Contact: Nichole Dorr Coordinator, Town of Truckee (530) 582-2909 [email protected]

Managing your Trash and Recyclables – Refresher 101.

What are my options for recycling in Truckee?

You have two options to participate in Truckee’s household recycling program.

1. Drop your recyclables off at one of two local collection facilities:

The first option is to drop-off your recycling at NexCycle, a CRV only buy back facility located behind Safeway on Donner Pass Road, great if you have lots of glass bottles or aluminum cans. NexCycle is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. All your recyclables, including non-CRV can be dropped off at the Eastern Regional Landfill located on Cabin Creek Road off HWY 89 south. The drop-off facility is open Tuesday-Saturday from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and closed from 12:00 p.m. -12:30 p.m. for lunch.

Or

2. Use the Blue Bag Curbside Recycling program.

The second option is to use blue bags and participate in Truckee’s curbside recycling program. First purchase blue bags. It’s important to purchase strong durable blue bags so that they hold up in our local trash collection process. Look for blue bags that are at least 1.5 millimeters thick. Make sure when you are using blue bags that you do not over stuff the bags and that you tie the bags securely. Since blue bags are collected with the trash, it is important that the bags hold up until they reach the Eastern Regional Landfill where the recyclables are recovered.

Durable blue bags of different sizes are sold at Mountain Hardware located at 11320 Donne Pass Road across from Safeway. Residents can also purchase blue bags in bulk from Tahoe Supply Company located 10939 A Industrial Way, Suite 100.

What goes into blue bags? Please recycle all of the following: Glass bottles and jars Aluminum cans #1-7 and mixed rigid plastics (examples include laundry baskets and snow disk). Mixed – junk mail, magazines, phone books, catalogs and generally all other types of paper. Cardboard – broken down and placed in blue bags. Lose cardboard left by your garbage can is collected as trash. Large amounts of cardboard can be dropped off for free using the public cardboard only drop-off locations at Fire Station 92 at 11473 Donner Pass Road and Glenshire Elementary School at 10990 Dorchester Drive. Cardboard can also be dropped off at the Eastern Regional Landfill for free recycling. Tin cans, and bi-metal cans

What’s not recyclable at this time? • Styrofoam • Foil type packages (chip bags) • Waxy milk cartons, waxy coffee cups etc. • Film plastics (Saran Wrap, cereal box liners, etc)

Plastic grocery bags can be dropped off at Safeway or Albertson’s in Truckee.

How to prepare materials: Please rinse your recyclables. Tie the top of your blue bags securely. Blue bags are collected with your trash so to ensure that recyclables stay separate from trash securely tie the top and use durable blue bags.

What do you do with your blue bag when full and tightly tied?

Blue bags are treated the exact same way as your trash until they reach the Eastern Regional Landfill Transfer Station. Once at the Transfer Station blue bags are set aside and trash is processed and sorted for recyclables. When sorting recyclables from trash the recovery rate of the recyclables is about 17-18%. At the end of the day blue bags are processed and mixed recyclables are sorted by material type. More than 95% of recyclables contained in blue bags are recovered for recycling. The use of blue bags increases the recovery of recyclables.

Place your blue bags next to your trash container or in your bear box on your trash collection day for pick up by Tahoe Truckee Sierra Disposal.

Remember: BE BEAR AWARE! Please keep in mind that our resident bears are EXTREEMLY active this time of year. With hot and dry conditions many bears are heading down mountains in search of water and easy food sources. Please remember that we live in “bear country” and as the seasons begin to change more and more bears will be hungry for anything they can get. It’s up to all of us working together to protect the bears and keep them out of our trash cans and dumpsters.

For residents: Please do not leave your trash and recyclables on the curb outside of a bear box over night. If you do not have a bear box, place your trash and recyclables on the curb the day of your service only. If you do have a bear box its equally important to REMOVE THE BEAR BOX KEY. Our bears have been around along time and have figured out how to partially open a bear box that has a key left in the lock and pull out anything inside. Removing your keys ensures that the bears stay protected.

For businesses and dumpster users: After depositing trash and recycling into the dumpster please secure lids properly. Please inform employees of the importance for proper trash management.

Visitors: Welcome to Bear Country! While visiting the area please utilize provided trash and recycling bins (blue bags for all mixed recycling). If for some reason bins are not available in the location you are at please pack out what you have packed in. Illegal dumping and or leaving trash behind has become a serious issue that affects our entire community.

If you are camping at area campgrounds, please utilize bear sheds to lock up all of your food and fragrant toiletries. Utilize the dumpsters at the campgrounds for your trash and recycling daily. Do not leave your trash bags tied to trees over night. Make sure when utilizing the dumpsters to close and secure the lid.

The Eastern regional Landfill is located three miles outside of Truckee on Cabin Creek Road off HWY 89 south towards Squaw Valley. They are open Monday-Saturday from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. (the buy back recycling facility is closed on Mondays). For questions regarding the facility please contact Tahoe Truckee Sierra Disposal at (530) 583-0148.

For more information on protecting bears and other wildlife please visit the Bear League at www.savebears.org . Don’t forget to keep an eye out for bears in the road way. The Tahoe – Truckee area has had a record year for bear deaths due to vehicle collisions. Please drive carefully.

Hosting a Special Event?

The Town of Truckee can help make your event greener! Call Nichole Dorr, Recycling Coordinator at the Town of Truckee for help with greening your event, ordering recycling services and letting your event attendees know that you are taking steps to protect resources and live green.

Recycle! It’s easy. Still have questions?

Call Nichole Dorr, Town of Truckee Recycling Coordinator at (530) 528-2909 or (530) 214-7757 or email at [email protected]