Give mom a Mother’s Day gift she’s sure to appreciate – clean out the garage or basement!

Bring your stuff to our annual neighborhood cleanup Saturday, May 7. Drop off begins at 9 a.m. and lasts until 1 p.m. at our same location, the Cleveland High School parking lot on SE 26th Ave., please enter on Franklin Street & exit onto SE 26th.

We will have the same general categories for drop off – bulky waste, yard debris, metal and a free exchange/swap area. If you have loose debris, please plan to bundle or bag it up before drop off. Our volunteers appreciate your help in making this a quick and easy process.

TWO ANSWERS TO FAQ’s:
1. Will you accept block styrofoam? – YES! We will accept your large block styrofoam. But please keep in mind that we’ll be charged for hauling it off to the recycler. So if you drop off more than a few pieces, you may be charged a little extra.

2. Will there be a shredding truck? – NO! though a great service and one we have considered, we WILL NOT be providing a shred-it truck to this year’s cleanup.

Last year, items in the free exchange went early and fast! Plan to check it out throughout the day. This is a great resource for toys, furniture, house hardware & more!

Before May 7th – PLAN TO TAKE DIRECT:
TAKE DIRECT – E-WASTE
All computers, monitors, TV’s and other e-waste: As part of the Oregon E-cycles program, you can take these items and drop them off for free at Free Geek, at SE 10th and Mill or take it to Goodwill at SE 7th. For more information, contact FreeGeek at (503) 232-9350 or online FreeGeek.org.

TAKE DIRECT – CARDBOARD, PLASTIC, ETC.
Take flattened cardboard (no wax coated cardboard) and all rigid plastic (including broken kids’ toys, CD/DVD covers) to Far West Fibers for recycling. They will also take old fridges and air conditioners for $20 — a bargain. Most Far West services are basically free services. At best, they request a $3 donation per trip at their public recycling station at 4629 SE 17th Avenue. For more info, call them at (503) 238-1640 or visit: FarWestFibers.com

TAKE DIRECT – PAINT & OTHER HAZ-MAT WASTE
We will NOT accept any hazardous waste materials at the neighborhood cleanup. You can take them to Metro. Metro holds haz-mat collections throughout the year. Visit: OregonMetro.gov for more info on where to go.
We reserve the right to refuse to take anything that we feel is unsafe or exceeds the above requirements.

The HAND Neighborhood Cleanup is sponsored by Southeast Uplift, the City of Portland Bureau of Planning & Sustainability and Metro. For more information on how you can help, contact Marilee Tillstrom at 503-236-1866.