Livermore Sanitation / Services / Commercial

Commercial Collection Tips & FAQs

Commercial FAQs

We have compiled a list of frequently asked questions and their answers below. Simply click on a question to view its answer.

If you can't find the information you're looking for, please contact us.

Click here for information related to our services.

If I’m already recycling and composting all I can, what can I do to keep my bill down?

Look into ways to reduce your waste. Invest in as many reusable products as make sense. For ideas, visit www.UseReusables.com, www.StopWaste.Org, and our Publications & Resources page. You can also contact us to arrange for a free waste assessment. We’ll schedule a visit to your business and take a look at the waste generated. Our representative will try to find ways for you to reduce, reuse, recycle and compost everything possible.

We’d like to start a new waste prevention and/or recycling program but lack the funds for necessary equipment and training. What should we do?

Look into the assistance programs offered by StopWaste.Org.

Contact us to request a Livermore Sanitation representative to visit your business to make service level suggestions, provide training to staff/tenants offer posters and literature to help.

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How do I start/stop my service? PENDING

pending

Not all of our garbage, recyclables or organics were collected on our last service day. How can I schedule another pickup?

If you need an extra pickup, would like to increase your service level, or need to report a missed pickup, please contact us immediately. If you were missed, we’ll send a driver back around within one business day. To facilitate service, make sure your collection container(s) are not overloaded or blocked.

What belongs in each of the collection carts/bins?

Proper sorting makes a difference! Garbage goes in the gray, recyclables in the blue and organics (food/yard waste) in the green. Click here to review our Commercial Recycling Guide.

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Click here for a searchable alphabetized list of what belongs in each container.‍

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Distinction and Meaning of Each Color of the Waste Containers.
Click to see PDF:

Blue container, Green Container, Grey Container.

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If a product has the three arrows symbol on it, doesn’t that mean recyclable?

The three arrows symbol is not an automatic indication that an item can be recycled. The recycling symbol is unregulated, meaning that no authority controls who places the symbol on what product, be it recyclable or not.

For example, the plastics industry uses the chasing arrows symbol as an “in house” coding system to identify resin types, not recyclability.

It is important to follow the guidelines issued by the City of Livermore and Livermore Sanitation, not the labeling on the product. For service guides, posters, and a list of what goes where, click here.

The goal of zero waste is for everything that is manufactured to be recyclable. To accomplish this, a reliable end-buyer and use for the material is required. Product recyclability is dependent upon a demand and market for the material – for example, manufacturers buying products/materials back for the remanufacture of goods. The demand and available markets are what determine what can and cannot be accepted in recycling collection programs.

When an industry or manufacturer designs, produces, and sells a product without the recyclable material market in mind, it must use virgin materials to manufacture its products. Natural resources are used up and unrecyclable material (waste) is produced.

What can you do to help? Be mindful of your purchasing habits! Buy products that are made from or use recyclable materials. Do your best to reuse, repair, repurpose, and rethink what you have before you buy something new! For more tips and ideas, click here.

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How do I dispose of electronic waste, paint, fluorescent bulbs, and other hazardous items?

Hazardous items like these are not permitted in any of our collection containers. Businesses are required to arrange for proper collection and disposal of hazardous items. Visit our Hazardous & E-Waste Programs page for more information.

How do I arrange for disposal of large items?

Please contact us to order a debris box or request a special collection.

My business has a one-time surplus of food. I’d hate for it to go to waste– any suggestions?

Consider donating to the Alameda County Food Bank

We’ve been going out of our way to do the right thing and would like people to know it. Is there a way for us to gain recognition as a “green” business?

Yes! Take a look at the California Green Business Network and CalRecycle’s Green Business pages.

I’m sick of junk mail! Is there a way to make it stop?

Visit www.stopjunkmail.org. To cut back on unsolicited catalogues, also visit www.catalogchoice.org.

I have a billing question. Is there someone who can help me?

Absolutely. Please contact us with your billing questions.

Still need help?

Still unsure about sizing, pricing, or other details? Reach out to one of our experts today for personalized advice on the best options for your needs.

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Livermore Sanitation

Related Information

Commercial Organics Monitoring Program

Become a Certified Green Business

Alameda County’s Mandatory Recycling Ordinance

Service Guide