Residents can help reduce the amount of unsightly illegal dumping that takes place in Santa Barbara County by requesting a free bulky-item collection. Residential trash customers are entitled to bulky-item collections twice per year at no charge.

Bulky items include trash that won’t fit into the street-side collection container, and electronics that should not be buried in a landfill.

Accepted items include appliances, electronics like old televisions or computers, and furniture. Regular trash items and construction and demolition materials are not considered bulky items.

In the North County, residents can make an appointment for a bulky-item pickup by calling Waste Management at 922-2121. Residents on the South Coast can call MarBorg Industries at 963-1852.
 
The waste-haulers make efforts to find a use for functioning items like old desks and tables.

White goods such as washing machines or water heaters are sent to a metal recycler instead of buried in the landfill, and electronics are sent to a processing center for safe dismantling and proper disposal of all components.
 
For more information, visit www.LessIsMore.org or call the Santa Barbara County Public Works Resource Recovery and Waste Management Division at 882-3624.

— Lael Wageneck for Santa Barbara County.