Place empty aerosol cans (ex. paint, hairspray, cooking spray) with the lids separated from the can.

Not empty yet? Use it up, find someone else who can use it, or if toxic, like paint or chemicals, bring it to a hazardous waste facility.

Offer good condition drip irrigation parts & film for reuse. Farm quantity drip tubing and film plastic may have recycling options. Place broken or sun damaged materials in the trash.

Many agricultural plastics (ex. mulch film, drip tape, pesticide containers) are recyclable. However, due to the high level of contamination (dirt, rocks, plant material, etc.), most of this material is not currently recycled. There are several recycling operations in the state (Revolution Plastics) that recycle various types of agricultural plastics. EPR has begun with ag plastics in Canada.

For ag plastic chemical containers (HDPE jugs & drums), follow Agricultural Container Recycling Council's triple-rinse rules and contact the regional contractor for pick up schedules in your area. Pesticide container recycling in California is under the purview of the California Department of Pesticide Regulation.

Consider donation of working models.

Free of food and grease/oil for recycling. Paper-lined foil belongs in trash.

If you have suspected asbestos in a building, hire a certifed contractor to ensure personal safety, for regulatory compliance, real estate disclosures, and long term liability for exposing others due to it being an airborne hazard.

Go to the Bay Area Air District for information on asbestos compliance and enforcement. Learn about asbestos packaging, transportation, and disposal requirements through the DTSC. For asbestos health related questions, contact the CCC Health Services in Contra Costa County and the Healthy Homes Department in Alameda County.

A landfill must be authorized to accept asbestos wastes by its Regional Water Quality Control Board. Before you take asbestos to a landfill, call it to determine whether you need an appointment or whether they have any special requirements.

Asbestos is not accepted by the Alameda County HHW Facilities.

Make sure to place fireplace, stove and barbecue ashes in a metal container with a tight fitting lid. Put the container outside,10 feet or more away from your home and combustibles, and wet the ashes down. Once cold, bag ashes so they do not blow away during collection (paper bag okay). For more information, go to: Cal Fire, FEMA, &/or NFPA

Consider repair before disposal, or DIY repair through iFixit.

The item may be considered electronic waste if it is a covered electronic device and recycled/processed as such.

Safety glass and car windshields contaminate curbside accepted food and beverage container glass.

Consider repair as possible.

Even our favorite furniture pieces may need some TLC. See our Furniture Repair fact sheet for tips on wood, leather, and fabric repair, reupholstery, and stain removal, or Textiles Repair fact sheet for fixing zippers and tears.

Consider reuse or repair before disposal, or DIY repair through iFixit.

Electric Vehicle (EV) Battery:Contact the dealer or manufacturer for take-back collection for future end-of-life collection for processing.

Find more information on our Battery Fact Sheet.

Find more information on our Battery Fact Sheet.

Contact the installer, manufacturer, or maintenance company for take back and most current protocols. For systems with lead acid batteries that are similar to auto batteries, please contact an auto battery recycler.

Empty and drip-free.

Consider offering high quality older bikes to community bicycle repair and redistribution organizations.

DIY repair through iFixit or other online repair resources such as The Culture of Repair & The Crucible's Bike Repair Manual & Bike Maintenance Manual, or Bikeride's repair video tutorials by bike part.

Drop-off electric bicycle batteries for recycling at Call2Recycle e-bike collection sites- which are often bike shops.

Empty and drip-free.

As of Jan. 1, 2024, there are new eligible beverage containers for redemption in the California Beverage Recycling Program. Consumers pay CA Redemption Value (CRV) when they purchase beverages from a retailer. Find changes to the program and redemption locations here, or call 1-800-RECYCLE.

Donate to keep books in circulation. Find a Little Library location near you to add or borrow books.

Donate to keep books in circulation. Find a Little Library location near you to add or borrow books.

Consider online resale of good condition recent editions, or donation of good condition recent editions to community organizations like prisons. Recycle damaged, torn, out of dates book, completely highlighted/written in, and the removed hard covers. Small amounts of textbooks should be placed in a recycling bin at a time (<20). The binding on hard cover books is a major issue for textbook recycling as it is very challenging for the recycling machinery to process.

Consider reuse before recycling with clean, dry film in front of grocery store collection bins.

Consider reuse or posting for reuse on FreeCycle, Craigslist, or such. Compost hubs may be interested in high volume donations.

Do not put loose in recycling as these break recycling machines. Gather for ewaste recycling.

