RethinkWaste purchased the Shoreway Environmental Center, then known as the Shoreway Recycling and Disposal Center, in March 2000 from BFI Waste Systems of North America.
The Shoreway Environmental Center consists of the solid waste Transfer Station, Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), Recycling Buy-Back and Drop-off, public BOP (batteries, oil, paint) Drop-off and are operated by South Bay Recycling under contract with RethinkWaste as of January 1, 2011.
The Shoreway Environmental Center is located on the border of the cities of San Carlos and Redwood City at 225 and 333 Shoreway Road, San Carlos, on the east side of highway 101, north of Holly Road/Redwood Shores Parkway. The Shoreway Environmental Center serves as a regional solid waste and recycling facility for the receipt, handling and transfer of refuse and recyclables collected from the RethinkWaste service area (southern and central San Mateo County). Residential and commercial solid waste and recyclable materials that are collected by the franchise hauler, Recology, are taken to Shoreway for processing, staging and shipment.
The Shoreway Environmental Center functions as an integrated campus with separate buildings used for the unloading and transfer of solid waste, construction and demolition (C&D) debris and organics (“Transfer Station Building”); unloading, processing and shipment to end markets of recyclables from homes and businesses (“Materials Recovery Facility” or MRF); scale house for handling public and private vehicles; public recycling center area for the buyback of recyclables, and free drop off of certain materials such electronic waste (TVs, computers, etc.) and household hazardous waste (batteries, paints, waste oil, etc.); and a corporation yard for recycling and garbage collection and transfer truck parking and maintenance.
There is also an Administration Building that is located to the west of the Transfer Station. This building currently serves as the administrative offices for Recology. These offices are located at 225 Shoreway Road at the Shoreway Environmental Center facility.
The site operations are regulated by a number of local and State agencies with regular facility inspections. The facility is separately permitted by the California State Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) to receive 3,000 tons per day of refuse and recyclables.
Please follow the links for more information on Shoreway Environmental Center rates, acceptable materials, and location and hours. There’s also a page about our future plans for upgrading the Shoreway Environmental Center into a modern, environmentally sustainable operation. These improvements are guided by a facility masterplan approved by the RethinkWaste Board of Directors in April 2007.
