Special Services

Batteries

Please see the Household Hazardous Waste section below.

Bulky Item Pick-Up

Residents may call Burrtec at (760) 340-2113 to schedule free bulky item pick-ups in order to get rid of unwanted large items that cannot be disposed of in their regular trash containers (limit of 4 items per scheduled pick-up). Additional items will be collected at $10 each. Burrtec requires 48 hours notice in advance of the resident’s regular pick-up day for this service. Residents may call for this service as needed.

If items are in good condition, residents should consider donating them to a local charity or thrift store. Some organizations offer free pick-up of items in good shape. Regular household trash and household hazardous waste cannot be collected through this process.

Christmas Trees

From December 26th through the second week of January, Burrtec will collect holiday trees on the resident’s regular trash collection day. Trees must be cut into four-foot lengths or smaller, bundled, and placed next to the trash containers. Flocked trees must also be cut into four-foot lengths and placed next to the trash containers. Unfortunately, flocked trees cannot be recycled and are destined for the landfill.

Coat Hangers

Wire coat hangers are almost always re-useable. Ask your dry cleaner if they will take them back for reuse.

Document Shred Events

The City of Indian Wells offers two annual shred events. This allows residents the opportunity to securely dispose of financial records, medical papers and other sensitive documents. These items are destroyed on-site by a mobile shredding unit.

Events are held the second Saturday of January and the last Saturday of April in the parking lot south of Gerald Ford School on Warner Trail. Shredding starts at 8:00 a.m. and ends at noon or when the truck is full, whichever occurs first.

Electronic Waste (E-Waste)

Computers, monitors, televisions, printers and other household electronic items are considered hazardous because they often contain mercury and other materials that are harmful when disposed of through traditional methods. Please use the Bulky Item Pick-Up process described above to dispose of these items. Limit of 4 items per scheduled pick-up. Additional items will be collected at $10 each. Burrtec requires 48 hours notice in advance of the resident’s regular pick-up day for this service.

Holiday Cards & Gift Wrap

Near the end of the holiday season, containers are placed in the lobby at City Hall for the collection of holiday cards and gift wrap. These materials will be donated to Gerald Ford Elementary school to be reused for a variety of school projects.

Household Hazardous Waste (HHW)

Household Hazardous Waste collection events are held regularly in the City Hall parking lot at 44-950 Eldorado Drive. These free events are exclusively for Indian Wells residents.

HHW events are open from 8am until noon on the following days:

October 16, 2009 (Fri)      January 16, 2010 (Sat)   April 16, 2010 (Fri) 

November 21, 2009 (Sat)  February 19, 2010 (Fri)   May 15, 2010 (Sat)    

December 18, 2009 (Fri)   March 20, 2010 (Sat)         

The following items may be brought to these events:

Anti-freeze                   Fluorescent tubes        Paint-related materials
Batteries                      Household chemicals     Pesticides
Cleaning products          Lawn products            Pool chemicals
Drain products              Light bulbs                  Propane tanks
Fire extinguishers          Paint                          Sharps

Site rules:
Please approach the site slowly and obey all signs.
Identification is required to verify residency.
For your safety, please stay in your vehicle. Operators will unload your material.

Smoking, eating, and drinking are prohibited within the collection area.
Ammunition, explosives, asbestos, and business wastes are not accepted at these events.

Light Bulbs & Fluorescent Tubes

Please see the Household Hazardous Waste section above.

Motor Oil

Residents may dispose of used motor oil for free by following these instructions:

1. Pour motor oil into a clean, opaque or clear, leak-proof plastic container (such as a milk jug or juice bottle) with a lid.
2. Do not mix motor oil with water or other fluids.
3. Place the oil containers(s) next to your trash cans for collection on your service day.
4. Place oil filters in a leak-proof, zip-lock style plastic bag and set next to motor oil.
5. Call Burrtec at least 48 hours in advance of regular pick-up day to schedule this service.

Never dump oil down a storm drain, pour it on the ground, or bury it.

Packing Materials

Many postal/mailbox/shipping retail shops will accept packing material such as boxes, “peanuts,” and bubble-wrap to be reused.

Plastic Bags

Burrtec is unable to collect plastic bags as recyclable material. Local grocery stores will accept used plastic grocery bags and recycle them. They may also be taken to Gerald Ford School at Fred Waring & Warner Trail or City Hall where the bags are recycled or re-used through special programs.

Plastic bags are damaging to our environment for a variety of reasons. Burrtec and the City of Indian Wells strongly urge residents to employ reusable bags when shopping. Reusable bags are inexpensive and may be used many times over.

Telephone Book Recycling

Gerald Ford Elementary School at Fred Waring & Warner Trail accepts phone books as part of an on-going recycling project that raises funds for school projects. Residents may also dispose of phone books in their household recycling containers.

Citrus Collection

Each season, December through May, unwanted citrus fruit may be taken to City Hall where the collected fruit is used by Hidden Harvest, a local food bank, to feed the hungry. Citrus is a valuable commodity; please consider this life-saving donation over needless expensive disposal.