History

In 1971, community volunteers opened the E.C.ology Recycling Center on the site of an old rock quarry on Schmidt Lane. The center was open one Saturday every month to accept glass, cans, newspaper, and cardboard.

The City of El Cerrito took over operations of the Recycling Center in 1977 and began the City's first curbside collection program.

In 1989, the California Resource Recovery Association named the El Cerrito Recycling Center "best drop-off center" in the State.

In 1998, the City of El Cerrito received a Trash Cutters Award from the California Integrated Waste Management Board for Program Excellence in Recycling.

Currently, the Environmental Services Division runs both the Recycling Center and the Curbside Program. There are 6 full-time recycling workers and 3 office staff.

Combining the materials from curbside collection and the drop-off center, El Cerrito Recycling Programs recycle approximately 4,500 tons per year.

Did You Know?

• Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a television for 4 hours.
• Recycling a glass jar saves enough energy to light a 100-watt light bulb for 4 hours.
• Every ton of paper made from recycled materials saves about 17 trees.
• Americans throw away enough steel into landfills every year to build all of the new cars made in America.
• Used oil from a single oil change (one gallon) can pollute 1,000,000 gallons of free water - a year's supply for 50 people.
• An estimated 200 million gallons of motor oil is improperly disposed of each year in the U.S. by being dumped on ground, tossed in the trash, and poured down sewers and drains.