Homes

Perhaps the most common misunderstanding about throwing trash away is that there is no such thing as "away." Garbage in landfills can last for decades and creates a large number of expensive problems that ultimately consumers pay for in their garbage bills and in their taxes.

The second biggest misunderstanding is that what you don't need anymore is no longer useful to anyone. In fact, more than 50 percent of what was tossed into landfills twenty years ago was, in fact, recyclable material that could have been remade into something useful. Another large percentage were things that still had use, such as old toys or broken appliances, and could have been reused in their existing form with minor clean up or repair.

The situation today is better by far, with most California communities recycling as much as 50 percent of their garbage and a few communities pushing toward recycling or reusing 75 percent or everything they used to simply throw away! The impact for Californians is more jobs, new markets for recycled materials, and a healthier environment.

But your continued help is crucial. Participation in recycling helps keep your garbage rates low and protects the beauty of the high desert and mountains.

In this section you will find helpful resources for learning about collection services in your area, recycling resources, composting, household hazardous waste, and much more.

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