Residents Get Started on Some Early Spring Cleaning

Dozens of trucks lined up early Saturday at Wildwood Park in San Bernardino for the monthly Residential City Clean-up Day, which are held the last Saturday of each month. These events give residents the opportunity to get rid of household refuse such as yard waste, old mattresses, televisions, furniture, and other waste at localized dumps, free of charge. After the event, the waste collected is taken to material recovery facilities (MRFs) where it is sorted for proper disposal or recycling. Harmful chemicals and construction materials are not accepted. Tim O'Neal, the city's Environmental Project Specialist touched on the importance of these events in San Bernardino. "The city has too much trash dumped in the streets and alley ways. This type of event discourages people from doing that. It gives people access to alternatives." Each month, the clean-up day is held in a different ward to increase accessibility for all residents. Brian Smith, a San Bernardino resident, came down to get rid of some broken furniture. He shared how grateful he is for the Residential Clean-up Days. "Without these Clean-up days, the nearest dump is on the other side of Grand Terrace. This is much more convenient." The clean-up days are organized by O'Neal, who works within the Integrated Waste Division of the Public Works Department, applying for state grants that allow events like these to take place. He is currently looking into a specific state grant that would move San Bernardino in the direction of a "zero waste" program.