Rebecca Goldman: Bulky Items? One Call Does it All

One of the most frequently asked questions at the SF Recycling Program is, "How do I get rid of my oversized junk?"

The answer is the Bulky Item Collection Program. If you live in a single-family home or an apartment building and have an individual account with Sunset Scavenger or Golden Gate Disposal and Recycling, you are eligible for two free bulky item pick-ups per year. All it takes is one phone-call to schedule a collection. To make an appointment, Sunset Scavenger customers should call (415) 330-1300. (Golden Gate Disposal and Recycling customers call (415) 626-4000.) Residents living in apartment buildings with group-billed accounts should coordinate with their building manager to arrange for collection. The program has been improved to recycle a greater amount of materials so it is more convenient for residents working to reduce litter.

Your collection appointments will typically be scheduled within one or two weeks of your call. Many items are recycled through the program, such as large metal appliances (washers, refrigerators, etc.), yard waste (must be in paper bags, cardboard boxes or bundled to be recycled), motor oil (in a plastic jug with a screw-top lid) and scrap metal, such as bicycle frames and pots and pans. Mattresses and many electronic goods are also recyclable.

Reasonable amounts of these types of materials are accepted at no charge. There is a limit of five non-recyclable bulky items which will be disposed of in the landfill. Disposable items beyond the five-item limit are subject to additional charges.

Robert Haley, residential recycling and special projects coordinator at the SF Solid Waste Management Program, states, "the Bulky Item Collection Program is meeting the needs of the City better than ever."

With an expansion of the program, bulky item collection has made great strides in recycling more materials. In fact, with the introduction of mattresses and electronics, the program has increased recycling to more than 60 percent of the materials set out for pickup.

The program was also created to make recycling easier and give residents freedom to make appointments for the service. Many of the items that are collected for recycling or disposal are unwieldy and may require special handling.

Greg Koehler, a five-year resident of San Francisco, says the program saved him time and made recycling easy.

"I just called to make an appointment. It was so convenient and I felt good knowing that most of my items were being recycled," he said.

Don't forget that curbside recyclables, like bottles, cans and paper and concrete, dirt, hazardous waste, tires and garbage that fits in your trash can, cannot be left out for bulky item collection. When you call Sunset Scavenger or Golden Gate Disposal and Recycling to make an appointment you will be asked what items you will be setting out and they will send only the appropriate trucks to your house for the collection of the materials.

Please remember that bulky item collection is meant for items that can no longer be used or repaired. Unwanted gifts, appliances and household goods that you just don't want any more should not be thrown away. Many of these items can be donated or even resold. San Francisco is lucky to have a large reuse industry with a wide variety of businesses and charity agencies that specialize in second-hand goods. Doing this saves valuable resources and helps keep reusable items out of the landfill. For more information about where you can take these items call (415) 554-RECYcle.

Rebecca Goldman is a residential and special projects associate at the San Francisco Recycling Program.