Paper bags are made of varied thicknesses of paper, and are not water-resistant.
Fold for reuse. Soiled from food or beverages? Compost it. Lots of them good, clean condition? Post for free to local groups, like food pantries, for reuse on sites like FreeCycle, Craigslist, NextDoor, FB Buy Nothing, etc..
For information on Alameda County's Bag Law, click here, or on the California State Bag Law, click here. The City of Berkeley has a separate rule.
| Vendor | Address | City | Destination | Disposal Method | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alameda County Community Food Bank | 7900 Edgewater Dr | Oakland | Reuse | Free Drop-off | Stock of non-compliant paper bags from stores affected by the Reusable Bag Law can be donated. Call for details. | |
| Alameda Food Bank (City of Alameda) | 650 W Ranger Ave | Alameda | Reuse | Free Drop-off | Accepts donations of new, unused bags. | |
| All Good Living Foundation |
All Good Living Store 2332 Alameda Ave |
Alameda | Reuse | Free Drop-off | Drop folded food condition grocery/shopping bags (bags in a bag) off at the AGL Store for community closet materials distribution. | |
| Attic Self Storage | 2440 16th Street | San Francisco | Recycle | Drop-off for a Fee | Does your paper need shredding? You can pay to have your paper shredded here. | |
| Berkeley Food Network | 1925 Ninth St | Berkeley | Reuse | Free Drop-off | Clean, usable Reusable Bags with handles for reuse, neatly folded in another bag. Paper, plastic, cloth, etc. accepted. Leftover bag stock (traditional grocery bag size) accepted as well. | |
| Berkeley Recycling Center |
669 Gilman St. (corner of 2nd & Gilman) |
Berkeley | Recycle | Free Drop-off | ||
| Biagini Waste Reduction Systems Inc. | 1150 Hensley Street | Richmond | Recycle | Pick-up for a Fee | ||
| Civicorps Recycling | 101 Myrtle St. | Oakland | Recycle | Drop-off for a Fee | ||
| Concord/Pleasant Hill Recycling Center | 1320 Galaxy Way | Concord | Recycle | Free Drop-off | ||
| Davis Street (WM) Resource Recovery Complex (Transfer Station) | 2615 Davis St. | San Leandro | Recycle | Free Drop-off | Recycle drop-off area | |
| East Bay Depot For Creative Reuse |
4695 Telegraph Ave. (drop-off at loading dock on Shattuck Ave between 46th and 47th streets) |
Oakland | Reuse | Free Drop-off | Reuse condition | |
| El Cerrito Recycling + Environmental Resource Center | 7501 Schmidt Ln. | El Cerrito | Recycle | Free Drop-off | Mixed Paper bin | |
| Farm2Market Farm | 2600 Barbers Point Rd | Alameda | Reuse | Free Drop-off | Clean, dry, folded with intact handles grocery store size only. Leave on the stage inside the farm during listed hours. (100/wk need) | |
| FedEx Office | 1967 Market St | San Francisco | Recycle | Drop-off for a Fee | Does your paper need shredding? You can pay to have your paper shredded here. | |
| FedEx Office | 25 Stanyan St | San Francisco | Recycle | Drop-off for a Fee | Does your paper need shredding? You can pay to have your paper shredded here. | |
| FedEx Office | 303 2nd St | San Francisco | Recycle | Drop-off for a Fee | Does your paper need shredding? You can pay to have your paper shredded here. | |
| FedEx Office | 3225 Fillmore St | San Francisco | Recycle | Drop-off for a Fee | Does your paper need shredding? You can pay to have your paper shredded here. | |
| FedEx Office | 333 O'Farrell | San Francisco | Recycle | Drop-off for a Fee | Does your paper need shredding? You can pay to have your paper shredded here. | |
| FedEx Office | 369 Pine St | San Francisco | Recycle | Drop-off for a Fee | Does your paper need shredding? You can pay to have your paper shredded here. | |
| FedEx Office | 400 Howard St | San Francisco | Recycle | Drop-off for a Fee | Does your paper need shredding? You can pay to have your paper shredded here. |
| Recycling | Organics | Note | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alameda |
Collect good condition for reuse. ### |
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| Albany |
Clean and dry. Compost food-soiled paper bags. ### |
Food-soiled. Clean and dry go in recycling. Collect good condition for reuse. ### |
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| Berkeley |
Collect good condition bags for reuse. ### |
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| Castro Valley Sanitary District |
Reuse good condition bags. ### |
Reuse good condition bags. Compost food soiled paper bags. ### |
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| Dublin |
Collect good condition for reuse. If food-soiled, place in compost. ### |
Collect good condition for reuse. If food-soiled, place in compost. ### |
||
| Emeryville |
Clean and dry. Compost wet or food-soiled paper bags. ### |
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| Fremont |
Collect good condition for reus ### |
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| Hayward |
Collect good condition for reus ### |
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| Hayward (Oro Loma - L2) |
Collect good condition for reus ### |
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| Livermore |
Collect good condition for reuse ### |
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| Newark |
Collect good condition for reus ### |
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| Oakland |
Reuse as possible. If food-soiled, place in Compost. ### |
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| Piedmont |
Collect good condition for reus ### |
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| Pleasanton |
Reuse as possible. If food-soiled, place in Compost. ### |
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| San Leandro |
Collect good condition for reus ### |
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| San Leandro (Oro Loma - L3) |
Collect good condition for reus ### |
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| San Lorenzo (Oro Loma) |
Collect good condition for reus ### |
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| Unincorporated Oro Loma (L1) |
Collect good condition for reus ### |
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| Union City |
Collect good condition bags for reuse at home, shopping or donation to food pantries. ### |
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