Recycle
RECYCLE - it's good for the environment and for our community. Every time you recycle, you are helping your family, environment, community, and beyond.
Did you know that recycling just one aluminum can saves enough energy to run your TV for three hours?
Recycling plastic saves twice as much energy as burning it. The energy saved from recycling one glass bottle can run a 100-watt light bulb for four hours.
The amount of wood and paper we throw away each year is enough to heat 50,000,000 homes for 20 years!
Madera County trash and recycling services are provided in partnership with Red Rock Environmental and Emadco Disposal Services. Both companies accept a variety of recyclable products which go into clearly labeled bins for easy recycling.
If your recyclable material is not serviced by one of the two disposal companies, both the North Fork Transfer Station and the Fairmead Landfill and Mammoth Material Recovery Facility will take your recyclables at no charge.
Reduce
REDUCE your impact on the environment by following a few simple guidelines to protect our water supply.
Used motor oil should NOT be poured down the drain, deposited in garbage cans, or dumped illegally. There is only one way to properly dispose of used motor oil.
Used motor should not be disposed any place except at Certified Collection Centers. Certified Collection Centers all across the county pay $0.40 per gallon of used motor oil.
In California, used motor oil is considered a toxic material and must be recycled by a professional. It is illegal to dump used oil in the storm drain, down your home drain, in the trash can, or on the ground. When recycled properly, motor oil may be used many times.
When oil enters our soil and waterways, it becomes an immediate problem for all people and animals living in the area and beyond. It could kill fish, poison birds, and make other animals very sick. Used motor oil contains cancer-causing agents. Just one gallon of oil can contaminate one million gallons of fresh water. Therefore, if you dump your oil anywhere except Certified Collection Centers, you are not only harming your local community, but causing pollution throughout the state.
Reuse
There are many ways to REUSE in your home and work place. Reusing products which have historically been single use items is a large part of recycling.
Here are a few ideas to get you thinking about doing your part to protect the environment and your community:
- Wash plastic bags and use twice!
- Have a recycling can in your kitchen so that it is convenient to recycle bottles, cans, and paper products of all kinds
- Buy recycled products, usually clearly indicated on the label
- Start a small (or big!) compost pile for your food scraps, and use it to fertilize your garden and yard
- Reuse plastic and paper shopping bags
- Donate or sell your used clothing
- Shop thrift stores or consignment store instead of buying new clothing, furniture, and household goods
- Glass and plastic food containers may be used again to store leftover meals or as organizers for your home and office
- Shoe boxes may be used to store and organize your things
- Instead of buying single-use batteries, reach for the rechargeable varieties
- Reuse your plastic shopping bags as dog or cat waste bags.
- Warm water in your water bottle that you don’t want to drink? Use it to water your plants!
- You can reuse your bread bags just as you would use zip locking bags
These are just a few examples of great ways to easily REUSE in your home and office. Share these and your unique ideas with friends and families in your communities!
Rethink
RETHINK the way you dispose of electronics. They do not belong in trash or recycling cans.
Why can’t electronics go to the landfill with other waste?
The parts of our electronic devices that the average Californian sees don’t seem that daunting. From the black boxes of a desktop computer to the small plastic and glass exteriors of old cell phones, our electronics doesn’t appear complicated or dangerous. However, the small heavy metal parts inside make our electronics a big threat to our health if they are allowed to break down into our soil, air, and water.
Arsenic, Cadmium, Copper, Lead, and Nickel, just to name a few, are heavy metals that all have very serious health effects and are found in most electronic devices. Cancer, skin diseases, nerve damage, kidney damage, lung diseases, and liver damage can all occur with exposure to these metals.
It is imperative that all electronic devices are recycled properly so that these dangerous chemicals do not enter our environment and poison our families and community.Disposing of any electronic in your regular garbage or recycling can is illegal. However, there are options to get rid of your old electronics.
The Madera County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility, located at the Fairmead Landfill, is open on Saturdays from 9am to 1pm and accepts your electronic waste for free!
Many thrift stores and donations locations will accept your working, but no longer needed electronics. Be sure to call first, and make sure they accept your unique item!
