• Why Did Almonte Increase my Sewer Service Charge? see link to presentation under Documents or click here

• What happened to my extra trash pickup?

  Almonte Sanitation District Customers still get two extra trash pickup days per year. Residents need to call Mill Valley Refuse and arrange for the pickup. 415-457-9760 

• What do I do with used batteries?

  Used alkaline batteries are hazardous waste. They must be disposed of properly and not just thrown in the trash.

• How do I dispose of an old computer & monitor?

  Computers and monitors often contain lead and are considered hazardous waste. You need to take them to Hazardous Waste Area of Marin Resource Recovery. 415-485-6806 

  
  

  You can also drop them off at: 

  • Marin Computer Resource Center

  • (415) 883-1428
  • 42 Digital Dr Ste 9
  • Novato, CA 94949
  • 
    
  
  

  http://www.mcrc.org/

  
  

  This organization reuses as much of the dropped off/donated electronic equipment as possible and in many cases supplies a tax deductible receipt. See link for hours and locations.                                                                                      
  

• How do I properly dispose of home-generated pharmaceuticals and sharps?  You can use the link below to find current drop-off locations. Please check with them for special handling and/or other requirements:                                                                     
  

•  Sharps and Medication Disposal Facilities search

• What and What Not to Flush and Where to Dispose of Hazardous Waste
  

• Can sewage back up in my home or business?

  Yes, in extreme situations, it is possible for sewage to back-up into a home or business. Therefore, we recommend that you install a backwater overflow protection device. Such devices are readily available and, when properly installed, will prevent any sewage back-ups into homes or businesses. Contact our Manager, Bonner Beuhler for more information. email now

Almonte Sanitary position on MVRS Food Composting services

In response to inquiries regarding Almonte Sanitary’s position on the Food Composting Service (FCS) being offered by Mill Valley Refuse Service, the following information should help to inform the public.

ASD’s Board of Directors originally voted to decline the FCS on April 26. This decision was affirmed after in-person discussions with MVRS on May 24, and with the Marin Food Scrap Recycling Task Force on June 28. At this time, the ASD Board feels this decision is in the best interest of the Almonte community.

- ASD polled our customers by mail early in 2010 to solicit input on which new services would be most-desired. The ASD Board also contacted our neighbors in Almonte to get the same input. There were only 3 responses received that asked for food composting. In comparison, several customers requested paper-shredding, medical waste disposal and the availability of woodchips and composted materials. As a result, ASD has made arrangements for Almonte residents to receive shredding, medical waste, and woodchips/compost. We did not include food composting because there was virtually no desire for it expressed by our customers. We believe that the low demand for food composting service could be associated with the high number of residents who already “backyard” compost (which we strongly encourage).

- The FCS as currently offered by MVRS is a very simple service, consisting solely of a scheduled pick-up of existing “green” cans on a weekly basis, rather than the current bi-weekly schedule: food “compostables” would merely be placed in the current green cans. It was felt by the Board that initially, those customers who would like to compost food scraps with MVRS could do so by placing food scraps in the green cans every-other-week (it is a violation of health codes to leave food scraps in excess of one week). This would allow at-least ½ of the food compostable material to be added to the FCS. If demand for FCS increased, then we could contract for the weekly service at a later date.

- The FCS would cause an increase in refuse pick-up charges of 9.4% to each residence of Almonte, whether or not the service is used. While this may seem like a small amount, the ASD Board takes financial responsibility VERY seriously. We have consistently been advocates of controlling all costs and charges to residents of our community. At the present time, when Almonte Sanitary will be required to increase sewage charges due to EPA-mandated actions, we felt that even a small increase in charges to all residents for a service that could only be projected for use by a few, was not a sound financial decision.

In summary, Almonte Sanitary is a supporter of composting and encourages this practice. However, our analysis of the current FCS being offered by MVRS is that FCS is a program that is projected to have very limited use by residents, has alternatives that further diminish its need, and is an additional cost to already-burdened customers. Should any of these parameters significantly change in the future, Almonte Sanitary is open to re-considering our decision.