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1. Who do I call for garbage service?

Total Waste Systems serves Mariposa County and can be reached at (209) 966-3190.

2. What can I recycle and where?

The following items are accepted at the Mariposa County Landfill and Recycling Center, located at 5593 Hwy. 49 N and at the County Transfer Stations. Materials must be separated for recycling at the Mariposa County Landfill and Recycling Center but may be mixed if taken to any Transfer Station in the County.

• CRV bottles and cans for redemption (look for CA CASH REFUND on the label)
• Non-CRV glass bottles and jars (separate colored from clear)
• Non-CRV aluminum
• Tin cans and small metal items
• Mixed paper, including white and colored office paper, newspaper, phone books, magazines, and shredded paper in paper bags
• Cardboard and chipboard (cereal boxes, etc.)
• Household batteries (separate rechargeable from non-rechargeable)
• Plastics #1-7

3. Where can I bring my California Redemption Values (CRVs) containers?

You can bring your CRVs to the Mariposa County Landfill and Recycling Facility at 5593 HWY 49 N. or to the recycling center next to Pioneer Market, 5034 Coakley Circle, Mariposa.

4. Where can I recycle my used oil and oil filters?

-Mariposa County Landfill & Recycle Center
5593 Highway 49 N
-NAPA Auto Parts
4901 Joe Howard, Mariposa
-Mariposa - Yosemite Airport
5020 Macready Way
•Greeley Hill True Value
6364 Greeley Hill Rd.

5. What can I do with my # 3-7 plastics?

# 3-7 plastics are accepted at the Mariposa County Recycling Center.

It is important to separate these plastics from your garbage and place them in the appropriate bin. Removing them from your trash serves two purposes:
1) It keeps them out of the Composting Facility, which allows the decomposition process to work more efficiently.
2) By removing these plastics from your trash, you will pay less in disposal fees.

Please note that tarps and styrofoam are not accepted for recycling.

6. Why do I have to separate all of my recyclables?

At the present time, we do not have a vendor who will accept co-mingled recyclables. Mariposa is a comparatively small, isolated county and services available to larger, more urban areas are not always readily available here. Even a small amount of the wrong type of material in a bin can contaminate an entire load and require us to dump it in the Landfill.

7. How can I reduce my landfill fees?

Reducing the amount of trash you produce and recycling as much as you can results in lower landfill fees. Some things you can do are: buy only what you need; buy in bulk whenever possible; look for items packaged in recyclable materials; compost your kitchen waste at home; buy reusable products, such as cloth napkins, rather than single use; take unwanted products in good condition to thrift stores or have a yard sale; and shop at yard sales, farmers markets and thrift stores.

8. Why do the number 3 through 7 plastic containers have to be clean, and why can’t I recycle all plastic with the numbers 3 through 7 on it?

Our vendor will accept only food grade rigid plastic, that is, plastic used to make food containers such as yogurt and margarine tubs, beverage bottles and so on. They must be clean because they are often bundled and stored for long periods of time in warehouses. Food waste attracts mice, rats and other vectors. We have been unable to find a vendor who will accept film plastic such as plastic bags. (Plastic bags can be placed in recycling bins located at Pioneer Market and Rite-Aid.)

9. Why are the recycling numbers printed so small on the plastic containers?

The manufacturers are responsible for printing the numbers on the container, which are often difficult to read. Writing or calling the manufacturer may help. Conscientious manufacturers often listen to customer complaints.

10. What can I do to help reduce the amount of plastic entering the compost facility?

Plastic in the compost facility is a concern because (1) it does not decompose and, even after going through the composting process, ends up in the landfill; (2) requires time to handle that could be spent on other tasks; and, (3) can damage the equipment. You can help to reduce plastic waste by: using reusable shopping bags; carrying water in reusable containers rather than plastic water bottles; using a water filter on your faucet rather than buying bottled water; putting your trash directly into your trash cans or dumpster, rather than into plastic bags; using reusable picnic and party/picnic plates, cups & flatware rather than Styrofoam; buying products made from recycled plastic or gently used products at thrift stores; urging manufacturers to reduce their use of plastic and Styrofoam packaging materials. Search “reduce plastic” on-line for many other ideas.

11. Why do I have to pay to recycle items such as refrigerators and TVs 36 inches or larger on the diagonal?

We charge a pass-through fee for some items to recoup the cost to us for processing them. Refrigerators contain the chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) Freon and require special handling. (CFCs negatively impact the ozone layer and are regulated by Federal and State law.) We must also pay for hauling e-waste such as large TVs and office-size printers and copiers. In California, retailers are required to take back televisions they sell. If you are in the market for a new TV, consider taking your old one to the retailer for recycling. If you are discarding a refrigerator that is still running and between 10 cu. ft. and 30 cu. ft., you can call JACO Environmental at 1-800-299-7573 to schedule free pick up.
At this time, we do not charge residents a pass-through fee for all materials that have associated costs. For example, energy efficient compact fluorescent bulbs are considered Universal Waste (U-waste) because they contain a small amount of mercury and, therefore, cost us $1 per bulb to dispose of.

12. Where can I recycle printer and copier cartridges?

The Kiwanis Club collects printer cartridges (except Epson) in a bin in the lobby of the Mariposa Library. One Stop Office Products, located on Joe Howard Rd. in Mariposa, will take most printer and copier cartridges. Other office supply stores, such as Staples, also accept many cartridges and some offer rebates.

13. Do you recycle junk cars?

We do not recycle junk cars, but you can donate unwanted vehicles, running or not, to Habitat for Humanity of Mariposa County. They will pick up the vehicle at no cost. The donation benefits the local organization and is tax deductible. Call (209) 966-7444 or email mariposahabitat@sti.net for information.

14. Why do I have to take my trash to the Landfill instead of the Compost Facility at times?

If you are asked to take your load to the Landfill, you may have items that the Compost Facility cannot handle, such as furniture, toys, tarps and so on; or, the Facility may be temporarily closed due to equipment failure or maintenance and cleaning. There is also a limit to the amount of trash that can be processed with the staff on hand.