My husband and I were recently trying to figure out if a white takeout food container could go into our green Berkeley compost collection bin. (I think the answer is no, because even though it is mostly paper, it has a plastic coating inside to make it hold liquid.) In trying to find the answer to our question, I came across a couple bits of potentially useful information I thought I would share.

Did you know that you can ask the City to come out and clean your trash and/or compost bin? You just call the service center at 510-981-7270 to make the request. They charge $20 per bin for cleaning, and you have to leave the bins at the curb—empty—for 3 to 5 days. If you could see the bottom of our compost bin, you would know that it is well worth it to us!

When I was scheduling the cleaning, I had a chance to inquire why it is the case that some people in Berkeley are charged for refuse collection on their property tax bill, while others get a quarterly bill. Apparently, it can be done either way, so if you are receiving a quarterly bill, you can ask for it to be included with your property taxes, or vice versa.  There is one catch: they’ll only make changes during the month of May (presumably so that any change is in effect for the start of the next property tax year, which starts July 1).

In Berkeley, our recycling service and the blue recycling bins are handled separately, by the Ecology Center. If you are having a problem with your blue recycling bin, you can call them at 510-527-5555.