Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
How Do I Dispose of...
For specific questions, visit our Recycling Etc. webpage or WhatBin, an excellent resource for figuring out which bins certain trash items go.
Bulky Item Disposal - Are you moving out or decluttering your home? Do you need to dispose mattresses, appliances, and/or furniture? Schedule a free bulky item collection through Recology or drop them off at the Shoreway Environmental Center.
Electronic Waste - Electronic waste (or e-waste) includes batteries, fluorescent bulbs, computers, TVs, DVD players, and phones. To find out where to drop off e-waste, visit the Recology website.
Hazardous waste disposal - the right way to dispose of hazardous waste including, chemicals, paints, electronics, and fluorescent Shoreway Environmental Center bulbs is to set up an appointment at San Mateo County's drop-off facility.
Local and State Policies
Single Bag Ordinance - Burlingame City Council adopted the County of San Mateo's program restricting the use of single-use carry-out bags on March 18, 2013. The program went into effect on April 22, 2013 (Earth Day).
Polystyrene Ban - Burlingame City Council adopted an ordinance prohibiting the use of polystyrene-based (e.g., Styrofoam) single-use food containers on May 16, 2011. This ordinance went into effect on January 1, 2012.
AB 341: Mandatory Commercial Recycling requires all businesses and public entities that generate four or more cubic yards of garbage per week and multi-family dwellings with five or more units to conduct mandatory recycling.
AB 1826: Mandatory Commercial Composting requires businesses and multi-family dwellings to recycle organic waste (also known as composting).
Additional Resources
Rethink Waste - County resource for hazardous waste disposal, recycling and composting.
Guide to What Goes in the Blue, Green, and Black Carts - A guide book on how to properly discard common items and unique items by Rethink Waste
Got Batteries? - A guide book on how to dispose batteries properly and keep our community safe by Rethink Waste
What Goes Where and Waste Quiz - Test your knowledge and learn what waste goes where