I have so little time these days, recycling fliers and other junk mail has become routine. But I'm so grateful a recent pamphlet from SFEnvironment.org caught my eye. It's easy enough to toss old shampoo bottles in sustainable fashion, but we are lefting scratching our eco-minded heads when it comes to toxic products. It was everything homeowners needed to know about the disposal of toxic products, meaning I now have a respectable receptacle for those bags of batteries, old computer equipment and leftover latex paint.

The brochure lists more than 100 local businesses in San Francisco, including my neighborhood hardware store Papenhausen, that accept household hazerdous wastes.  Residents can drop off fluorescent tubes and bulbs at Discount Builders Supply on Mission Street, then cruse over to Cliff's Variety on Castro with those cans of paint. The businesses that take your electronic equipment, such as Green Citizen on Howard Street, may charge a small fee. Even better, you can arrange pick up of unwanted electronics with several charities like St. Vincent de Paul (908-3656).

If you don't live in San Francisco, look into the drop off and pick up services in your 'hood. Simply run a Google search for disposal of hazardous products + your town. It's the best way to trash all those items that don't go in your black, blue or green waste carts.

Image: orphanjones