West Valley Recycles!RESIDENTIAL

RESIDENTIAL

West Valley Recycles! Summer 2008 SPLIT BODY TRUCKS: Keeping Your Yard Trimmings and Garbage Separate t’s been more than a result of using split body I year since West Valley trucks: fewer trucks moving Collection & Recycling began through our neighborhoods the single-stream recycling on collection day, fewer program and rolled out our trips to the landfill, less new split body trucks. wear and tear on our roads, less pollution, and fewer Our split body trucks have greenhouse gasses. Next made a big difference in the time you see these trucks neighborhoods they serve on collection day, they may on trash day, because now appear to be white, but now in most neighborhoods one you know, they are really truck collects all garbage pretty green. and yard trimmings, where previously two were needed. Remember, Keep your yard trimmings “Green” and your Look for new labels on recyclables clean by keeping the back of the trucks all garbage out of your yard identifying the material in trimmings and recycling each side. The collection cart. Garbage contaminates compartment of these trucks recyclable materials. are completely separate with garbage occupying 40% of the capacity, and yard KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK! waste filling the other 60%. West Valley Collection & Recycling customers are • Situate carts at least five feet away from vehicles The driver maneuvers the loving single-stream recycling. The use of split and other obstructions such as basketball hoops. hydraulic arm to lift and • Secure light items such as plastic grocery bags empty the contents of your body trucks mean less noise and pollution and garbage and yard waste the single-stream system means more efficient and packing peanuts in bags to eliminate litter. cart into the chute. After collection. Everyone is doing a great job. • Flatten and breakdown all cardboard. This will tipping the cart, the driver Here are a few reminders to ensure collection maximize the capacity available in your uses a toggle switch to direct days keep running smoothly and our neighbor- recycling carts. the flow of material into hood streets stay clean and neat too. Remember: • Do NOT overstuff carts. the appropriate chamber, • Place carts with the wheels against the curb, at • Please be sure lids are closed. keeping the two materials least two feet apart. • Keep Recycling. completely separate. The Don’t Get Stuck with Your Sharps—Dispose of Them Properly ome generated sharps PROPERLY AND SAFELY DISPOSE OF YOUR SHARPS—HERE’S HOW: H are needles, syringes, F Pharmacies, Doctor’s Offices or Clinics: Place your used and lancets that assist home-generated sharps in a biohazard commercial sharps container people who use sharps or and contact your Pharmacist, Clinic Administrator, or personal syringes at home to manage Physician, and ask if they have a take back program in effect. an illness. When sharps are Sharps containers can be purchased at your local pharmacy. improperly disposed of they pose a threat to sanitation F Mail Back Services: If you purchase sharps on-line, please remember to request workers, adults, children, a pre-addressed, prepaid mail-back box for your used sharps. A list of mail back services and even pets with needle- approved by the California Department of Public Health can be found at the following stick injuries. Because of the website: www.cdph.ca.gov/certlic/medicalwaste high risk to the community and environment, Senate F Santa Clara County Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Program: The HHW Bill 1305 was passed and will Program accepts sharps waste, pharmaceuticals (No Controlled Substances), and other take effect on September household hazardous waste from Santa Clara County residents (except Palo Alto residents). 1, 2008. This law makes it For more information on pharmacies and other locations that accept used sharps or illegal to place home gener- to make an appointment to dispose of your sharps, visit www.hhw.org or call ated sharps in the trash or (408) 299-7300. Remember, residents must place their used sharps in a biohazard recyclable containers. commercial sharps container. RESIDENTIAL West Valley Recycles! Summer 2008

BILL PAY THE Have questions about your recycling service? EASY WAY West Valley Collection & Ask Randy Recycling has made it easier than ever to pay : What do I do with my used charcoal? your bill. Choose the Q method that works best A: You can recycle charcoal. When you finish cooking, pour water for you. on the briquettes. Let them dry thoroughly. Next time you grill, Mail it. Make your check mix half new charcoal with half used. payable to West Valley The absolute safest way to dispose of ashes, regardless of whether Collection & Recycling. Be sure to include the they’re red-hot or seemingly stone-cold, is to put them in a small, payment stub to get galvanized metal trash can that is dedicated to the purpose of ash storage. Keep the can credit for your payment away from any flammable materials, like your house, wood pile, dry grass, or weeds. Once right away. Use the ashes are completely cold bag them before placing into your garbage cart. If a dedicated pre-addressed envelope ash container is not an option, stir through the ashes to make sure they are absolutely included with your bill. cold before placing them in the your garbage cart. Drop it off. We accept Remember, even ashes that seem cold on the surface may still be hot deep inside, even payments at our office Monday through Friday after sitting for two days, so wait at least 48 hours before disposing of them in the garbage. from 8 AM – 4:30 PM Deliver checks to: West Valley AT YOUR SERVICE: Curbside Collection for Used Motor Oil Collection & Recycling Summer’s here and time to get the car in tip- 1333 Oakland Road, San Jose, CA 95112 top shape. West Valley Collection & Recycling provides FREE containers for your used motor Pay / View Your Bill Online. Visit our new oil so you can keep your car running smoothly, online payment system and help our collection go smoothly, too. at www.wasteconnec- Call customer service at (408) 283-9250 to tions.com; click on order your FREE OIL JUGS AND OIL FILTER “Online Bill-Pay” and BAGS and WVC&R will deliver them curbside follow a few simple instructions. You must on your next collection day. have your current in- voice and credit card or debit card information Schedule a drop off appointment for the items listed below by calling (408) 283-9250: available. 3 Used motor oil and oil filters Home banking custom- ers continue to use the 3 Water based paints remit address: 3 Universal Waste = batteries, fluorescent tubes and bulbs and other mercury containing West Valley Collection & Recycling lamps, thermostats, electronic devices, electrical switches and relays, pilot light sensors, Dept. 1433 mercury gauges, mercury added novelties, mercury thermostats and non-empty aerosol cans Los Angeles, CA 90084-1433 that contained hazardous materials. You must have your 3 E-Waste = televisions and computer monitors, CPUs, laptop computers, external computer current invoice available. hard drives, computer keyboards, computer mice, computer printers, DVDs and VCRs.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE: E-Waste Drop Off Event Clean Yard Trimmings E-Waste Drop Off Events will be taking Keep your yard trimmings “Green” 1333 Oakland Road place in West Valley cities soon. Please and your recyclables clean by San Jose CA 95112-9894 go to www.westvalleyrecycles.com keeping all garbage out of your (408) 283-9250 to find the event in your community. yard trimmings and recycling cart. www.westvalleyrecycles.com Drop off E-waste such as computers, Garbage contaminates recyclable customerservice@westvalleyre- computer monitors, hard drives, TV’s materials. cycles.com and VCR’s absolutely FREE.