The county of Ventura sponsors the VCMAX.org "Reuse, Donate, Recycle" waste reduction program and encourages community members to browse through the Available for Reuse and Wanted for Reuse ads posted on the website.

The VCMAX.org reuse program operates similarly to Craigslist; however, all ads and photographs on the website have been approved by county staff prior to posting. This is a safe site for teens to post Available or Wanted ads for things like bikes or sporting goods.

There is no charge to place an ad, and everything posted is free or reasonably priced.

To reply to an ad, contact the listing party by e-mail or phone, arrange for the swap, and then log back onto the site to confirm the match. Confirmation information is totaled at the end of the year and included in mandatory reports to the state of California documenting the county's waste reduction efforts.

VCMAX.org was designed to also make home and garage cleanups easy. Use the sidebar on the site's home page to get information about thrift and consignment stores and local appliance recyclers, or find out about free programs in the community to safely dispose of old paint, solvents, pesticides, batteries, chemicals, computers and TVs.

The sidebar also links to Habitat for Humanity's ReStore, a building materials thrift store in Oxnard that provides pickup service for donated tools and building supplies, FOOD Share and the Ventura County Regional Energy Alliance website.

The Countywide Recycling Center Guide provides residents with information about local centers where they can recycle cardboard, magazines, paper, metal, and bottles and cans.

For more information, call Pandee Leachman at (805) 6584315 or visit www.VCMAX.org.