What environmental events does the City sponsor?

Arbor Day
California Coastal Clean Up Day
Citywide Garage Sale 
Community Yard Sale
Earth Day
Greenlight Film Festival
Home Composting / Bay-Friendly Gardening Workshops
Household Hazardous Waste Drop Off Event
Medication Disposal Day
National River Clean Up
Paper Shredding Events


Arbor Day is held on the second Saturday in March at Pioneer Park and offers many public awareness and educational opportunities, such as home composting and medication disposal.  Sorry, but there will be no document paper shredding at this event.  Instead, see below for Paper Shredding Events for the new location and dates.   

Citywide Garage Sale
The annual Citywide Garage Sale will be held on Saturday, May 5, 2012 at homes throughout Mountain View.  Some homes may be open on Sunday too.  Registration begins March 1 and ends April 13, 2012.  Event sponsored by the City's Solid Waste & Recycling Division of Public Works.  Visit www.mvrecycle.org or call 650-903-6227 for more information. 

Community Yard Sale
The Community Yard Sale will be held at Rengstorff Park on Saturday, May 12, 2012.  Contact Recreation at 650-903-6331 for more information on this event.  Registration begins March 1, 2012, but spaces fill up quickly so register early.

Earth Day is observed on April 22nd annually, but Earth Day is Every Day!  We encourage you to take advantage of a variety of volunteer activities advertised in newspapers, radio, televisions and the internet in the Spring.  These activities are designed to conserve resources, protect the environment, and bring awareness to environmental issues.  For more information on activities in our area, visit www.earthday.org.  Mountain View is participating in the Greenlight Film Festival for Youth Filmakers from middle schools and high schools in our community (below).  

Greenlight Film Festival
This annual festival in April is a celebration of Earth Day featuring film projects that explore environmental citizenship and show how individual actions can reduce environmental impacts. Greenlight celebrates YOUTH filmmakers by encouraging entries from Middle Schoolers and High Schoolers in the Mountain View and Palo Alto areas! It is a great way for youth to find out more about how they can become more environmentally conscious, share strategies for reducing their impact with other youth, and practice their video-making skills. Work on it with a friend, classmate or family member!  Videos must be submitted in March for the chance to win cash prizes.  Finalists will have their videos shown at a public awards ceremony in April and all submissions may be shown on local cable channels. For more information about this community event, visit the link below or contact Brad Sanzenbacher, Palo Alto Media Center Youth Services Coordinator at brad@midpenmedia.org or 650-494-8686 x39. 
http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/environment/greenlight.asp

Home Composting / Bay-Friendly Gardening Workshops
The Home Composting program is now Bay-Friendly Gardening!  Residents may register for a variety of workshops to learn about home composting, natural pest management, environmentally-friendly gardening practices and landscape design to help reduce waste and protect the watersheds of San Francisco Bay from urban run-off pollution. The Bay-Friendly Gardening program was developed to encourage residents to make environmentally friendly gardening choices. It is not a particular style, but an approach that works with nature to reduce waste and protect the watersheds of San Francisco Bay. You can create a sustainable, healthy and beautiful garden using Bay-Friendly practices. Find out how to build healthy soil, minimize fertilizer use, and select appropriate plants at any of these hands-on workshops. Experienced and beginning gardeners alike can learn more about Bay-Friendly Gardening techniques during any of these hands-on workshops. For more information and a schedule, visit www.reducewaste.org or call 408-918-4640.  See more information on the City's Composting webpage here.  

Household Hazardous Waste Drop Off Event
to dispose of paint, oil, cleaners, batteries, solvents and other household chemical products is held on Saturdays throughout the year at a variety of locations.  Call 408-299-7300 or visit www.mvrecycle.org and click on household hazardous waste for more information.

National River Clean Up is  held annually on the third Saturday in May. California Coastal Clean Up Day is held annually on the third Saturday in September.  These are regional programs and more information may be found at www.cleanacreek.org.  Mountain View's participation is coordinated by the City's Fire Department, Urban Runoff Program.

Medication Disposal Day
There are two events annually. 

(1) The first event is held in conjunction with the City's Arbor Day usually on the second Saturday in March annually.  This event will be held on Saturday, March 10, 2012 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Pioneer Park near the Library.  Bring old and unwanted prescription pills, drugs and other medications for safe and proper disposal (no controlled substances). Please consolidate pills into one container or zip-loc bag and leave ointments and liquids in original container. Questions?  Call (650) 903-6378. Sorry, no other household hazardous wastes will be accepted.  Call 408-299-7300 for information on where to recycle other household hazardous wastes. 

(2) The second event is held in October at the Police/Fire Administration building at 1000 Villa Street and may have different requirements.  Contact the Fire Department at 650-903-6224 or visit online at www.mountainview.gov/fire and see the scrolling announcements at the end of their web page.

If you missed either event, visit our Medicines & Sharps Disposal web page for other drop-off locations available at no cost throughout the year.

PaperShredding Events are held throughout the year at our SMaRT Station in Sunnyvale (replaces the Mountain View event).  These free events help residents protect their identity and recycle confidential or sensitive documents, tax returns, bank statements, or health records.

• SMaRT Station, 301 Carl Road (@ Caribbean Dr & Borregas Av), Sunnyvale (408.752.8530)
• April 28, 2012, August 25, 2012 and November 3, 2012 (8am-Noon)    
• Bring confidential paper documents only (no heavy binders, binder clips, mixed media such as vhs tapes, cds, or computer disks/drives).
• Limit of 5 banker's boxes OR 5 paper grocery bags per household.
• Proof of residency required (utility bills, drivers license). 
• Volunteers will be available to provide assistance in off-loading boxes for you.

Call 650-903-6311 for more information.

Home Shredding Tip:  If you use a personal shredder at home, put shredded papers in paper bags, stapled shut, to prevent shreds from littering the neighborhood when you cart is collected.  Put the bag under the mixed paper lid (grey).  If you live in an apartment, put the bag in the Mixed Paper cart.

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I missed the free Paper Shredding Events.  How can I get rid of my papers safely?  Are papers placed in the recycling cart shredded at the SMaRT Station?

If you do not have a personal shredding machine at home, there are a few options.

Check the telephone book yellow pages under "business records destruction" or "paper-shredded" for a company providing shredding services. Often they will have similar events at office supply stores. If not, these companies can provide shredding services to residents and businesses. 

Typically, these companies charge residents $5-$10 per file box if you bring them to their location; or a minimum of $90 to provide curbside service at your home plus a fee per box. If you choose the latter service, consider asking neighbors to join you and share the cost.

Papers placed in the recycling cart are not shredded at the SMaRT Station.  Papers are shipped to recycling processors where they are then shredded, pulped, dried, pressed and rolled into new feedstock to make recycled paper.