Consider donation or post online for reuse.

Dried out from rain or such, may be recycled. Food-soiled cardboard belongs in Organics/Compost.

Find CARE drop-off sites & preparation guidelines for carpet, carpet tiles, and padding here for residents and businesses. (California Carpet Stewardship Program). Click here outside CA.

See CalRecycle's resources on best practices for carpet removal (from Kings Co., WA), how to prepare and load a trailer of waste carpet.

Few thrift organizations accept these materials unless they are in new-like condition. Consider posting to FreeCycle, Craigslist, NextDoor, or such for reuse.

Few thrift organizations accept these materials unless they are in new-like condition. Consider posting to FreeCycle, Craigslist, NextDoor, or such for reuse. There are very limited recycling options for this material. Consider reuse before disposal.

There are very limited recycling options for this material. Consider reuse before disposal.

Consider repair and reuse options before recycling as electronic waste.

Consider reuse or repair before disposal.

Materials that should not be mixed into curbside recycling: drinking or wine glasses and plates, ceramics, Pyrex or other heat resistant glass, light bulbs, computer monitors, phone screens, plate glass: windows, sliding doors (can be recycled separately), safety glass, car windshields, art glass and leaded crystal, mirrors

Once stripped of covers, strapping and styrofoam, the plastic base may be recyclable. Consider posting recent, good condition car seat covers as spares with brand/model information.

Target Annual Car Seat Trade-in (2022 Sept/2021 April)

Collect for electronic waste recycling.

Consider renting a living tree for the season, or planting it in your yard after the holidays to avoid waste. Cut, live Christmas trees (conifers) must be stripped of all decorations, lights, stand, tinsel, and un-bagged to be mulched and composted. Some cities need the tree cut to fit into the Green/Organics Bin. Flocked trees must be cut to fit in your Garbage Cart, as the flocking material make them unacceptable for composting. Check with your curbside service provider for details and dates for pick-up for residents and businesses.

Reuse or donate good condition holiday and seasonal items, artificial Christmas trees, string lights (working/non-working), gift wrap (paper gift wrap, metallic gift wrap) and tissue paper.

Cigarettes and Cigarette Filters was the number one item found by count in Coastal Cleanup Days from 1988-2017. Most marine debris starts as urban litter.

Consider repair to reuse or donate. For DIY, see iFixit.

Reuse is best! Share locally on FreeCycle, Craigslist, NextDoor, etc. Click here to learn more about clothing repair, stain removal for clothing and linens (DIY & non-toxic cleaners), and donation/recycling programs.

Return good condition hangers to a local dry cleaners/alterations business for reuse.

Reuse is best! Share locally on listservs, with local families, neighborhood schools, or on FreeCycle, Craigslist, NextDoor, etc., or local charity organizations to reduce your climate impact.

Stain removal & repairs keep clothing in use.Click here to learn more about clothing repair, stain removal for clothing and linens, and donation/recycling programs.

Reuse is best! Share locally on listservs, with friends, family, neighbors, local groups, or on FreeCycle, Craigslist, NextDoor, etc., or other local charity organizations to reduce your climate impact.

Click here to learn more about clothing repair, stain removal for clothing and linens, and donation/recycling programs.

Reuse is best! Share locally on listservs, with local families, neighborhood schools, or on FreeCycle, Craigslist, NextDoor, etc., or local charity organizations to reduce your climate impact.

Click here to learn more about clothing repair, stain removal for clothing and linens, and donation/recycling programs.

Consider reusable coffee pods to fill with your favorite local roast.

Compost the used coffee grounds, and note the packaging placed in a curbside composting program may be screened out as a contaminate if it does not break down in the municipal composting process over a few months.

Consider repair, reuse, resale, and donation for these special items on local and national online platforms.

Damaged or empty propane tanks and cylinders are hazardous waste and should never be put in the garbage or recycling as they could become punctured during the collection process and cause a fire or injury.

Empty, good condition tanks can be exchanged or refilled where you got it (e.g. 1lb or 5-20lb propane cylinders, SodaStream gas cylinders) or have the supplier come pick it up. Look for a label to contact and return an unwanted cylinder to. Old, rusty or unknown cylinders may be taken to a scrap metal company once they have been completely emptied with the valves safely removed. Companies that specialize in gas cylinders may offer this service.

Consider refurbishing or repair before recycling, or DIY repair through iFixit.

