Bulky Waste and an E-Waste Resource

Did you know that, as a Berkeley homeowner, you can schedule one free bulky waste pick-up per calendar year?  Just call (510) 981-7270 to schedule for an upcoming Wednesday. They’ll pick up a maximum of 3 cubic yards, which they say is the equivalent of about 20 large trash bags. Everything they pick up goes to the landfill, so be sure to separate out recyclables, green waste, and consider Urban Ore for  items that can be re-used.

Some things are not eligible for the bulky waste pick up. Included on the “not OK” list are things like hazardous waste items, mattresses and large appliances, tires, auto parts, and items (other than sofas) that are more than 5’ long or 50 pounds in weight. They also do not take electronic waste, but there is a non-profit that does.

The Ewaste Collective, located at 620 Page Street, is a non-profit committed to household electronics and computer recycling  (ewastecollective.org).  They accept monitors, TVs, computers, keyboards, cell phones, tablets, wires & cables, microwaves and toasters, printers, scanners, fax machines, game consoles and games, and more. This is a great resource, not only because you can be confident that your electronic waste is being handled properly. They also refurbish computers and give them away to those in need. Your drop-off may be tax deductible, and they will wipe the memory of your computer for a $10 fee.