The Four Pillars of Bay Area Diversion
Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs)
The sorting hub. Mixed recyclables arrive, and a symphony of machines—disc screens, magnets, eddy currents, optical sorters—separate paper, cardboard, metals, and plastics.
- Davis Street MRF (San Leandro): 1,200 tons/day capacity
- Republic Services (Hayward): Regional processing hub
- Recology San Francisco: 650 tons/day
Outputs: Baled commodities shipped to manufacturers
Composting Operations
Organics transformation. Food scraps, yard waste, soiled paper become nutrient-rich compost through aerobic decomposition.
- Blossom Valley Organics (San Martin): 200,000 tons/year
- Recology Jepson Prairie (Vacaville): 150,000 tons/year
- Newby Island (Milpitas): Compost and biogas
Outputs: Compost sold to farms, vineyards, landscapers
Specialty Recyclers
Hard-to-recycle streams. Materials excluded from curbside programs require dedicated processors.
- E-Waste: GreenCitizen, eLoop – demanufacturing, precious metal recovery
- Mattresses: Bye Bye Mattress – 75-90% component recycling
- Carpet: Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) partners
- Construction debris: Zanker Recycling – C&D processing
Donation & Reuse Network
Extending product lifecycles. Usable furniture, appliances, and building materials bypass disposal entirely.
- Habitat for Humanity ReStore (multiple locations)
- Urban Ore (Berkeley): 40,000 sq ft reuse center
- St. Vincent de Paul (Alameda County)
- Out of the Closet (Oakland)
Impact: Tax receipts, community support, landfill avoidance