Schools Trash & Recycling
Student Recycling Education
Educational Assembly
Salinas Valley Recycles offers a free educational and an entertaining assembly program for all schools in Salinas to help students learn about recycling and the environment. The Recycling Wizard is presented by performer/educator Doug Nolan of the Rock Steady Juggling and is for audiences of all ages, but can be specifically geared towards elementary, middle school, or high school students. Doug has been an award-winning Bay Area performer with over 20 years of experience performing in front of thousands of children annually.
Arrange Free Recycling Assembly
School Infrastructure
To Start, Stop, or Change Trash & Recycling Curbside Collection Services
To start, stop, or change your school's trash and recycling curbside collection service, please contact Republic Services of Salinas.
Visit Republic Services of Salinas | Call (831) 751-5453
FREE Waste Assessments for Schools
Schools can get FREE assistance and training to reduce trash costs and save money. Scheduling a free waste assessment will provide the information needed. Please contact Salinas Valley Recycles to schedule an obligation-free meeting.
Visit Salinas Valley Recycles | Call (831) 775-3007
What Goes in the Recycling Cart
Many plastics (including bag-in-bag), glass, metals, paper, and cardboard materials may go into the recycling cart. Please review full details on the printable Recycling Flyer ENG / SPA.
Please put items into the recycling cart loose, not bagged or bundled. All containers must be empty. Rinse out excess liquid or food residue. Flatten all cardboard boxes. Pizza boxes are ok if they are free of grease and/or food.
Residents can also donate their recyclables and/or redeem their beverage containers for money at a certified recycling center. Find a Recycling Center in Salinas.
Learn about how Salinas Families Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.
What Goes in the Yard Waste Cart
Only yard or garden clippings and trimmings, like grass, leaves, flowers, weeds, or branches may go into the yard waste cart. Please do not put plastic bags, water bottles, animal feces, garden hoses, food, or any other materials in the yard waste cart, because this material is used to make high-quality compost and wood chips.
Please find full details on the printable Yard Waste Flyer ENG / SPA.
What Goes in the Trash Cart (to Landfill)
Items not listed below or for the recycling or yard waste carts may go into the trash cart (to landfill).
The following items cannot go into any of the curbside carts.
- Full aerosol cans
- Antifreeze Household toxics
- Batteries (auto and household)
- Building materials (e.g. bricks, dirt, concrete)
- Bulky Items (e.g. furniture, appliances etc.)
- Clothing & Shoes (donate or bring to clothing boxes at SVR facilities)
- Cooking oil
- Electronics (e.g. computers, laptops, TVs, VCR/DVD players, etc.)
- Fluorescent lights
- Tires
- Used Motor Oil & Filter Collection
Keep Safe! Household Hazardous Waste (HHW)
Keep Families & the Community Safe!
Many household products contain chemicals that can harm your family and our water and soil when not disposed of properly. Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) are products with labels that state Toxic, Flammable, Poison, Danger, Warning, or Caution and other items that contain toxic chemicals such as used batteries, paint, or fluorescent bulbs.
Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) CANNOT go in the trash or recycling bins, but they are accepted for free from residential customers at the HHW Collection Facility in Salinas:
Large Load & Bulky Item Options
Do you need to dispose of a large load or bulky item? Large loads may include yard / landscape waste and small quantities of home construction debris. Bulky items are those too large for the curbside bins such as home furnishings, TVs, mattresses and box springs, carpet, and appliances.
While large loads and bulky items are not collected through regular curbside or apartment recycling programs, they can still be recycled or even donated for reuse.
To dispose of bulky items you have several options:
1. Free Pick-up (single family homes only): Contact Republic Services of Salinas for acceptable items and other requirements, such as how and when to set on curb. One bulk waste collection per year is included as part of your curbside collection service. Additional bulky item pick-up services incur a fee.
Call: (831) 775-3840
Bulk Waste Residential
Bulk Waste Business
2. Annual Cleanup Events: The City of Salinas offers residents free, annual cleanup and recycling events when you may drop off items at a location near your home. For specific dates, times, and locations, watch for announcements in the newspaper or mail or view the Upcoming Recycling Events calendar.
3. Self-Haul: You can drop off bulky items at any of the Salinas Valley Recycles facilities. Fees may apply depending on the item; Please check the fee schedule to see what items may require a disposal fee.
4. Debris Boxes: Republic Services of Salinas offers dumpster and container rentals for the collection and disposal of large quantities of bulk items. Rent a debris box to collect materials for a cleanup project or remodel construction.
Call: (831) 775-3840
5. Donate or Sell: If any items are in good, reusable condition, please consider a donation to a local reuse business or charitable organization. Why pay to dispose of something when someone else might be willing to pay you for it? Visit the Reuse Guide to learn more.
Neighborhood & Household Cleanups
Community Neighborhood & Household Cleanup Events
Free cleanup events take place throughout the year. Residents may clean out their homes and yards of household trash, yard waste, wood waste, metal appliances, clothing, furniture, mattresses/box springs, plastics, cardboard, and electronic waste and drop off at designated locations.
Salinas Neighborhood Services staff, in collaboration with City Councilmembers and Mayor Gunter, will be hosting Neighborhood & Household Cleanup events near you. Notification flyers are sent to residents by mail.
Community Cleanup Event Notices and Calendar
Illegal Dumping and Cleanup
Were you aware that illegal dumping is an ongoing problem in our city and county? It is unsightly, expensive to cleanup, and a hazard to human health and the environment.
Please report Salinas Spills / Dumping: Call 758-7233. State the location of the spill/dumping (street intersection/street address), the time, any information that can help the City find the source and alert the offender of the prohibition.
You may also report littering from motor vehicles at Keep Monterey County Clean.
Thank you for helping to keep Salinas clean and healthy!
Schools Trash & Recycling News
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Organic Waste Recycling for Agriculture, Grocers, Hospitals, Restaurants, Schools
Agriculture companies and local grocers, hospitals, restaurants, and schools are now required to separate for composting all organic waste, including food scraps, and outdated food.
Why Organics?There are many health and environmental issues that are created by landfill waste, and organic waste makes up about 30% of the material that is land-filled in the Salinas Valley every day.
Organic waste such as green materials and food materials are recyclable through composting and...
Find Out More -
Business Recycling is both Mandatory and Saves Money
Did you know that Recycling saves your business money?While Recycling is now mandatory for Salinas businesses and multifamily complexes, it also costs less than disposing of recyclable materials into the trash.
RECYCLING is GOOD Business- Businesses SAVE MONEY by RECYCLING MORE.
- Recycling and yard waste are offered at half the cost or less of comparable trash services.
- Recycling conserves resources and extends the life of our local landfill. ...