The City of El Cerrito's recycling SERVICES

The City of  El Cerrito provides weekly curbside recycling for residential properties and up to three times per week recycling collection for commercial properties.  All recyclables, including paper, cardboard, cans and bottles, and plastic containers (empty, clean, & dry) are collected in grey recycling carts or commercial recycling bins. Residential recycling is collected from curbside on the same day as garbage collection. Please place recycling carts on the street with the wheels against the curb the night before or by 6 am on your collection day. Leave 2 feet between carts and place them 4 feet from cars. Materials placed outside of the recycling cart will not be picked up.

 Holiday Schedule

Curbside collection occurs on all holidays except Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. If those holidays fall on a regular collection day, then collection for that day and all following days in that week will occur one day later than normal, including Saturday if your regular collection day is Friday.

- Updated Residential Brochure in English (Oct 2022) - includes information for the curbside program as well as for the Recycling Center.

     - Residential Brochure - haga clic para ver - Spanish version (Oct 2022)

     - Residential Brochure in Mandarin (Nov 2022)

- Updated Commercial Brochure (Jan 2023) - includes laws and regulations pertinent to the commercial sector.

For More Information, contact greenassistant@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us or call 510-215-4350.

Materials Accepted (curbside):

paper

• Cardboard (must be broken down and placed inside the cart)
• Boxboard (such as shoe boxes, cereal boxes)
• Newspaper
• Magazines, catalogs & glossy paper
• Paper bags
• Paper packaging
• Junk mail
• Phone books & soft-cover books
• Envelopes (labels or windows all okay)
• Office paper (all colors)
• Shredded white paper (compost in green cart) 
• NEW TO CURBSIDE COLLECTION: ALL RINSED CARTONS -- Such as: Milk, juice & Tetra Pak/aseptic (foil-lined) cartons

PLEASE NO hardcover books, binders, tissues, towels, paper with plastic coatings (such as photographs or label paper), food-soiled paper, waxed paper, foil-lined paper, or plastic shipping envelopes. PLEASE compost egg cartons and other food-soiled paper products such as take-out containers, napkins, pizza boxes, paper cups and plates. Drop off hardcover books at the El Cerrito Recycling Center.

metal

• Aluminum cans
• Tin & steel cans
• Clean aluminum pans & foil
• Empty aerosol cans
• Scrap metal (up to 36")
• Pots, pans & utensils
• Loose metal lids from glass jars and bottles

PLEASE NO electronic or computer equipment. Drop off electronics at the El Cerrito Recycling Center.

plastic (Empty, clean & Dry)

• Bottles & jugs: all CRV containers; all numbers & colors; rinsed & empty, leave caps on
• Rigid non-bottle plastics, such as: Tubs & containers (e.g. yogurt, margarine); Buckets, pails & crates; Clamshell trays & deli containers (please rinse and dry); Laundry baskets
  

PLEASE NO Styrofoam or other polystyrene (#6 EPS plastic), PVC (#3 plastic), plastic bags or plastic film / wrap / flexible packaging, bioplastics, plastic straws, plastic utensils, and other small (under 2" x 2") plastic items.

glass (Empty, clean & dry)

• Bottles & jars: all colors, lids removed and recycled loose - (labels okay)
• Must be Empty, Clean & Dry

PLEASE NO window glass, mirrors, crystal, Pyrex, ceramics, light bulbs, or fluorescent tubes / lamps (CFLs).  Window glass, mirrors, Pyrex, ceramics can be upcycled or worst case sent to landfill. Drop off fluorescent tubes / lamps (CFLs) at the El Cerrito Recycling Center. Proof of residency is required.

Please note not all items accepted at the El Cerrito Recycling (Drop-Off) Center are included in the curbside program. Don't put the following items in your recycling cart instead bring them to the Drop-Off Center: batteries, fluorescent tubes & lamps (CFLs), electronics, large pieces of scrap metals, medications, needles & sharps, used cooking oil, non-perishable food for the Food Bank Donation barrel, and clothing / textiles & shoes.
Commercial and Multi-unit Housing accounts: 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 at 510-215-4350.  

additional recycling pick-up services

FREE Annual Bulky Recycling Pick-up

Residents get one extra pick-up per year. Call El Cerrito Recycling at 510-215-4350 for details.

Special Services for the Elderly/Disabled

Backyard collection service is available at no extra cost. Call East Bay Sanitary at 510-237-4321 to request an application for backyard service.