What environmental events does the City sponsor?

Arbor Day
Citywide Garage Sale
California Coastal Clean Up Day
Community Yard Sale
Earth Day
E-Waste Events (State-certified)
Free Shredding Events
Home Composting Workshops
Household Hazardous Waste Drop Off Event
National River Clean Up
Safe Medication Disposal Day
Thermometer Exchange

Arbor Day is held on the second Saturday in March at Pioneer Park and offers many public awareness and educational opportunities, such as home composting, mercury thermometer exchange, and safe medications disposal.  Free Shredding Day is also held on this date in the parking lot of St. Joseph's Church at the corner of Castro & Church streets. 

Citywide Garage Sale
Community Yard Sale
The Citywide Garage Sale is held at homes throughout Mountain View usually on the first Saturday in May, and the Community Yard sale is held at Rengstorff Park usually on the second Saturday in May. Updated information is posted on www.mvrecycle.org under "Citywide Garage Sale" between March and May each year or by callling 650-903-6227.  Registration begins the first week in March and closes in mid-April depending on the dates set for these events. 

Earth Day is observed on April 22nd annually, but Earth Day is Every Day!  We encourage you to take advantage of a variety of volunteer activities advertised in newspapers, radio, televisions and the internet in the Spring.  These activities are designed to conserve resources, protect the environment, and bring awareness to environmental issues.  For more information on activities, visit www.earthday.org.

Bay-Friendly Gardening Workshops
The Home Composting program is now Bay-Friendly Gardening!  Residents may register for a variety of workshops to learn about home composting, natural pest management, environmentally-friendly gardening practices and landscape design to help reduce waste and protect the watersheds of San Francisco Bay from urban run-off pollution. The Bay-Friendly Gardening program was developed to encourage residents to make environmentally friendly gardening choices. It is not a particular style, but an approach that works with nature to reduce waste and protect the watersheds of San Francisco Bay. You can create a sustainable, healthy and beautiful garden using Bay-Friendly practices. Find out how to build healthy soil, minimize fertilizer use, and select appropriate plants at any of these hands-on workshops. Experienced and beginning gardeners alike can learn more about Bay-Friendly Gardening techniques during any of these hands-on workshops. For more information, visit www.reducewaste.org or call 408-918-4640.

Free Shredding Events are held throughout the year.  These events help residents protect their identity and recycle confidential or sensitive documents, tax returns, credit cards, health records, or mixed media.

• Bring unwanted tax returns, bank statements, medical records and other confidential paper documents to either event.
• Bring unwanted confidential mixed media (computer disks, CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes, credit cards) only to Mountain View event.
• Paper with staples, paperclips, or binderclips are accepted.
• Vinyl binders and spiral-bound notebooks are accepted.

Mountain View
March 13, 2010 (11am-2pm)  See Sunnyvale below for other events in 2010!
In the parking lot of St. Joseph's Church (Castro & Church St)
for confidential paper documents and mixed media.
Limit 2 banker's boxes OR 2 paper grocery bags) per resident.
Enter to win a personal paper shredder and learn about crime prevention and recycling.
Call 650-903-6311 for more information.

Sunnyvale
March 27, August 28, and December 18, 2010 (8am-11am) 
at the SMaRT Station, 301 Carl Road, Sunnyvale
for confidential paper documents only (no heavy binders or paper clips).
Limit 5 banker's boxes OR 5 paper grocery bags) per household.
Proof of residency in Mountain View, Palo Alto or Sunnyvale required.
Volunteers will be available to direct traffic and provide assistance in off-loading boxes for you.
Call 650-903-6311 for more information.

Tip:  If you use a personal shredder at home, put shredded papers in paper bags, stapled shut, to prevent shreds from littering the neighborhood when you cart is collected.  Put the bag under the mixed paper lid (grey).  If you live in an apartment, put the bag in the Mixed Paper cart.

Household Hazardous Waste Drop Off Event
to dispose of paint, oil, cleaners, batteries, solvents and other household chemical products is held on Saturdays through the year at a variety of locations.  Call 408-299-7300 or visit www.mvrecycle.org and click on household hazardous waste for more information.

National River Clean Up is  held annually on the third Saturday in May. California Coastal Clean Up Day is held annually on the third Saturday in September.  These are regional programs and more information may be found at www.cleanacreek.org.  Mountain View's participation is coordinated by the City's Fire Department, Urban Runoff Program.

Medication Disposal Day
Thermometer Exchange
is held in conjunction with the City's Arbor Day usually on the second Saturday in March annually.  This event will be held on Saturday, March 13, 2010 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Pioneer Park near the Library. 

• To safely dispose of old and unwanted prescription pills, drugs, and other medications, place medicinees in zip lock (sealed) bags.
• To safely dispose of old mercury thermometers (unbroken), place them in zip lock (sealed) plastic bags and receive a new thermometer in exchange while supplies last. 
• Please do NOT mix medications with thermometers together in the same plastic bag. 
• Sorry, no other household hazardous wastes will be accepted.  Call 408-299-7300 for information on where to recycle other household hazardous wastes. 

If you missed the event, visit our Medicines Disposal web page for other drop-off locations available at no cost throughout the year.

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I missed the Free Shredding Day.  How can I get rid of my papers safely?  Are papers placed in the recycling cart shredded at the SMaRT Station?

If you do not have a personal shredding machine at home, there are a few options.

Check the telephone book yellow pages under "business records destruction" or "paper-shredded" for a company providing shredding services. Often they will have similar events at office supply stores. If not, these companies can provide shredding services to residents and businesses. 

Typically, these companies charge residents $5-$10 per file box if you bring them to their location; or a minimum of $90 to provide curbside service at your home plus a fee per box. If you choose the latter service, consider asking neighbors to join you and share the cost.

Papers placed in the recycling cart are not shredded at the SMaRT Station.  Papers are shipped to recycling processors where they are then shredded, pulped, dried, pressed and rolled into new feedstock to make recycled paper.