Since reconstruction in 2012, the El Cerrito Recycling Environmental Resource Center (RERC) has sought to increase the range of hard-to-recycle materials collected at the facility. Recently, the West Contra Costa Integrated Waste Management Authority (RecycleMore) was awarded grant funds totaling $107,669 from CalRecycle to enhance and promote the West Contra Costa Permanent Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Collection Facility (located at 101 Pittsburg Avenue, Richmond) as well as purchase a HHW storage locker for the (RERC).

To date, El Cerrito's efforts to expand collection of HHW materials at the RERC resulted in the collection of over 215 tons of HHW materials during the 2012-13 fiscal year. The City collected over 425,000 pounds of electronics, 2,298 pounds of unwanted medications, 1,489 pounds of sharps (needles) and 4,323 pounds of car batteries. The City also currently collects other HHW materials including used household batteries, used motor oil and filters, used cooking oil, and fluorescent bulbs and tubes. The purchase and installation of a HHW storage locker at the El Cerrito RERC via this grant award will enable the City to accept and collect a broader array of HHW materials in the future, including items not currently accepted, such as paints, pesticides, chemicals, and more. Once the storage locker has been installed - and the City has successfully processed any required permit and land-use changes - the City will be able to collect HHW materials from area residents as a satellite facility to the Richmond HHW Facility, thereby expanding and increasing the availability of HHW collection in El Cerrito and the region. Those interested in more information should contact Operations Environmental Services Division Manager Garth Schultz at 510-559-7684.