Littering On Berkeley Streets Can Lead To Hefty Fines, City Says

Berkeley, CA — With University of California, Berkeley, students returning to class Wednesday, Aug. 17, move ins are about to begin and the city is reminding residents and students to keep streets clean using city of Berkeley services.

According to a news release issued Friday, Aug. 12, overfilling trash bins, leaving used boxes on the curb, and ditching furniture outside create a mess and possible safety hazards.

“Sidewalk dumping doesn’t promote reuse,” the city said, adding that dumping is “illegal and punishable by fines.”

The city said it has resources to help sustainably discard unwanted items and avoid illegal dumping fees.

According to the news release, Berkeley encourages residents and students to plan ahead, reuse and recycle.

Tips for landlords, renters and homeowners include ordering extra trash pickups or increased service for recycling bins or trash to include short term dumpsters curbside mattress collections, free Bulky Waste Pickup, prepaid trash bags and utilizing the Transfer Station.

To request services, property owners or authorized contacts can call (510) 981-7270.

“Abandoned furniture and debris on sidewalks or in the public right of way can result in citations and fines up to $500 a day. Try to find someone to use what you don't need. Don't leave it on a sidewalk,” the city said.

To prevent unnecessary waste and promote reuse of items, the city said, unopened food can be donated to the Berkeley Food Network while furniture can be donated to nonprofit organizations such as Goodwill, The Salvation Army or other reuse stores.

Items that can’t be repurposed can be recycled and the city of Berkeley recommends using your building’s recycling carts or bins to recycle items that can no longer be used.

“Please keep in mind, Berkeley has a dual-stream recycling program, so recyclable materials must be sorted accordingly,” the city said in its news release. “Cardboard/paper is collected separately from Bottles/Cans/Plastic Containers.”

The city of Berkeley Recycling Center, located at 669 Gilman Street, accepts a variety of recyclable items, including clothing and household textiles, scrap metal, appliances, cooking oil and cardboard boxes, the city said.

For more information, visit the city of Berkeley’s Trash and Recycling webpage.