The City of El Cerrito provides weekly recycling collection for all homes, apartments, and businesses in El Cerrito. All recyclables, including papers, cardboard, cans and bottles, plastic containers and bags are collected in grey recycling carts.

Materials Accepted

All Curbside Recycling Materials (small or large quantities) including:

• Mixed Paper- white paper, colored paper, newspaper, shredded paper, file folders, junk mail, magazines, envelopes, etc
• Cardboard- must be broken down and flattened
• Plastic Beverage Containers- all clean plastics, all #s
• Any Hard Plastics or Food Containers- all clean plastics
• Glass Containers- bottles and jars rinsed clean (No plate glass or large glass pieces
• Aluminum, Tin, and Scrap Metals- clean and empty
• Plastic Film and Wrapping- tightly bagged and tied off at the top- clean grocery bags, bread bags, cling wrap, etc
• Plastic Chemical Bottles- all clean plastics that contained chemicals- (Must triple rinse)

Residential recycling is collected from the curbside on the same day as garbage collection. Please place your full recycling bins on the street with the wheels against the curb by 6 am on your collection day. For more details about how to use and set out your cart, download the instructional flyer (PDF, 154Kb) which also includes common reasons why your recyclables might not have been picked up.

Read the curbside collection holiday schedule

Learn how to legally dispose of Used Motor Oil and Used Oil Filters

Elderly or disabled residents who can't move these new carts on their own may subscribe to a free back-yard service. Please call the (510) 215-4350 to request this service (please be prepared to provide proof of senior status or disability).

Commercial and apartment recycling services are scheduled on specific collection days. To find out the collection day for your business or apartment complex, or to set up recycling services, please contact us.

A annual, one-time, free garbage OR greenwaste pick-up service is also available.

For current Trash and Recycling Rates, go to www.el-cerrito.org/recycling/rates.html.

All proceeds from material sales are used to help maintain the curbside collection program and operations at the Recycling Center. We take pride in contributing to the El Cerrito community and providing excellent customer service to City residents.