Residential How-To Guide
Recyclables
Please place all recyclable materials together in your blue recycling cart.
All items must fit loosely inside the recycling cart with the lid closed. Extra cardboard can be cut down to pieces no larger than 4’ x 4’, bundled and set next to your recycling cart.
Large items that do not fit in the recycling cart can be collected as bulky items, please contact Customer Service to schedule an On-Call Bulky Cleanup.
Metal
Empty and rinse food and product containers.
- Aerosol cans (empty and non-hazardous)
- Aluminum foil, foil trays and pans (clean)
- Aluminum pie pans
- Beverage and soda cans
- Can lids – metal
- Car parts – small (no fluids)
- Doors and screens
- Electrical motors
- Food and soup cans
- Furniture (e.g. chairs, tables)
- Hangers – metal/wire
- Keys
- Lids and caps – metal (e.g. from glass bottles, jars)
- Nuts and bolts
- Paint cans (remove excess paint, let residue dry)
- Pet food cans
- Pipes
- Plumbing fixtures
- Pots and pans
- Propane/gas tanks (empty, with valve off)
- Scrap metal
- Screws and nails
- Sporting goods – metal
- Tools – metal
- Toys – metal
- Umbrellas – metal
- Utensils – metal
Glass
Empty and rinse food and product containers.
- Beverage bottles
- Blue glass
- Broken glass
- Dishware – glass
- Food jars
- Windows – uncoated/unlaminated
- Wine bottles
Paper
Staples and tape are acceptable.
- Aseptic containers* (e.g. juice, soup, soy milk)
- Books – hardback and softback
- Carbonless paper (e.g. receipts)
- Cardboard – unwaxed (flattened)
- Cereal and cracker boxes (remove liners)
- Colored or construction paper
- Coupons
- Egg cartons – cardboard
- Envelopes (plastic window OK)
- Frozen food packaging – cardboard
- Gift wrap (no metallic/foil)
- Juice boxes and cartons – non-aseptic
- Junk mail
- Magazines and catalogs
- Mailers – cardboard (e.g. FedEx, UPS)
- Newspaper – clean (including inserts)
- Paper bags
- Photographs – photo paper
- Shoe boxes
- Shredded paper (tie in clear plastic bag)
- Telephone books
- Tissue paper (e.g. gift wrap, dry cleaning)
- White office computer paper
Plastic
Empty and rinse food and product containers.
- Auto parts – plastic (no fluids)
- Baby wipe containers
- Baskets – plastic
- Beverage bottles (e.g. soda, juices, water)
- Bleach and detergent bottles
- Buckets (remove metal handles)
- Coat hangers – plastic
- Coffee cup lids
- Coolers
- Crates – plastic
- Disposable razors
- Flower pots – plastic
- Food containers (e.g. cottage cheese, yogurt)
- Furniture – plastic (e.g. chairs, tables)
- Gloves – rubber (not single-use or latex disposable)
- Hoses (e.g. car, garden, appliance)
- Household cleaner bottles (non-toxic)
- Mouthwash container
- Pet carriers
- Pipe – plastic
- Plastics #1-#7 except
- Polystyrene/Styrofoam™
- Prescription bottles (must be empty)
- Shampoo and conditioner bottles
- Shelving – plastic
- Squeezable bottles (e.g. honey, mayo, ketchup)
- Swimming pools (e.g. rigid, inflatable)
- Take-out food containers – plastic
- Toys – plastic
- Umbrellas – plastic (e.g. patio, beach)
Film Plastic
Bundle in a clear plastic bag and knot the top.
- Bread bags
- Bubble wrap
- Cellophane bags (e.g. pasta, salad, cookies)
- Dry cleaning bags
- Frozen food bags or pouches
- Newspaper bags
- Pallet wrap
- Plastic or wax liners (e.g. from food packaging)
- Plastic wraps
- Produce bags
- Shopping bags – plastic
- Shrink wrap
Organics
Please place all organics together in your organics cart. Items may not exceed 2 feet in length or 3 inches in diameter and must fit loosely inside with the lid closed. Food scraps do not need to be bagged.
- Bones
- Branches – cut to fit loosely in cart
- Bread
- Coffee grounds
- Dairy products (e. g. cheese)
- Dough
- Eggs
- Filters (e. g. coffee, tea)
- Fish and shellfish
- Flax
- Flowers
- Fruit
- Garden/tree fruits and vegetables
- Grains (e. g. beans, rice)
- Grass clippings
- Holiday trees – see Extra
- Services
- Ice plant
- Landscape vegetation
- Leaves
- Meat
- Newspaper – soiled (food or grease)
- Paper cups and plates – not coated
- Paper napkins
- Paper straws
- Paper take-out food containers (e. g. fast food)
- Paper towels
- Pasta
- Pizza delivery boxes – soiled (food, grease)
- Plant trimmings
- Poultry (e. g. chicken, turkey)
- Shrubs
- Small prunings
- Succulents
- Tree trimmings – size limitations: 2′ long and 3″ in diameter
- Vegetables
- Wood/lumber (non-treated and non-painted) – size limitations: 2′ long and 3″ in diameter
Garbage
Please place all NON-reusable, NON-recyclable and NON-hazardous materials in your garbage cart.
All items must fit loosely inside the garbage cart with the lid closed. For an extra garbage pick-up, please contact Customer Service at 408.283.9250.
Yard Waste
- Ashes (bagged, hot ashes prohibited)
- Bamboo
- Cactus
- Construction lumber*
- Crates – wood*
- Dirt*
- Hay
- Palm fronds
- Pampas grass
- Pet waste (bagged)
- Poison oak
- Rocks*
- Sawdust (bagged)
- Sod*
- Soil*
- Stumps*
- Tan Bark
- Yucca
*For large quantities of these items, please call Customer Service at 408.283.9250 to schedule a debris box.
Paper
- Carbon paper
- Cardboard – waxed, wet, or dirty
- Envelopes (e.g. padded, Tyvek)
- Ice cream cartons
- Newspaper- dirty (paint or pet waste)
- Photographs – Polaroid
- Thermal fax paper
- Waxed paper
Plastic
- Chip bags
- Credit cards
- Foil beverage pouches
- Gloves – latex (single-use and disposable)
- Pipe – PVC
- Rubber bands
- Shoes
- Straws
- Take-out food containers – polystyrene foam
- Tarps*
- Toothpaste and ointment tubes
- Utensils – plastic (e.g. spoons, forks, knives)
- Webbing/mesh (e.g. from lawn furniture)
*For large quantities of these items, please call Customer Service at 408.283.9250 to schedule a debris box.
Polystyrene/StyrofoamTM
- Cups and plates
- Egg cartons – molded foam
- Foam packing (e.g. from electronics)
- Meat trays – molded foam
- Packing “peanuts” (bagged)
- Take-out food containers – polystyrene foam
Fabric/Textiles
Try donating first.
- Accessories (e.g. belts, purses)
- Boots and shoes
- Burlap
- Carpet and rugs
- Cotton
- Diapers – cloth or disposable (bagged)
- Down filled items
- Electric blankets
- Fabrics
- Leather goods
- Linen
- Pillows
- Polyester
- Rayon
- Rubber
- Stuffed animals
- Vinyl
- Wool
Electronic Waste
- Audio tapes
- CDs and DVDs (e.g. computer, music)
- Speakers
- Video tapes
Glass
- Ceramics
- Cookware – glass (e.g. baking pans, PyrexTM)
- Dishware – ceramic
- Eye glasses
- Glass art
- Incandescent light bulbs
- Mirrors