Moving into or out of a living situation most commonly occurs around June and July. Residents may find themselves faced with the daunting task of disposing of unwanted furniture, such as couches, chairs, and mattresses. However, it’s important to know that improper furniture disposal can have negative consequences on the environment and the community. Here are some tips for residents in Goleta to properly dispose of their furniture.

Donate or sell your furniture.

Before you consider disposal, consider donating or selling your furniture. Many local charities and thrift stores, such as “Alpha Thrift Store” and “Destined for Grace Thrift Store,” accept gently used furniture. Additionally, online platforms such as Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace can be great places to sell unwanted items. Donating or selling furniture not only helps those in need, but also reduces waste and promotes sustainability.

Schedule a bulky item pick-up with MarBorg Industries.

If your furniture cannot be donated or sold, you can schedule a bulky item pick-up with MarBorg Industries. The City of Goleta offers this service free of charge twice a year to all residential accounts, including multifamily properties. This service allows for the proper disposal of large, bulky items that cannot be disposed of in regular curbside pick-up. If you live in a multifamily situation, please coordinate with your Homeowners Association or Property Manager to schedule a bulky item pickup. Call MarBorg at 805-963-1852 to get started today.

Avoid illegal dumping.

Illegal dumping can result in significant fines and penalties. You should not abandon unwanted furniture on the street or in public areas. This not only creates an eyesore but also poses a danger to the community and the environment. Illegal dumping can lead to pollution, attract pests, and damage natural habitats.

Properly dispose of hazardous materials.

You should not dispose of hazardous materials such as electronics or batteries with furniture. Hazardous materials require special disposal methods to prevent harm to the environment and people. The City of Goleta offers two facilities where residents can properly dispose of these materials:

• Goleta Recycling Center (ABOP) at 20 David Love Place
• UCSB Community Household Hazardous Waste Facility on Mesa Road

Proper furniture disposal is essential for residents to maintain a clean and healthy community. By donating or selling unwanted furniture, scheduling a bulky item pick-up with MarBorg Industries, avoiding illegal dumping, and properly disposing of hazardous materials, residents can make a positive impact on the environment and the community. Let’s work together to keep Goleta beautiful and sustainable!

We have all had those annoying garden pests. Here are some suggestions on bugs that help keep pests out of your garden and the flowers that attract these bugs. To prevent pollution from stormwater runoff, the City does not use herbicides, pesticides or fertilizers in public parks, open spaces, or City right-of-way. Fortunately, there are great methods of pest control that don’t rely on toxic chemicals that harm watersheds. One such method is introducing pest-controlling insects in your garden.  

Assessing the Line-up: 10 Beneficial Bugs that Consume Large Numbers of Pests or Pollinate Plants. Let them Serve your Garden! 

• Green Lacewing: Loves devouring aphids, thrips, mealybugs, scale, spider mites, leafhoppers, and insect eggs. Often sighted around nectar-producing plants, like sunflowers, tansy, and buckwheat.
• Soldier Beetle: Loves munching on soft-bodied insects and aphids. Known to feed on the pollen of flowers like goldenrod and milkweed while waiting for its prey. Reports of sightings appear in early spring, shortly after aphids begin hatching.
• Dragonfly: Preys on unsuspecting flying insects like mosquitoes, flies and midges. Capable of catching prey in mid-air! Larvae (nymphs) live in water and are also efficient hunters eating mosquito larvae and other insects, snails and even small fish.
• Bee: Extremely skilled at pollination the flowers of many of our ornamental, fruit and vegetable plants. Usually seen in groups in the vicinity of flowers high in nectar and pollen including asters, sunflowers, mints, lavender, rosemary and sages.
• Syrphid Fly: Adults are known to be important pollinators. Larvae are usually found under leaves in the company of aphids. Adults have been seen lurking around ceanothus, sunflowers, feverfew and other nectar-rich flowers.
• Ground Beetle: Eats many soil-dwelling pests like slugs, snails, cutworms and root maggots. Usually hunts at night. Reported to be able to consume its body weight in food each day. Larva also feed on soil insects. Usually sighted hiding in soil or under rocks, dried leaves and mulch.
• Parasitic Wasp: Parasitizes the eggs of cutworms, cabbage loopers, codling moths, tomato hornworms, aphids, whiteflies, scales and other pests. These tiny, notorious wasps lay their eggs on or inside of pests or insect eggs and the larva eat the pest. Suspected of foraging for nectar on tiny flowers like alyssum, yarrow, tansy, and clover.
• Spider: Loves devouring aphids, thrips, mealybugs, scale, spider mites, leafhoppers, and insect eggs. Often sighted around nectar-producing plants, like sunflowers, tansy, and buckwheat.
• Ladybeetle: Gorges on soft-bodied insects like aphids, scale, thrips, mealybugs and spider mites. Both adults and larva eat large numbers of pests. Known to hang out on nectar-rich flowers like yarrow, clover and tansy.
• Tachinid Fly: Attacks unsuspecting caterpillars and beetles. Disguised as a hairy housefly, this parasitic insect lays its eggs on caterpillars, grubs and other insects. When the eggs hatch, the young (larva) tunnel into their victims and eat them. Often seen stealing the nectar and pollen of tansy, milkweed and Queen Anne’s Lace.

Flowers for Beneficial Insects

Most beneficial insects (beneficials) need to supplement their diets with pollen and nectar. You can attract them to your garden, and encourage them to stay and hunt for pests, by offering them a variety of nectar and pollenrich flowers. Plants with daisy-like flowers or plants with clusters of multiple small flowers are especially attractive to beneficials. Choose a diversity of plants that bloom at different times so that the beneficials can feed throughout the year. Many common garden plants suited to our Mediterranean climate will attract beneficials, including oregano, alyssum, borage, dill, angelica, cosmo, tansy, calendula and rosemary.

Natural Defenses

Many native plants have developed natural defenses to ward off insect pests and diseases. These defenses can eliminate the need for pesticides and reduce maintenance costs. Because native plants have adapted to grow in our specific climate, they often require very little care once established and are generally more tolerant of drought. The diversity of natives available offers gardeners great choices for both fragrant flowers and beautiful foliage – and provides food and habitat for our native birds, wildlife, butterflies, and beneficial insects. Early Fall is an ideal time to plant natives. The cool weather and rainfall will help young plants establish a healthy root system before colorful Spring blooms emerge.

Find more information on bringing pest-controlling insects to your garden in our OWOW brochure. 

The City of Goleta along with the Cities of Buellton, Carpinteria, Solvang, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, and the County of Santa Barbara have partnered with the OWOW organization to promote the use of less-toxic products in an effort to reduce pesticide pollution in our communities. By reducing pesticide use and the use of less-toxic products around the home, you can help reduce pesticides and other pollutants such as herbicides and fertilizers from being picked up while watering or when it rains and transported to the nearest storm drain inlet and into our waterways. The OWOW website is a great resource for finding less-toxic products to use around your home or garden.