Tour of Cold Canyon Materials Recovery Facility Register

Date and Time:
Wed, Mar 11, 2026; 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM  (Pacific)

Organized By: Santa Lucia Chapter

Location: 2268 Carpenter Canyon Rd, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401, USA

Map | Directions

Let’s go to the Dump!

Come join us on a tour of the Cold Canyon Materials Recovery Facility (MRF)

📅 Date: Wednesday, March 11, 2026
🕕 Time: 11:30 AM
📍 Location: 2268 Carpenter Canyon Rd, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

What to Expect
Closed toe shoes required

Join us for a behind-the-scenes tour of the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) that processes the vast majority of recyclable materials from San Luis Obispo County and northern Santa Barbara County.

Participants will drive past the active Cold Canyon Landfill to reach the MRF. While often confused with a “recycling center,” the MRF plays a different but critical role: materials are sorted and packaged by type, then sent on to recycling facilities—mostly located on the West Coast—where they are ultimately remade into new products.

Inside the MRF, you’ll see a fascinating blend of human expertise, heavy machinery, and cutting-edge robotics working together to sort roughly 200 tons of material every weekday.
We’ll begin in the education room with a short presentation that provides helpful context and walks through the steps of the sorting process. Since the facility itself is quite loud, this overview allows everyone to fully understand what they’ll see before heading onto the floor.

After the presentation, participants will be outfitted with high-visibility vests, hard hats, and safety glasses. We’ll then tour the facility, walking along catwalks and stopping at key points of interest along the sorting line to see the process in action. There will be time for questions and discussion at the end.

The full experience lasts approximately one hour.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Cost: $5

Signup Instructions: Register now for full details and any last minute updates.