Nationwide research directory Southern California verification pilot
OUR DATA

Useful leads, with visible limits.

The nationwide finder is a research index—not a promise that a facility is open to the public or accepts your exact item today.

Method reviewed August 4, 2026

Coverage

The current build contains 28,326 facility records across 55 states and U.S. territories. Search locations include 32,350 U.S. Census places plus 11,899 ZIP codes represented in the facility data. These counts describe index breadth, not confirmed public drop-off coverage.

Primary nationwide inputs

  1. U.S. EPA Facility Registry Service records used by the Recycling Information Management Online program.
  2. U.S. EPA Landfill Methane Outreach Program landfill and project records.
  3. U.S. Census Bureau Gazetteer Files for place centroids.
  4. Official local agencies, haulers, stewardship programs, and facilities where a record or guide supplies one.

Labels

Research lead — verify

Dataset relevance, not facility confirmation

The record may be relevant based on source classification, name, and location. It does not prove public access, operation, service area, material acceptance, or price.

Source checked

A primary page supported the shown detail

The detail includes a review date. It can still change, and the source controls if it conflicts with our summary.

Matching and ranking

The browser maps a search phrase to a broad material category, then calculates straight-line distance from the selected Census-place centroid or estimated ZIP-area point. It searches the selected state and bordering states, usually within 100 miles and expanding to 250 miles when few results exist. Distances marked with “~” are estimates, not driving routes.

Records with similar addresses and facility types are de-duplicated. Relevance and distance determine the display; payment does not. The tool does not use your device's precise location.

Pricing

A result gets a price source only when we can tie the facility to an official, current schedule. Rates may depend on material, weight, vehicle, minimum charge, residency, contamination, length, and special handling. We do not copy a county's single example across unrelated records and do not invent missing prices.

Local verification pilot

Our Southern California pages add dated agency research for five counties. They separate an official operational rule from an older fee page, distinguish household from business eligibility, and link the exact page used. This is a deeper layer than the national dataset.

Corrections and releases

Directory data is rebuilt as source releases and corrections are incorporated. Send the facility name, page URL, disputed field, and primary evidence through contact. We prioritize safety, closures, and wrong destinations.