County debuts new website

The county of Ventura has launched a new "Donate, Reuse, Recycle" waste reduction website at www.VCMAX.org.

County residents and businesses may tour the site's virtual reuse warehouse, place free "wanted" or "available" ads, and check out items available that are either free or reasonably priced.

The site also provides links to information about free electronic waste collection events, free household hazardous waste collection events, thrift stores and consignment stores, appliance recycling businesses, countywide recycling centers, the Habitat for Humanity's ReStore, FOODShare and the Ventura County Regional Energy Alliance's website for "Save energy save money" tips.

Tax donation slips are provided for donations to charities such as ReStore, FOODShare and thrift stores

For five years, the Ventura County Materials Exchange was a catalog-based reuse program modeled after the state's popular CALMAX Materials Exchange program. In 2006, to reduce expenses, the county ceased publication of quarterly reuse catalogs and converted the program to the website.