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Sustainable Waste Disposal Guide

Wait! Don't just throw your unwanted items in the trash. There are so many alternatives to the landfill . Here is a complete guide to disposing of items sustainably in Isla Vista.

I am looking to get rid of…..

 

Unwanted Items in Good Condition

A T-shirt on a hanger, a modern art frame, a sparkling toaster, and an open book on top of another book.

Clothes, books, small appliances, and more! All of these items should not be thrown away if they are in good condition. Check out the following alternatives to the landfill:

  • IVCSD’s Donation Pickup Service: Do you have unwanted items that you'd like to donate, but you don;t have the time or transportation abilities to drop them off at your local thrift store? Utilize IVCSD's free Donatio Pickup Service! We will pick up unwanted items from your doorstep and donate them to local organizations and thrift stores. Click HERE to learn more and register.
  • Local Thirft Stores: Donate items in good condition to local thrift stores. Click HERE for a list of local thrift stores near Isla Vista.
  • Online Platforms: UCSB Free and For Sale, Facebook Marketplace, and Craigslist are great resources to give items a second life! This is a great option if you need someone to pick up your item for you, or if you'd like to make some extra cash.  If you need to get rid of your item asap, list it for free! Click HERE to learn more.
  •  GIVE Benefit Sale: During Isla Vista's move-out season in June, UCSB Hosts its annual GIVE Benefit Sale, where residents can donate their unwanted items, which are then sold back to the community at affordable prices. All proceeds are donated to local charities. Click HERE for more information.

 

Bulky Items

Illustration of a sofa with cushions, a lamp, and a dresser on a pink background.

Couches, mattresses, refrigerators, and other large items often end up on the curb, blocking walkways and creating accessibility hazards for individuals using wheelchairs or other mobility aids. Use these resources to properly dispose of bulky items, or better yet, give them a second life!

  • Local Thirft Stores: if your large item is in good condition, you may be able to donate it to a local thrift store. Make sure to call ahead and check if the specific store you are planning to donate to is currently accepting large items. 
  • Online Platforms: UCSB Free and For Sale, Facebook Marketplace, and Craigslist are great resources to give items a second life! This is a great option if you need someone to pick up your large item for you, or if you'd like to make some extra cash.  If you need to get rid of your item asap, list it for free! Click HERE to learn more.
  •  GIVE Benefit Sale: During Isla Vista's move-out season in June, UCSB Hosts its annual GIVE Benefit Sale, where residents can donate their unwanted items, which are then sold back to the community at affordable prices. All proceeds are donated to local charities. This reource is especially useful for bulky items since most local thrift stores are not accepting large items in June. Click HERE for more information.
  • LAST RESORT: Send to the Lanfill: Large items should only be sent to the landfill if they are in unusable and unrestorable condition. If you must send large items to the landfill, Utilize Marborg’s FREE bulky item pick up every Wednesday. Click HERE for details.

 

Hazardous Waste & Electronic Waste

Illustration of a cracked computer monitor, spray bottle, batteries, and an open paint can.
  • It is against California Law to dispose of hazardous waste and electronics in your curbside trash or recycling bins. Failing to dispose of this waste properly will result in air, water, and soil contamination. Hazardous waste includes but is not limited to: paint, batteries, cleaning products, printer cartridges, and more. Electronic waste includes broken and unwanted items that charge up, plug in, or take a battery. Please remove batteries from electronic devices and dispose of them as hazardous waste when possible. Below you will find a multitude of options to safely dispose of hazardous waste.
  • Community Hazardous Waste Collection Center: Drop off hazardous waste on-campus. Click here for detailed driving directions, hours of operation, acceptable items, and more. Electronic waste is not accepted at this location
  • South Coast Recycling and Transfer Station (SCRTS): This location takes all kinds of electronic waste and both small and large appliances. SCRTS accepts automotive batteries and fluorescent tubes, but absolutely no other hazardous wastes. Click here for detailed driving directions, hours of operation, acceptable items, and more. This location also takes many other types of household waste, like trash, commingled recyclables, green waste, mattresses, and other bulky items.
  • Marborg Industries Recycling Center: Drop off hazardous waste in Goleta. Click here for the address, hours of operation, acceptable items, and more.
  • Batteries: Batteries may be placed in a ziplock bag on top of your recycling bin in order to be disposed of ONLY IF you live in a location where you are confident that the batteries will remain on top of your recycling bin undisturbed until the trash servicers arrive.
  • Large electronics, like TVs, can also be accepted through MarBorg’s bulky item collection listed above. These items are separated from the rest of the bulky items being sent to landfill and are recycled with other electronic waste.

