Mendocino Coast Trash & Recycling Guide
Mendocino Coast Trash & Recycling Guide
Keep Our Coastline Clean
Living on the Mendocino Coast means being a steward of one of the most beautiful shorelines in the world. Here's everything you need to know about keeping our beaches, neighborhoods, and ocean healthy.
Recycling Basics
Clean cardboard & paperboard, newspapers & magazines, aluminum & tin cans, glass bottles & jars, plastic bottles #1 & #2, clean paper & mail
Plastic bags & film, styrofoam, food-soiled paper/pizza boxes, ceramics & mirrors, diapers, garden hoses, electronics, batteries
Local Waste Services
MSWMA
Mendocino Solid Waste Management Authority — the county's joint recycling and hazardous waste authority.
Phone: 707-234-6400
Web: mendorecycle.org
Caspar Transfer Station
The coast's primary drop-off for trash, recycling, green waste, and bulky items. Located between Fort Bragg and Mendocino village.
Location: Caspar, off Hwy 1
Tip: Check current hours before visiting
Haz-Mobile
Free mobile hazardous waste collection events throughout Mendocino County. Paint, batteries, motor oil, pesticides, and more.
Phone: 707-234-6400
Cost: Free for residents
Beach Cleanup Tips
What to Bring
Reusable gloves, a bucket or bag (skip single-use trash bags when possible), sunscreen, water bottle, and sturdy shoes. We provide supplies at our organized cleanups!
Top Finds on Our Beaches
Cigarette butts, microplastics, food wrappers, bottle caps, fishing line, straws, and styrofoam fragments. Every small piece you pick up keeps our marine life safer.
Solo Cleanup? You Rock!
Even 10 minutes of picking up trash makes a difference. Snap a photo and tag us @mendocinomermaids — we love seeing community stewards in action.
Everyday Ocean-Friendly Habits
Bring your own bags, bottles, and utensils. Say no to straws.
Storm drains lead to the ocean. Never pour chemicals, oil, or paint down any drain.
Choose products with less packaging. Buy local when you can.
Food scraps in the trash create methane. Composting returns nutrients to the soil.
Want to help keep our coast clean? Join a Mendocino Mermaids beach cleanup!
See Upcoming Events Support Our Mission