Recycle and Make Some Cash
Plus, Environmental Justice, Fire Protection Tips, and Waffles
Motivated to help the environment and make some cash at the same time? Then I suggest you head on over to S.D Recycling Depot in downtown Linda Vista. Bring along those bags full of aluminum cans, plastic and glass beverage containers that you’ve been collecting, and you just might end up with a fatter wallet.
S.D Recycling Depot, located behind the Minit Mart Liquor Store at 2351 Ulric Street, is the place to go if you’ve been collecting CRV (or California Refund Value) beverage containers. It is an official California recycling center. The state web site defines a recycling center as an operation certified by the government of California to accept empty beverage containers and pay CRV to consumers. Recycling centers are operated by independent businesses, not the state of California.
S.D Recycling Depot may look like a small recycling center, but measured against square footage, it has to be one of the busiest places in the community. It is also one of the most efficient operations you’ll find. As stated by the owner of S.D Recycling Depot –Mary Camacho—this business wants to treat customers to “a no hassle, no stress experience” that involves recyclers getting in and getting out as quickly as possible. Camacho and her employees, made up of hard working family members, conduct their recycling duties in an orderly but friendly manner, allowing customers to follow clear instructions to easily conduct the recycling process and ultimately leave the premises with cash. The operation also emphasizes cleanliness. As Camacho said, “I want people to know how clean our operation is, so that they want to come back. Our online reviews mention our cleanliness.”
The process is as follows for recycling customers: First, a customer takes his/her bags full of CRV containers and empties them into the S.D Recycling Depot 32 gallon trash cans (while carefully separating different containers into respective trash cans). When ready, the customer then has the trash cans weighed on a scale by an employee who barks out the weights to a clerk inside the small recycling center building. The clerk records and tabulates the weights and CRV cash values. When done with the scales, the customer then goes up to the window and promptly gets a receipt and the appropriate amount of cash. It’s as simple as that!
Camacho cautions that items brought in for recycling must be CRV approved containers. This means milk cartons and wine bottles cannot be accepted. You can go to this web site to get a complete list of accepted/not accepted items: https://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/
She indicated that the average recycling visit usually nets customers approximately $30.00 to $50.00.
According to Camacho, most of her customers are local residents, but there are also many customers who come over from Point Loma, Mission Beach, and Pacific Beach because S.D Recycling Depot happens to be the nearest recycling center in the area.
Most of the customers make weekly visits, but there are some who come in on a daily basis.
As with any business, recycling has its own business patterns. Camacho revealed some of these patterns, indicating the week after Super Bowl Sunday is often quite busy. She also mentioned that business always picks up right after Lunar New Year. The busiest time of the year is summer.
During pre-pandemic times, customers often included school groups, church groups, the Girl Scouts, the Boy Scouts and other such groups interested in fundraising. Unfortunately, most of these groups are inactive at this time.
All S.D Recycling Depot employees currently operate with masks and maintain 6 feet of separation. They have hand sanitizer and wipes available, and trash cans are sprayed after every use.
If you are a new customer interested in bringing your CRV recycle material in for cash, look for the alley road that goes between the Minit Mart Liquor Store and the Panda House Café. S.D Recycling Center is right behind the Minit Mart Liquor Store.
S.D Recycling Center
2351 Ulric Street
San Diego, CA 92111
(619) 832-3848
Mon: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Tue: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Wed: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Thu: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Fri: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Sat: 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Sun: Closed
Take the Environmental Justice Survey
Linda Vista residents currently have an opportunity to let City leaders know about their environmental concerns. The city of San Diego is asking San Diegans to participate in an Environmental Justice online survey; the results of the survey will be used to update the policies in the City’s General Plan through the development of an Environmental Justice Element, or chapter. As indicated in the city web site, the updating of “policies and guidelines in the General Plan to work toward Environmental Justice is an important step to achieving equity and supporting all San Diegans to reach their full potential.”
The survey can be found by clicking here. It is easy to complete and doesn’t take more than a few minutes. The survey has been available since November and will be active through the end of this month.
For information, the city defines “environmental justice” as ensuring “that people of all races, cultures, and incomes are equally and equitably valued, protected, and served by laws, regulations, and policies that impact the environment around us, including those about buildings and uses of land, transportation, parks and natural spaces, the urban landscape, and city services.” This can include such things as “exposure to air pollution from automobiles and pollution from industrial businesses and activities” and “access to resources for good health, including healthy food and grocery stores, safe spaces for physical activity, health care, and paramedic services.”
According to Tara Lewis (Public Information Officer for the City of San Diego), “In the last few years, the City has updated other Elements of its General Plan, and now the City needs to update its Environmental Justice policies. This is especially apparent as COVID-19 has highlighted the ways limited income and health conditions related to pollution and limited access to essentials for healthy living lead to disproportionate health vulnerability for Hispanic/Latino, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander and Black residents.”
When asked why it’s important for Linda Vista residents to participate in the survey, Lewis responded that the survey is “a great opportunity to tell the City about your priorities and experiences with Environmental Justice issues in your community. We need your input in order to fully understand your community’s needs.”
Remember, San Diegans have till the end of February to take the survey.
Fire Protection Advice
The Coastal Canyon Fire Safe Council offers the following fire protection tips to our readers.
The Coastal Canyon Fire Safe Council's mission is to increase awareness, further prevention, and facilitate collaboration between government agencies, officials, and organizations to improve fire protection of life, property and open space/wildlife within the communities of Southwest Central San Diego.
Interested in learning more about fire protection in our area, and what this volunteer organization is doing within our community? Interested in volunteering? You can visit the Coastal Canyon Fire Safe Council’s web site here.
The Waffle Spot is Back
In turbulent times like these, San Diegans need a particular sort of event to serve as a soothing salve — the kind of experience capable of exerting a positive and reassuring tone. Fortunately, local residents were recently treated to such an experience courtesy of the grand re-opening of The Waffle Spot. This popular restaurant, located at the Kings Inn in Mission Valley’s Hotel Circle, reopened on February 4 after being closed for both outdoor dining and take-out since early December.
Sir Wafflelot, the irresistible Waffle Spot mascot, was there to greet eager customers!
And more great news—the Waffle Spot’s famous Banana Nut Waffle was featured as the daily special!
If you haven’t made it to The Waffle Spot for one of their great meals, I encourage you to do so. You’ll leave with a full stomach and a smile on your face.
It’s been serving both tourists and locals alike for the past 25 years.
The Waffle Spot is open from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm daily for outdoor dining and pick up.
The Waffle Spot
1333 Hotel Circle South
San Diego, CA 92108
https://wafflespotsandiego.com
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