Guide for Reuse, Repair, Recycling, and Safe Disposal
for Alameda County, Contra Costa County, and the City of Palo Alto

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Plastic Bags

Plastic bags are a type of plastic film that is designed to contain goods.

When shopping or dining out, bring your reusables, reuse plastic and paper bags, or refuse a bag and hand carry items when possible.

Donate neatly folded reusable plastic bag of bags to a local animal shelter or rescue group or food pantry, or stuff newspaper bags to dispensers at local dog parks,or to the community for use by small businesses and residents.

Businesses in Alameda County can use the Bin Liner by City Tool to determine what kind of indoor bin liner your trash, organics, or recycling bin can have. Bag Laws: Alameda County, State of California, City of Berkeley, Overview of the aforementioned laws.

Vendors

Vendor Address City Destination Disposal Method Notes
Berkeley Food Network 1925 Ninth St Berkeley Reuse Free Drop-off Clean, usable Reusable and or Plastic 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.
Tri-Valley Haven: Haven Food Pantry 150 N L St Livermore Reuse Free Drop-off Clean, dry, folded with intact handles in another bag. Call to schedule.
Alameda County Community Food Bank 7900 Edgewater Dr Oakland Reuse Free Drop-off Stock of single use or non-compliant plastic bags from stores affected by the Reusable Bag Law can be donated. Call for details.
McGee Center for Food Faith And Justice 1640 Stuart St Berkeley Reuse Free Drop-off Clean, dry, folded with intact handles in another bag.
Rocket Reuse 1355 Park St. Alameda Reuse Free Drop-off Good condition, folded neatly for reuse from gift bags to grocery bags. Space dependent.
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.
Alameda Food Bank (City of Alameda) 650 W Ranger Ave Alameda Reuse Free Drop-off Accepts donations of new, unused bags.
Good Life Grocery 448 Cortland Ave. San Francisco Recycle Free Drop-off
Home Depot 1625 Sycamore Ave. Hercules Recycle Free Drop-off Plastic shopping bags only
Trader Joe's (3250 Lakeshore Ave) 3250 Lakeshore Ave. Oakland Recycle Free Drop-off Clean film plastic
Best Buy Recycling and Trade-in Program (Hayward) 269 Southland Mall Hayward Recycle Free Drop-off
Trader Joe's 401 Bay St. San Francisco Recycle Free Drop-off
Safeway (39100 Argonaut Way) 39100 Argonaut Way Fremont Recycle Free Drop-off Clean film plastic. If bins are no longer out front, ask manager to move them back for customer
Target (2700 Fifth St) 2700 Fifth Street Alameda Recycle Free Drop-off Clean film plastic
Safeway 5290 Diamond Heights Blvd. San Francisco Recycle Free Drop-off Recycle only clean and dry plastic bags.
Safeway 625 Monterey Blvd. San Francisco Recycle Free Drop-off Recycle only clean and dry plastic bags.
Lucky Supermarket 1515 Sloat Blvd. San Francisco Recycle Free Drop-off Bins located at the entrance of the store.
Best Buy 1490 Fitzgerald Dr. Pinole Recycle Free Drop-off
Home Depot 2090 Meridian Park Blvd. Concord Recycle Free Drop-off Plastic shopping bags only
Safeway (1499 Washington Ave) 1499 Washington Ave San Leandro Recycle Free Mail-in Clean and dry bag of clean film plastics

Curbside Service

Recycling Garbage Note
Alameda
Dirty, wet plastic bags belongs in the trash. If collected as bag-of-bags for grocery store drop-off, must be clean and dry. Loose bags jam recycling equipment.
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Albany
Consider reuse of clean, dry plastic bags. Albany does not accept plastic bags for recycling.
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Berkeley
Dirty, wet plastic bags belongs in the trash. If collected as bag-of-bags for grocery store drop-off, must be clean and dry. Loose bags jam recycling equipment.
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Castro Valley Sanitary District
When collected as bag-of-bags for Recycling Cart/Bin or for grocery store drop-off, must be clean and dry. Loose bags jam recycling equipment. Dirty, wet plastic bags belongs in the trash.
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Dublin
Dirty, wet plastic bags belongs in the trash. If collected as bag-of-bags for grocery store drop-off, must be clean and dry. Loose bags jam recycling equipment.
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Emeryville
Emeryville does not accept plastic bags for recycling.
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Fremont
Dirty, wet plastic bags belongs in the trash. If collected as bag-of-bags for grocery store drop-off, must be clean and dry. Loose bags jam recycling equipment.
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Hayward
Dirty, wet plastic bags belongs in the trash. If collected as bag-of-bags for grocery store drop-off, must be clean and dry. Loose bags jam recycling equipment.
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Hayward (Oro Loma - L2)
Dirty, wet plastic bags belongs in the trash. If collected as bag-of-bags for grocery store drop-off, must be clean and dry. Loose bags jam recycling equipment.
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Livermore
When collected as bag-of-bags for Recycling Cart/Bin or for grocery store drop-off, must be clean and dry. Loose bags jam recycling equipment. Dirty, wet plastic bags belongs in the trash.
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Newark
Dirty, wet plastic bags belongs in the trash. If collected as bag-of-bags for grocery store drop-off, must be clean and dry. Loose bags jam recycling equipment.
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Oakland
Dirty, wet plastic bags belongs in the trash. If collected as bag-of-bags for grocery store drop-off, must be clean and dry. Loose bags jam recycling equipment.
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Piedmont
Dirty, wet plastic film belongs in the trash. Clean, dry flim/flimsy/soft plastics in a plastic bag-of-bags accepted and can be droped at grocery stores, must be clean and dry. Loose film jams recycling equipment.
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Pleasanton
Dirty, wet plastic bags belongs in the trash. If collected as bag-of-bags for grocery store drop-off, must be clean and dry. Loose bags jam recycling equipment.
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San Leandro
Dirty, wet plastic bags belongs in the trash. If collected as bag-of-bags for grocery store drop-off, must be clean and dry. Loose bags jam recycling equipment.
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San Leandro (Oro Loma - L3)
Dirty, wet plastic bags belongs in the trash. If collected as bag-of-bags for grocery store drop-off, must be clean and dry. Loose bags jam recycling equipment.
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San Lorenzo (Oro Loma)
Dirty, wet plastic bags belongs in the trash. If collected as bag-of-bags for grocery store drop-off, must be clean and dry. Loose bags jam recycling equipment.
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Unincorporated Oro Loma (L1)
Dirty, wet plastic bags belongs in the trash. If collected as bag-of-bags for grocery store drop-off, must be clean and dry. Do not put loose bags in the recycling cart as they jam the recycling equipment.
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Union City
Dirty, wet plastic bags belongs in the trash. If collected as bag-of-bags for grocery store drop-off, must be clean and dry. Loose bags jam recycling equipment.
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