or other non-recyclable materials. Report illegal dumping to Redwood City Code Enforcement at 650-780-7350.

The City Council of Redwood City will be considering an 18% increase in the residential and commercial rates for garbage and recycling collection within Redwood City. The proposed rate increase will be discussed at a public hearing on Monday, January 10th, 2011, beginning at 7 pm in the Council Chambers in City Hall. If approved by the Council, the rate increase would be effective the following day, January 11, 2011. Notices of the proposed increase have been sent to all garbage/recycling service customers in Redwood City. Customers have the opportunity to protest the proposed rate increase in advance of the public hearing by writing to the City. Details of the protest procedure were included in the mailing, and are available online at www.redwoodcity.org/finance/utility

Solid waste collection rates are adopted each year, and proposed rates are developed by the Board of Directors of the South Bayside Waste Management Authority (SBWMA – the joint powers agency which oversees various cities’ contracts for solid waste collection). The City Council then considers the recommended new rates. Each year an analysis is done of the expenses and revenues from the prior year, along with projected expenses and revenues for the following year, and a recommendation is made concerning the following year’s rates.

The proposed 2011 rate increase is based on a financial evaluation of 2010 actual operating costs and revenues for the current carrier, Allied Waste, and projected operating costs and projected revenues for Recology San Mateo County, the new carrier which will begin service on January 1, 2011. The proposed rate increase is based on these factors:

• A 10.1% increase in costs for providing new collection services in 2011 with Recology;
• A 15.0% increase in costs for collection services provided in 2010, including balancing the account with Allied (the 2010 collector) to meet the contractual revenue level (primarily due to increases in Allied’s employee costs and disposal fees, and revenue shortfalls from loss or downsizing of commercial customers);
• A 2.5% reduction in revenue due to known garbage/recycling bin size reductions (based on the number of customers who have already indicated they will use smaller bins, which are charged at a lower rate, resulting in lower revenue);
• A 2.2% reduction in revenue due to projected 2011 bin size reductions (based on the projection of how many customers will change to a smaller bin size in 2011);

The above percentages are offset by 11.8% from the City’s rate stabilization fund to reduce the overall cost impact on customers. Without the City contributing from its rate stabilization fund, the total increase to customers would have been nearly 30%. The rate stabilization fund is used to lower the overall annual increase to customers, and reduce the “price shock” of the rate increase. It provides for smaller, but continuing, increases.

Redwood City garbage collection service provided by Allied Waste has been temporarily disrupted due to a 48-hour work stoppage by Teamsters, Local 350. The work stoppage is a result of on-going contract discussions between the union and Allied/Republic Services at the Ox Mountain Landfill in Half Moon Bay.

While the issues there are not directly related to garbage/recycling collection here, Allied Waste’s staff at the San Carlos transfer station are engaging in a “sympathy” work stoppage. Therefore, curb-side collection services in Redwood City and other cities served by Allied are delayed.

Due to this work stoppage, Allied has informed the City that the pickup days this week have been rescheduled:

• Customers who are scheduled for a Wednesday pickup will instead be serviced on Friday.
• Customers who are scheduled for a Thursday pickup will instead be serviced on Saturday.
• Customers who are scheduled for a Friday pickup will instead be serviced on Sunday.

Redwood City apologizes for any inconvenience that this may cause. It’s our understanding that regular service is expected to resume next week.

Any questions about garbage/recycling service may be directed to Allied Waste of San Mateo County at 650-592-2411.

Here is important information about how to request a change to the size of your garbage cart, in preparation for the start of new garbage and recycling service next year. Please go to www.RecologySanMateoCounty.com or call (650) 595-3900 for more information.

As of January 1, 2011 your garbage and recycling service will be performed by Recology, and no longer by Allied Waste. If you wish to change the size of the garbage cart that you will be using, you need to make that request now, by this Friday July 9. The new carts will be delivered between August 30 and December 31.

Please read the news release below, issued by RethinkWaste, the city/county joint powers authority that contracts for garbage and recycling services in our area. And again, for more info visit www.RecologySanMateoCounty.com or call (650) 595-3900.