With UCSB’s graduation and summer break quickly approaching, Santa Barbara County officials are gearing up to make the annual Isla Vista move-out process as smooth as possible. For the Santa Barbara County Public Works Department, the focus is trash.

Many renters will be cleaning out their apartments to make room for the next round of students. The clean-up efforts result in tons of materials being left behind, some reusable and others destined for the recycling bin or trash.

To accommodate the increased amount of material, the county and local trash hauler MarBorg Industries will provide daily collection service to those in Isla Vista starting Wednesday and continuing through June 26. Students are reminded that trash and recyclables must be kept in their respective cans and bins. Also, refuse containers that are blocked or otherwise inaccessible will not be serviced.

For more than a month, county employees have been coordinating with property managers in Isla Vista to spread the word about the move-out program. Educational packets were sent to each property management firm, containing information about local recycling and hazardous waste collection programs. The county also arranged for the distribution of door hangers to inform students about the county’s free electronic waste recycling program, the enforcement against couch burning and the prohibition on indoor furniture being kept outside.

Last year, Isla Vista residents disposed of more than 1 million pounds of trash during move-out.

During move-out, reusable items such as clothing and furniture can be donated to the annual GIVE Project. Donated items are offered for sale, with proceeds going to several local nonprofit organizations. Last year, the program raised $18,000.

This year’s sale will be June 20-21 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Embarcadero Hall parking lot, 935 Embarcadero del Norte. Donations are accepted at that location Wednesday through June 19 from noon to 8 p.m.

Click here or call 805.882.3600 for more information about the county’s trash and recycling programs.

— Leslie Robinson is a program specialist for the Santa Barbara County Public Works Department, Resource Recovery and Waste Management Division.