Needles is dedicated to reducing waste and promoting a cleaner community. With local programs for recycling, trash reduction and proper waste disposal, residents can easily get involved. By following simple guidelines, we can help keep our city clean and work towards a more sustainable future.
Click on the images above for more information about the service provider or resource. Thank you for helping create a greener Needles!
Related Documents
Senate Bill 1383: Reducing Organic Waste in Landfills
California’s Senate Bill 1383 (SB 1383) aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions by reducing organic waste in landfills. This law requires cities like Needles to divert organic waste such as food scraps and yard trimmings, with a goal of reducing disposal by 75% by 2025. Additionally, SB 1383 aims to recover 20% of excess edible food for donation to help reduce food insecurity. It mandates residents and businesses to properly sort waste into the green, blue and black waste bins—green for organic waste, blue for recyclables and black for trash. This ensures compliance and reduces environmental impact.
Household Hazardous Waste
It is illegal to dispose of used oil or hazardous household products like pesticides, paints, needles or gasoline in your regular trash. Dumping them on the ground or into a storm drain is harmful to the environment. To properly dispose of hazardous waste, call 1-800-CLEAN-UP or visit www.calrecycle.ca.gov for nearby recycling centers. Household Hazardous Waste Collection events are held twice a year and are free for residents.
For more information on household hazardous waste, click here.
11 Ways to Cut Your Trash in Half
In 1989, California launched an ambitious campaign to cut its trash in half by the year 2000. Each city and county developed plans and initiated recycling programs to reach goals, and Californians like you have come through in a big way. Today, statewide, we reuse and recycle an estimated 32 percent of our solid waste. In fact, California recycles 17 million tons a year – more than twice as much as the next two states combined!
To get to 50 percent, calrecycle.ca.gov and your local authority are asking you to take some, or all of these easy steps to help cut your trash in half.
Your City or County has developed great programs to make it easy for you to recycle. To find out more about your local programs, call the City of Needles at (760) 326-2115 x140.
The increasing popularity of 20-oz. plastic bottles is contributing to a noticeable drop in the plastic beverage container recycling rate. These containers are recyclable, so whether you are on the road for business, vacation, or a weekend outing, find a recycling bin to deposit your empty beverage container into. Learn more about beverage container recycling at www.calrecycle.ca.gov.
A great way to cut your trash and save time is to grass cycle – mow without a bag and leave your grass clippings on the lawn to provide mulch and nutrients, save water and save time. Your existing mower probably came with a kit to make it a mulching mower. These machines cut and recut grass into tiny particles, which drop onto the soil. But remember – don’t mow wet grass.
If mowing without a bag isn’t your style, try composting. Yard waste and some food scraps decompose into outstanding free topsoil and composting can reduce your trash by up to 25 percent – perhaps more!
In arid climates like California, xeriscaping with plants that don’t need much water may reduce your costs. Drought-tolerant plants tend to be slower growing and require less maintenance. Mowing, watering and fertilizing chores take less time and money, and yard waste is minimized. Plus, in the event of a drought, you won’t have to worry!
There are many ways to reduce household waste. Find a home for unneeded items—donate them to charity or have a yard sale. Buy in bulk and, like your mom said, eat your leftovers. Use cloth bags instead of paper or plastic bags and reusable containers for storage. Avoid overpacked products with unnecessary packaging.
Use email and send electronic greetings to save both money and paper. If you don’t need a paper copy, don’t make one. Get off junk mail lists and use cloth napkins and towels instead of paper products to reduce waste and save natural resources.
Recycled materials are processed and used to make new products, but they can be easily contaminated. Be careful to sort your materials properly to avoid sending recyclable items to the landfill. Flatten cardboard boxes, avoid putting plastic bags inside other bags and make sure recyclables are clean and free from food residue.
It is illegal to put used oil and hazardous household products such as pesticides, paints, or gasoline into your family trash. Dumping them on the ground or into a storm drain is illegal and harms the environment.
Yet, you should not store used oil or unneeded hazardous products around your house or garage. What can you do? Call 1-800-CLEAN-UP to find out where you can recycle or properly dispose of these unneeded items. Or visit www.calrecycle.ca.gov to find your nearest used oil-recycling center.
It is illegal to put used oil and hazardous household products such as pesticides, paints, or gasoline into your family trash. Dumping them on the ground or into a storm drain is illegal and harms the environment.
Yet, you should not store used oil or unneeded hazardous products around your house or garage. What can you do? Call 1-800-CLEAN-UP to find out where you can recycle or properly dispose of these unneeded items. Or visit www.calrecycle.ca.gov to find your nearest used oil-recycling center.
Earth’s resources are too precious to waste. For recycling to succeed, check the labels and buy products made with recycled content. From clothes to carpeting, cans to comic books, many products are made from recycled materials. By purchasing these items, you’re helping to close the recycling loop.
