A guide to recycling common items in LW
EARTH DAY
In celebration of Earth Day, April 22, the LW Weekly is reminding residents how to dispose of different household items.
Small household goods
The Friends of the Library Bookstore accepts donations of books, jewelry and small household goods, which are sold at the Friends of the Library Bookstore and Boutique. The proceeds from these sales support the LW Library.
Furniture and bulky items
Small and medium-sized furniture in good shape can be donated to the Salvation Army, which collects donations at the Amphitheater parking lot on evennumbered months from 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. The event is facilitated by the Golden Age Foundation.
Furniture in poor or damaged condition, as well as bulky items like old appliances, can be disposed of at the 1.8-Acre Site. Large disposal bins are labeled to indicate where to put different types of items.
Household hazardous waste
Leftover household products that contain corrosive, toxic, ignitable or reactive ingredients are considered household hazardous waste. Products such as paints, cleaners, oils, batteries and pesticides that contain potentially hazardous ingredients require special disposal.
Residents are prohibited from disposing household hazardous waste at the 1.8-Acre Site.
Residents can dispose of toxic waste at any of Orange County’s four Household Hazardous Waste Collection Centers. The closest one to LW is the Huntington Beach Collection Center, 17121 Nichols Lane, 92647, Gate 6. Proof of county residence may be requested. It is open from 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday (closed on major holidays and during rainy weather).
People who need special assistance and are unable to bring their hazardous waste to a center should call 714-834-4000 for more information about Orange County’s Door-to-Door service.
For more information, visit www. oclandfills.com/hazardouswaste.
E-waste: television monitors, electronics and more
Landfilled electronics can leach toxic heavy metals into soil and water. Recycling electronics also allows for the recovery of valuable materials like gold, copper and rare earth elements.
Residents can drop off e-waste—such as old television monitors, tablets, computers, cell phones and cables—at the Huntington Beach Collection Center, which also collects hazardous waste.
In addition, the Golden Age Foundation (GAF) collaborates with Teens Against E-Waste to collect e-waste at some of its battery recycling events.
There is also an e-waste collection site in the alley at the end of Golden Rain Road and Canoe Brook Drive, adjacent to the GRF Maintenance Yard.
Old, used batteries
Discarded batteries can leak harmful chemicals, contaminating soil and water. In addition, accidental or improper incineration of improperly disposed batteries can release toxic fumes into the air.
Properly recycling batteries ensures that their raw materials can be used to make new products. The GAF holds quarterly battery recycling events at the Amphitheater parking lot. For updates on GAF events, sign up for LW Live at www. lwsb.com/lw-live and select the email list titled “LW Nonprofits.”
Approved batteries include alkaline, carbon zinc, nickel cadmium, nickel metal-hydride, lithium ion, lithium metal, silver oxide, button cell batteries and all other dry cell batteries. This includes all household batteries, cell phone and laptop batteries, and small, button-type batteries. Sorting household waste
Residents can dispose of their household trash in three different bins: the green bin, the recycling bin, and the trash bin. It’s important to familiarize oneself with which items go in which bins to ensure they’re properly disposed of or recycled.
Items for recycling bin:
• Highly recyclable: Plastic No. 1 as bottle or clamshell; plastics 2 and 5; soda, juice and water bottles; beverage and detergent jugs. Plastics 4 and 7 are accepted but may not be recycled.
• Recyclable metals: aluminum foil; scrap metal; steel cans and dishware; tin and aluminum cans.
• Recyclable paper (clean and dry): envelopes; file folders (paper only); junk mail and magazines; newspaper; paper (white and mixed color); paper grocery bags; telephone books.
• Acceptable papers that may not be recycled: cereal boxes (no plastic insert); egg cartons (paper only); frozen food boxes; soup, milk and juice cartons.
• Cardboard and corrugated boxes; clean pizza boxes.
• Recyclable glass: amber, green and mixed-color glass; clear food glass jars; soda, tea and liquor bottles. (Do not recycle window glass, porcelain, or non-food related glass. Remove all caps and lids.) Compostables for green bin:
• Green waste: grass clippings; flower and hedge trimmings; leaves and branches; lumber, scrap wood and plywood (unpainted, untreated); weeds.
• Food scraps: Bread, rice, pasta, cheese, dairy, coffee filters and grounds; flowers, herbs, fruits, vegetables, metal, bones, poultry, seafood, soft shells.
• Food-soiled paper (no plastic, wax or coating): 100% fiber based, compostable to-go containers and servingware; paper egg cartons; food-stained paper; paper napkins; paper food boats; paper packaging; paper plates; pizza boxes.
Trash for landfill:
• Food wrappers/containers: candy and protein bar wrappers; chip bags; disposable coffee cups and lids; juice and food pouches; bags made from metal and plastic.
• Glass/porcelain: dishware; flower pots; incandescent light bulbs; porcelain; vases and glass figurines; window glass.
• Paper: all receipts; bathroom, facial tissue and wipes; gift wrap with plastic or metal; hardback books; laminated or plastic coated paper; padded or Tyvek-type envelopes; photographs.
• Plastics: all plastics 3 and 6 (hard and foam); all black plastics; plastic toys; plastic bags, dry cleaning bags, cellophane and bubble wrap; small plastics like utensils, straws, loose caps and anything less than 4 inches; garden hoses and plastic tarps; latex and plastic gloves
• Miscellaneous: Disposable diapers; empty aerosol cans; pet waste; produce stickers; lint or unusable clothing and fabric; all tea bags and tea bag wrappers; menstrual products; hard shells (clams, mussels, oysters).
