Santee's Commercial Recycling Champions

The city and Waste Management Inc. honored GTM Discount General Stores and Meadowbrook Mobile Home Estates with the inaugural Commercial Recycling Champions Award at the April 22 City Council meeting.

The award acknowledges one commercial customer and one multi-family community for exemplary efforts in implementing recycling services at each of their properties.

GTM Discount General Stores was honored for recycling more than 50 percent of its monthly 40 cubic yards of waste and for not allowing non-recyclable materials to get into its recycling dumpsters.

Meadowbrook Mobile Home Estates, which has 338 units, recycles more than 1,700 pounds of recyclable materials annually. They also encourage residents to recycle by publicizing their goal to increase recycling and by educating residents with clear instructions on which materials are recyclable.

 

Get Rid of E-waste for Free

Get rid of unwanted, broken or obsolete computers, televisions, printers, etc. at a free electronic waste collection event from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 10 in the parking lot of the Santee Aquatic Center and Cameron Family YMCA.

The event, which will be hosted by E-World Recyclers and Waste Management Inc., will take place in conjunction with SanTree Fest and the San Diego River Run at Town Center Community Park.

The YMCA is located at 10123 Riverwalk Drive, Santee, 92071.

Photo identification, such as a driver’s license, is required.

Products suitable for disposal at the event include telephones, radios, stereos, FAX machines, VCRs,microwaves, printers , computer keyboards, speakers, portable DVD players and computer monitors.

Items not eligible for disposal at the event include refrigerators, freezers, washers, dryers, light bulbs, batteries or household hazardous waste such as paints, oils, solvents, fertilizers or chemicals.

Santee Launches Recycling Rewards Program

Senior Management Analyst Ed Ruiz

Starting today, Santee residents can earn discounts at nearly 3,000 businesses or  redeem points for merchandise by participating in a new curbside recycling  rewards program.

The first step is for residents of single-family homes to sign up online at Recyclebank.com/wm
Apartment residents are not eligible because they do not use curbside trash service.

Residents can earn reward points for placing paper, cardboard, cans, aluminum and other recyclable materials in the blue cart provided to most households by Waste Management.

Reward points will be awarded based on the aggregate weight of recyclable materials collected from each neighborhood.

“The point of this program is to encourage more residents to recycle by providing them with money saving incentives,” said Santee Senior Management Analyst Ed Ruiz, who oversees the city’s recycling program.

“Regardless of any rewards, recycling is simply a good thing for our community and for our planet,” Ruiz said.  "Santee is proud to be the first city in San Diego County to launch this program."

Reward points can be used for groceries, merchandise and discounts from hundreds of national retailers as well as local businesses.

More information about the program is available online at www.recyclebank.com/wm
or by phone at 1-888-727-2978.

Recycle your Christmas Tree

Help divert green waste from the landfill by recycling your Christmas tree.

Waste Management Inc. will pick up natural trees placed in your curbside green waste cart the first two regular trash collection days that fall between Dec. 26  and Jan. 7.

Residents with curbside collection can recycle their Christmas trees by:

A.   Removing ornaments, tinsel and tree stands; and

B.   Cutting them into 4-foot sections and placing them into their green waste carts on their regular pick-up day.

Flocked trees cannot be recycled, but will be collected if they are cut into 4-foot sections and placed into the regular trash cart.

Residents of apartment complexes or others without curbside trash service can drop off their trees from Dec. 26th through Jan. 7th, 2013, at the Waste Management Recycle Center in El Cajon.

The recycle center is at 925 O’Connor Street, one block south of the West Bradley Avenue and Johnson Avenue intersection.  It will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 7 a.m. to noon on Saturday.

For more information contact Ed Ruiz at the city of Santee Community Services Department, (619) 258-4100 ext. 128

Got HHW?

“Household hazardous waste” sounds like something that oozes from a stinky factory or landfill, but guess what?

In reality, such waste  is often common items available at your local supermarket or hardware store, products such as paints, cleaners, oils, batteries, and pesticides.

Such products, many of which are toxic, corrosive or flammable, can do serious harm to the environment if they are dumped down the drain, spilled onto the ground or tossed into the trash can.

Be vigilant. Protect your family and our natural environment. Store household hazardous waste in closed containers and recycle them at a household hazardous waste facility.

Santee residents can dispose of their household hazardous materials at no cost by calling the Waste Management Inc. customer service center at (619) 596-5100 to set up an appointment.