Merced Times

City of Merced issued the following announcement on Jan 6.

The Bulky Item Drop-Off Site is now open to all City of Merced residents who need help getting rid of their extra trash, with an extra Saturday of operation. The Merced City Council made the change Monday night.

Residents no longer need to show they are City utility customers, but they will need to provide two forms of identification to show they live within the City limits. Suitable forms of ID include a driver’s license, state identification card, and any kind of monthly bill or statement.

The site isn’t for the usual household waste, but for things that don’t fit into the household container such as couches, mattresses, and appliances. The site also will take e-waste.

The Bulky Item Drop-Off Site is located at the corner of No. Hwy 59 and Yosemite Ave. The Drop-Off Site is open Tuesdays through Fridays from noon to 3 p.m. Starting in 2021, the site is open the first and third Saturdays of the month from 8 to noon.

Beautification is a Council priority, so making the facility available to all residents helps achieve this goal and is a key service to residents.

Also Monday night the Council directed staff to develop a Community Cleanup Program to partner with neighborhoods, volunteer groups and non-profit organizations who want to help cleanup specific areas. The cleanup program was initiated by Mayor Matt Serratto. Participating groups can post their cleanup event on the City’s website MercedCommunityCalendar.org and coordinate services through the Public Works Department.

The Bulky Item Drop Off Site was opened in late 2019 to help curb illegal dumping within the City.

Recycling Coordinator Monique Gama said staff analyzed what was being picked up at the illegal dump sites. “A lot of it was sofas, chairs, tires or random things they couldn’t put in their containers at home, and they didn’t want to take it to the landfill,” she said.

Gama said the usual household garbage, the recycling and the leaves, grass clippings, tree branches and other green waste still needs to go into the regular containers at a resident’s house. People can also take it down the road to the Highway 59 Landfill. Household hazardous waste is another item not accepted at the Drop-Off site but can be taken to the landfill.

Many of the items will be diverted to other uses, like the e-waste and metals. The things that can’t be recycled will be hauled to the landfill.

If the Bulky Item Drop-Off site doesn’t solve a resident’s refuse problems, Gama said there are other solutions. The landfill is about four miles down the road, and it can handle all the disposal needs, including hazardous waste.

The City also has options that include renting dumpsters and roll-offs, depending on the size of the project and how much stuff a resident will need hauled away. Another option is to order an extra collection for the trash container. Contact the Public Works Department for more information on those options.

For questions about the site or to talk about trash pickup options, call the Public Works Department at 209-385-6800 or got to the “Got Trash?” tab under the Public Works Department at www.cityofmerced.org.

Original source can be found here.