Don't trash that old skirt that no longer fits or throw away that old paint in your shed.
There are places in and around Lamorinda where you can ditch things you don't use anymore without filling up the landfills.
You can visit the Central Contra Costa County Solid Waste website and use its Recycling Wizard search feature to find out where to recycle. Central Contra Costa County Solid Waste serves the communities of Walnut Creek, Danville, Lafayette, Moraga and Orinda.
Paper and Plastic:
Drop-off Locations and Hours Contra Costa County Waste Reduction and Recycling Program's website also provides information where to recycle paper, plastic and much more in the county. Visit it here or call its hotline at 1-800-750-4096 for information.
Clothing:
Drop-off Location and Hours Goodwill Industries (Click here and type in your zip code to find the location and hours of the Goodwill store nearest you.) Other area charities that accept clothing include St. Vincent de Paul and Salvation Army.
There are Assistance League's Way Side Inn in Lafayette, Nifty Thrift in Lafayette and the ARF Thrift Shop in Concord, which benefit local non-profits. Leftovers Thrift Shop accepts donations in Walnut Creek as does the American Cancer Society Discovery Shop. Hospice of the East Bay has several thrift shops scattered throughout Contra Costa and Alameda Counties. Thrift Station in Danville also accepts donations.
The Contra Costa County Waste Reduction and Recycling Program created a long list of thrift stores in the region you can find here.
Consignment stores are also a good option to recycle gently used clothing. Cheryl's Closet is in Orinda. Consignment Couture is in Danville. Leah's Closet in Martinez and Threads and Labels Luxury Consignment in Walnut Creek are other possibilities. Christie's For Kids, Little Raspberries and Ruby's Garden are just a few of the many consignment stores in the East Bay that buy and sell children's clothing.
Electronics, Computers, Cellphones:
Drop-off Location and Hours
Staples Office Supply Stores, located throughout the Bay Area, also accept computers and electronic devices for recycling. You can find out about their recycling program here.
Paint: (Hazardous Waste)
Drop-off Location and Hours
Information about what is considered hazardous waste and how to dispose of paint and other toxic materials in Contra Costa County can be found here. There are hazardous waste drop-off sites in Martinez, Antioch and Richmond serving Contra Costa County residents. Keeping hazardous materials such as paint, pesticides, solvents and other chemicals out of the waste stream (where it can pollute water, air and soil) is essential.
Household Goods, Furniture:
Drop-off Location and Hours of Operation In addition to the obvious purveyors of used household items, such as Goodwill, Salvation Army and St. Vincent de Paul, where you can donate goods. You might also try recycling your housewares at consignment stores.
In the East Bay you can consign your gently used household goods and furniture at one of the many places like, Hilton House, Consignment Plus, Consignment Arsenal, Chameleon Consignment, Second Home, and Urban Island .
You might also try listing your items for sale on EBay or Craig's List. Post your items free of charge on Craig's List or the Freecycle network. The local Freecycle group in Lamorinda can be found on-line here.
