How to Properly Sort Waste
Learn how you can help make the Presidio a “zero waste” national park site.
The Presidio is a place where many people live, work, and visit. Everyone can help reduce our impact on the environment. Discover simple ways you can make a difference.
WHY SORT WASTE?
Whether you’re visiting the Presidio to attend an event, enjoy a picnic, or walk on the beach, the park offers endless options to explore. While here, it’s important to be conscious of the effects our actions may have on plants, animals, other people, and even entire ecosystems.
Trash is not only unsightly, it’s bad for the environment and park wildlife. Sorting your waste is a simple way to make a big impact.
When you separate recyclables, compostables, and trash, you help keep our trails, picnic areas, and green spaces clean and safe for people and wildlife. Proper waste sorting minimizes pollution and ensures that materials like paper, plastics, and food scraps can be reused or composted.
HOW TO SORT LIKE A PRO
Step 1: Check the label
Step 2: Remove food waste
Step 3: Place in the right bin
Whether you’re picnicking, enjoying lunch at Presidio Pop Up, or are on a nature hike with your dog, recycle and compost when you can, dispose of your pet’s waste in the trash, and leave the park even better than you found it. When in doubt, pack out what you bring in.
WHAT IS COMPOSTING?
One of the easiest and most impactful ways to reduce your footprint is by composting. Every banana peel or pizza box tossed in the trash creates methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, but sorting your compost the right way can make a real difference.
Instead of sending food scraps to the landfill, composting turns them into something valuable, helping grow healthier crops, conserve water, and reduce landfill gas emissions.
Follow the journey of an apple core from bin to soil in the short video below to see how one small action while enjoying your picnic or food truck take-out can have a big impact.
FAQ
Visitors
The Presidio provides recycling and composting containers. Sort your waste. If you can’t sort out the compostable (food waste & compost) and the recyclables (cans, bottles, aluminum foil and dishes), then pack in your co-mingled waste and dispose of it at your own home waste containers.
Yes. Pizza boxes are composted. Greasy and dirty cardboard boxes should be placed in compost.
Pack out the extra material and reuse or recycle it at home. Do not empty any hazardous waste or bulky items in park containers.
No. Place all dog waste in landfill container.
Pack out and take your waste back with you. Do not leave waste material outside of the containers at any time.
Help us keep our national park clean by packing out the bulky material. Your local waste hauler will be able to collect your bulky items. Leaving such bulky items behind is considered illegal dumping.
We’re striving to be a zero waste park, which means recycling and composting items to keep them out of the landfill. These containers make it easy for park visitors to help.
Residents
Do not leave any cardboard next to waste containers. Keep the area clean and clear for all to enjoy by breaking down cardboard and recycling it.
Compostable: all food waste (meat and cheese), cut flowers, compostable to go food containers, pizza box, napkins, and soiled paper or cardboard
Recyclable: cans, bottles, glass, aluminum foil/containers, cardboard, paper, plastic containers and to go coffee cups
When in doubt find out: What Goes Where – Recology San Francisco
Contact Recology to schedule bulky item pick-up by e-mailing CustomerService@RecologySF.com. Once you’ve scheduled Recology bulky pick-up, ensure your material has a sign “For Recology Pick-up.” If you have any questions, contact Presidio Residences. Leaving bulky items on the curb or at the waste containers is illegal dumping.
These products are hazardous waste and are not permitted in any waste containers. Drop offs are available at Recology facility at 501 Tunnel Avenue from Thursday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Email HHW@Recology.com or call (415) 626.4000 for a free pickup.
Contact Recology directly if you have a Recology account for waste services (customerService@RecologySF.com). For residents in apartment buildings without a direct Recology account, contact Presidio Residences.