Recology SF Public Tour - not for schools, artist applicants, or businesses

Join this tour to learn more about SF's recycling and composting systems. If you are a school, business, or artist, see below for more info.
About this Event

Thank you for your interest in attending a Recology tour! We are proud to show our state-of-the-art facilities and discuss why recycling and composting are so important for San Francisco and the world.

Limited to 10 visitors per organization. While children nine and over are allowed on this tour, it is not designed for K-12 student field trips. Please visit our website to learn more about school tours.

Attendees must wear closed-toe, sturdy walking shoes (no sandals or thin soles) and long pants.

On this tour, you will learn:

• About Recology and the programs offered in San Francisco.
• How to properly sort items with our three-bin system.
• How you can make a difference every day to conserve natural resources and contribute to a healthier planet.

A few things you will see:

• Initial processing of curbside bin material and special recycling programs.
• Art studios and in-progress work of current artists-in-residence.
• The blue bin sorting process in Recycle Central at Pier 96. You must provide your own transportation to this site (no Uber/Lyft or bicycles).

Tour Requirements (please read carefully):

• To protect visitors from glass, rocks, and other materials, all guests must wear pants and closed-toe shoes. Sturdy shoes such as boots with thick soles are preferred. Guests with out proper attire will not be allowed on the tour.
• Everyone must sign a release of liability form upon arrival. Anyone under 18 years of age must have a waiver signed by their legal parent or guardian.
• For safety reasons, children under nine years of age are not allowed on tours.

• To tour Recycle Central you must be able to provide your own car transportation between our two facilities. Due to the location of Pier 96, taxis (Uber and Lyft included) and bikes are not allowed, and there is no public transit available.
• If attending with a group, carpooling is appreciated and encouraged. If you are unable to provide your own transportation between the two sites, you may opt to tour only the Transfer Station (the first portion of the tour), which will last about 2 hours.
• Proper safety equipment (including hard hats, vests, and/or safety glasses) must be worn at all times. Recology will provide safety equipment.
• Tours are intended for groups of 10 or less from any individual organization.

Please note:

• This tour will NOT fulfill the application requirement for artists interested in applying to the residency program. Artists must attend an Artist in Residence Program Tour.
• Tours include a walk up three long flights of stairs and walking on uneven surfaces and hills.
• Certain areas of the facility may be extremely slippery and difficult to walk due to the presence of glass, rocks, and uneven or difficult terrain.
• Tours involve loud noises, strong smells, and dust.
• Tours take approximately 2.5 hours to complete. At minimum, visitors must be able to walk the entire two-hour tour of the Transfer Station.
• In the event of rain, tours will be cancelled.

Approximate Schedule:

9:30-10:30am: Environmental Learning Center Classroom Presentation (401 Tunnel Ave.) + Q&A session

10:30-11:15am: Transfer Station site walkthrough

11:15-12pm: Recycle Central @ Pier 96 site walkthrough

Commercial Businesses in San Francisco:

Please call 415-330-1300 or email [email protected] to learn about tours offered specifically for commercial businesses in San Francisco including office buildings, hotels, restaurants, hospitals, shopping centers, and large commercial and residential properties.

School Field Trips:

Tours for San Francisco schools are scheduled through the San Francisco Department of the Environment. Please note: we are unable to accommodate schools from outside of San Francisco at this time. Please refer to Stop Waste in Oakland or ReThink Waste in San Carlos.

Artists:

Register to learn more about the Artist in Residence (AIR) Program. Artists are required to attend a tour before applying. Applications for the AIR Program are accepted June 1 - September 1 for residenices that begin the following year. This tour is open to the general public.