I want to...

...throw away trash

• Bag it! Do not throw loose trash--especially food items--down the trash chute. Debris sticks to the walls of the chutes and causes an odor. Decaying food matter creates a potential biohazard and will attract flies. Any food containers being recycled should be free of food residue. Food left on recycled items creates a biohazard and defeat the purpose of recycling.

• Size it! Make sure anything dropped down the chute is small enough to fit, and if it doesn't bring it down to the trash room (if it's oversized, please see "Bulk Items")

• Trash room it! Yes, you can walk or elevator down to our trash room. This is the best place to break down and dispose of large boxes.

• Report it! If the chute is clogged, notify  the Property Management company. Do not keep stuffing things down a clogged chute.

• Cleaning crews do not pick up items left in trash rooms. Take anything too big to drop down the chute directly to the trash room.

...get rid of bulky items

• DO NOT leave oversized items (like mattresses) in the recycling bins or trash rooms in the garage. The San Jose-contracted recycling and garbage collecting companies will NOT pick up big items. You will be charged for dumping items based on the bill Green Team provides us with.

• INSTEAD use one of these great options:

  • San Jose 311 has large item pickup services

  • Dump Runners will haul away large items, such as mattresses. 

  • College Hunks Hauling Junk: Reliable, professional Service. Will provide estimate up front. If you combine runs with neighbors, they will discount the total.

  • Best Buy recycling ($199) 

...get rid of eWaste

• Green Mouse Recycling 529 Race St & Parkmoor take all e-waste FREE! Convenient drive-up. 408.464.9999 They are open Mon-Fri, 8-5, and Saturday, 8-3

...get rid of my old CFLs

• Please do not throw any CFLs or fluorescent tubes down the chute, those lightbulbs contain mercury and are a safety hazard. Please drop them off at the ACE Hardware on The Alameda.

• https://www.sanjoseca.gov/Home/ShowDocument?id=16 

...donate stuff

• • Salvation Army, on Stockton and Taylor

  • Goodwill is on West San Carlos

  • The Thrift Box in Willow Glenn is a 100% volunteer organization that is volunteer run and benefits the Stanford Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital supporting children whose insurance does not cover the cost of care. Volunteers are very organized, and that low-income customers are treated like VIPs in Nordstrom style. Donate: clothes, small household items, fiction books, etc. but nothing very large. See http://www.thriftbox.org/Donations.html

• Donating Books we have a Little Free Library at the top of the staircase of the front entrance.

• Good Karma Bikes at 345 Sunol (very close) will take used bikes or parts of bikes. It is a volunteer organization that repairs bikes for low income kids and adults.  http://www.goodkarmabikes.org

• Habitat for Humanity RESTORE is a great place to donate or purchase building materials, hardware, lighting fixtures,  appliances, etc.  Check here first before heading to Home Depot or Lowes: lot of new stuff, way cheap prices, and your dollars and donations support Habitat for Humanity. Store is staffed by volunteers and items are clean and labeled.

...give stuff to the P51 community

• Some residents have left items to share with other residents in the "cage" by the Building A elevator. Many of these donations are useful for household projects (such as moving dollies, tall ladders).

• Don't drop off your junk that nobody else will use, or use it for personal storage.

• If you use anything from the cage, please return it there immediately after use. 

...give stuff to anyone who wants it in the P51 community

• If you are willing to leave something similar to share, please be aware that you are doing so at your own risk (it may "walk away"). 

• To minimize this risk, use a Sharpie pen and label it with your unit number and "please return."

• If you want to make it available to other residents to take, make a sign saying “free to good home” and leave the item in front of your unit AND send a message about the free item to the Google Group. If the item is not “claimed” within a reasonable period (one week or so), donate it to a local charity. Do not leave items for long durations in front of your door, or you will be issued a violation and potentially fined.