 

Pharmaceuticals and Sharps

Illustration of prescription form and pill bottles with various pills and capsules.

Prescription medication and home-generated sharps that are not properly disposed of will contaminate air, water, and soil.  "Sharps" include needles, syringes with needles, and disposable lancets. Sharps can also injure people and animals if littered or not disposed of correctly.

 

Worn/Unusable Textiles

Illustration of a shoe, a stained shirt, musical notes, and a rolled fabric or mat.

This option is for textiles that cannot be donated, such as towels, scrap fabric, very old clothing, shoes, etc.. If you have textiles in good condition, please donate them.

  • Marborg Industries Recycling Center is currently developing a textile program. Details TBA

 

 

 

 

Unwanted Food Items & Organics

Illustration of food: a banana, an apple core, a carrot, canned goods, and leaves which might represent fresh produce.
  • Unopened Non-perishables: The UCSB AS Food Bank accepts unopened non-perishable food donations. Head to their webpage to find a donation drop-off site on campus: https://foodbank.as.ucsb.edu/donations-3/
  • Food Scraps: Egg shells, fruit peels, coffee grounds, & more! Compost all of your food scraps with IVCSD's Compost Collective! Learn how HERE
  • Green Waste:  Green waste is any organic waste like leaves or brush, can be disposed of in GREEN bins. Click HERE for special information on disposing of eucalyptus and oleander. 

 

 

 

Information Regarding Regular Trash Pick-up & Recycling:

A green garbage truck filled with trash, illustrated on a plain background.
  • Best practices: To avoid trash being scattered by animals or the wind, it is best to dispose of it in your curbside bins on the day they are serviced, whenever possible.
  • Collection Days: To learn which days your bins are serviced by Marborg, please email Jenna Norton.  In Isla Vista, your service day depends on the level of trash service your specific address is subscribed to, rather than being organized by block or street.

 

 

 

 

Maintaining Your Bins

A trash can and a recycling bin illustrated on a pink background.

Correctly maintaining your outdoor trash and recycling bins is essential for keeping litter off of our streets and out of our water ways. It is also essential when it comes to protecting our wildlife.

  • Lids: Close your trash bin lids all the way to prevent litter by keeping trash securely contained.
  • Boxes: Break down cardboard boxes in order to make room for other recyclables and prevent trash bin overflow.
  • Litter/overflow: It is your responsibility to clean up loose trash around your outdoor bins. This is not something that Marborg will do. Litter around your outdoor bins may entangle wildlife and will end up in our water ways. 
  • Secure bags: Place ALL trash in bags and tie the bags tightly. This will prevent trash from becoming litter as well.

 

 

What is and is Not Recyclable? 

Recycling bins with symbols and waste items: a green bottle, plastic, paper, banana peel above them, suggesting sorting of recyclables.

Click HERE for information on what can and cannot be recycled. For more information click HERE.

Marborg is the company who diligently services all trash bins, recycling bins, and dumpsters in Isla Vista. If you have any questions or concerns about your service, please give them a call at 805-963-1852. If they are unable to answer your question or address your concerns, please email Jenna Norton.

To visit Marborg’s website, click HERE.

 

 

 

Best Practices for All Items

Remember: the best waste reduction practice is to avoid creating waste in the first place! Watch this quick video to learn the best practices for reducing waste

 

Useful Websites:

If you're interested in joining or starting an eco-conscious club or group, connect with other folks who share the same interests through these local sites:

For more information on Isla Vista waste management programs, please call (805) 882-3600.