RIPON — The biggest yard sale of the year with more than 120 participants takes place Saturday in Ripon.

It’s the annual citywide yard sale with the different households starting sales at 8 a.m.

You can download a map at www.cityofripon.org to get direction to the locations listed.

The citywide yard sale is Ripon’s way of encouraging the recycling of those items that are still useable and may have value to someone.

The city also conducts a yard sale at Mistlin Park in the spring. Last year it attracted 70 households. Items not sold were collected - if the sellers wished - by a hospice donation truck.

Both events are designed to encourage residents to get rid of their unwanted items which is also part of the community’s recycling program that promotes the re-use, repair and recycling of unwanted items.

Ripon’s Recycling Center is open daily at the old Nestle parking lot at 178 Industrial Avenue where bins have been placed for specific items.  It is manned between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. daily through a program offered to benefit Ripon’s elementary schools and their parent faculty clubs.  In 2010 the schools earned over $20,000.

The acceptable recycling items include cardboard, newspapers, Styrofoam, aluminum CRV, plastic bottles, glass and other plastic containers.  Electronic waste may also be dropped off at the recycling center including televisions, radios, copiers, phones, computers, monitors and printers.

Old cans of paint may be dropped off at Schemper’s ACE Hardware on Wilma Avenue at Main Street with a limit of five gallons of latex base in the original can with the original label.

Motor oil and filters may be dropped off at O’Reilly Auto Parts on Main Street in the downtown area of Ripon – also having a five-gallon limit.  Discarded household batters may be taken to city hall, the library or the police department.  Both ends must be taped over for safety precautions.