Drop-Off Materials Accepted

Cardboard, Glass, plastic, Metals, paper:

  • Cardboard: Corrugated boxes. Must be clean, empty, and flattened.
  • Glass Containers: Bottles and jars, rinsed clean and sorted by color: Clear, Brown, or Green.
  • Plastic Beverage Containers: Narrow-necked plastic beverage bottles. Must be empty, clean and dry.
  • Other Plastic Bottles: Narrow-necked bottles that contained household supplies, such as detergent, kitty litter, motor oil.  Must be empty, that is, no residual product inside.
  • Scrap Metals: Aluminum, steel, tin. (Hot Water Heaters are OK, but NO refrigerators, freezers or air conditioners). As of 11/1/2019: Due to recent changes in the recycling markets, we cannot currently accept major appliances. City staff is looking into options that would allow the Recycling Center to again provide this service.
  • Mixed Paper: Colored paper, cereal boxes, shredded colored paper, file folders, junk mail, envelopes, photographs (small quantities), etc.
  • Newspaper: Black and white newspaper/newsprint.
  • White Office Paper: All white (bond) paper is collected separately in the container marked "Office Paper" to preserve highest value.

Electronic Waste

New Policy: Due to changes in Global Recycling Markets, the only materials currently eligible for electronics (e-waste) recycling are:

  • Cable boxes
  • Cameras & video equipment
  • Cell phones & chargers
  • Computer components such as:  memory, hard drives, disk drives
  • Computer monitors
  • Computer systems
  • Console video games
  • GPS systems
  • Green board / PC cards
  • Hard drives & memory
  • Internet devices
  • Laptop computers
  • LCD TVs & monitors (none with wood allowed)
  • Printers and Scanners (residential types)
  • Smartphones & PDAs
  • Telephones & telephone systems & related equipment
  • Televisions (all sizes, all ages, all types except those housed in wood)
  • Toner / Laser / Inkjet cartridges (OEM only)
  • Video game consoles & software
  • Wiring & cables
Please do not place other types of household appliances (air filters, electric blankets, radios, vacuums etc.) in the e-waste bin. At this time, the Center does not accept predominantly plastic electric appliances or any major appliances.

QUESTIONS: Please ask office staff.

difficult to Recycle Items:

  • Automobile Batteries: lead-acid cell.
  • Batteries: Alkaline, NiCad, lithium, and auto batteries.
  • Bicycles: Bicycles and bicycle parts - bin for donations / exchange. Customers are allowed to take items from this bin for reuse.
  • Books: Place in blue Discover Books containers or in the Exchange Zone.
  • Magazines: If in reusable condition, place in bin in Exchange Zone. If tattered, place magazines in Mixed Paper bin.
  • Corks: Place in one of two barrels in the Exchange Zone -- one for natural corks, the other for synthetic ones.
  • Exercise equipment: Scrap metal.
  • Eyeglasses: Lions Club Donations - give eye wear to office staff to donate to this program.
  • Fluorescent tubes and CFLs: are part of the Contra Costa County Household Hazardous Waste Program.  As a convenience, we accept CFLs from residents within the RecycleMore Service Area. Fees apply for large quantities: 30 feet or more of tubes or 15 or more bulbs. Fees apply to customers from outside the RecycleMore Service Area.
  • Food Donation: Non-perishable, unopened donations for the Contra Costa Food Bank, within a year of listed date accepted. No glass containers.
  • Hangers: There is a bin for all types of hangers in the Exchange Zone. If in disrepair, metal hangers can be placed in the Scrap Metal bin for recycling.
  • Home Health Equipment: Ask office staff for resources.
  • Sharps and Syringes: Must be in a thick plastic container with a screw top lid. Bin always locked so seek staff for assistance. Fees apply to customers outside the RecycleMore Service Area. See office staff for details.
  • Pharmaceuticals: Remove excess packaging; empty pills into Ziploc-type bag for disposal; mix pills together. Liquids, creams, inhalers do not need to be bagged. Check online for more information on how to use the disposal bin and a list of EBMUD and BayWise disposal sites. Recyclemore.com has additional drop-off locations. Bin always locked; seek staff for assistance. Fees apply to customers outside the RecycleMore Service Area. See office staff for details.
  • Textiles: Clothing, shoes, and household linens in clean, dry, reusable condition can be donated to the Reuse Trailer, receipts available, or are accepted in the USagain green and white bins. Including: towels, sheets, and machine washable rugs.
  • Toner Cartridges: Place in E-waste Bin
  • Used cooking oil: NO SOLID GREASE (please compost solids)
  • Used motor oil and metal filters: 5-gallon container maximum. Metal oil filters only -- no paper filters.
IMPORTANT UPDATES: The Recycling Center accepts clean white block Styrofoam -- ONLY from El Cerrito residents, and ONLY on THURSDAYS. Proof of residency is required. Drive behind the facility just like for the HHW drop-off for the forklift operators to assist you. The Admin Office also accepts fluorescent light bulbs, sharps, and pharmaceuticals from non-residents, for a fee.

Click here for a list of materials NOT accepted at the Recycling Center.