Consider refurbishing or repair before recycling, or DIY repair through iFixit.

Consider refurbishing or repair before recycling, or DIY repair through iFixit.

Visit the Recycling Certification Institute's website for third-party verified diversion rates for recycling facilities. RecyclerFinder is an online and mobile application for quickly locating facilities nationwide that handle C&D and other recycled materials.

Click here for Alameda County Codes & Standards, deconstruction, reuse, and built environment information. Waste Tracking is a web-based construction waste management tool that StopWaste was involved with developing.

Consider refurbishing or repair before recycling, or DIY repair through iFixit.

Consider repurposing corks before collecting for recycling. Did you know cork comes from the bark of the cork oak, native to the Mediterranean, and does well in the Bay Area? Bark stripping is carried out manually, and the tree regenerates the bark. Cork oaks can live to 200 years of age.

Empty and drip-free.

As of Jan. 1, 2024, there are new eligible beverage containers for redemption in the California Beverage Recycling Program. Consumers pay CA Redemption Value (CRV) when they purchase beverages from a retailer. Find changes to the program and redemption locations here, or call 1-800-RECYCLE.

Empty and drip-free.

As of Jan. 1, 2024, there are new eligible beverage containers for redemption in the California Beverage Recycling Program. Consumers pay CA Redemption Value (CRV) when they purchase beverages from a retailer. Find changes to the program and redemption locations here, or call 1-800-RECYCLE.

If known to be poisoned (ex. rats), place in trash. Contact your vet for pets, cats and dogs or animal control. Contact local animal control (e.g. deer, neighbors pet, injured or entrapped/tangled animal) or large livestock.

Food & Ag's List of Active Haulers (farm animals). Marine Wildlife Reporting (dead & injured).

Consider repair and donation.

Consider donation.

Wipes clog pipes! Do not flush wipes, diapers, menstrual products; put them in the trash. All used diapers, even those called "compostable" must be thrown in the trash or picked up by a "compostable diaper" service. Never place diapers in recycling - people hand sort recycling at the start of the process; keep them safe.

Did you know drywall scraps can be placed in the interior wall cavities during new construction? This will eliminate the disposal and transportation costs.

Consider refurbishing or repairing ewaste before recycling. Find repair information, manuals and videos through the manufacturer, YouTube, iFixit, and repair specialists. Designate a box to accumulate broken electronics over time.

The EPA recommends that businesses use third-party certified electronics recyclers (e-Stewards® and/or R2) to manage unwanted used electronics.

Envelopes with a clear window can be recycled without removing the clear plastic.

Consider repair for reuse before disposal. DIY repair resources through iFixit.

Permanent warning label will mention tritium, 3H or H-3, display the three-bladed radiation warning symbol, and state "Caution-Radioactive Materials." Click here for information on identification and handling. Tritium exit signs cannot be disposed of in the ordinary trash or given to another individual not specifically licensed by the CDPH or Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Persons installing and removing exit signs should take caution to minimize their exposure in the event the glass tubes are broken.

Consider donation for prescription glasses in good condition to a Lion's Club collection center. Bring broken glasses into your optician for repair or reframing your lenses with a replacement frame. Many DIY options exist for reuse of lenses and repairing frames. Consider finding vintage frames for your current prescription. Many thrifts accept sunglasses and readers for reuse to their customers. Broken beyond repair glasses belong in the garbage.

Find a participating eye doctor's office to drop-off old contact lenses & blister packs for recycling through TerraCycle. Share unexpired new condition contact lenses and solution to your community for reuse with perscription details.

Consider reuse or repair before disposal. DIY repair resources through iFixit. Offer up locally for folks to upcycle into art, houseware, textiles, and furnishings.

Repurposing ideas.

Accepted at Household Hazardous Waste Facilities.

Consider donation or post online for reuse.

Did you know that reducing food waste is one of the leading solutions to climate change? Go to StopFoodWaste.org for Food Saving Tips and Tricks.

As of January 1, 2022, a new California law states businesses who currently throw away edible food must now recover and donate it. Click here for rules, resources, and lists in Alameda County, and here for Contra Costa County.

Find food distribution sites: Alameda County Community Food Bank Locator, Contra Costa & Solano County Locator, Palo Alto Locator

Consider using reusables instead of single-use items.

Most composters across California now view compostable plastic as a contaminant to the finished compost and are screening these and along with other single-use plastics out and putting them into the landfill. Compost is a soil amendment that gets applied to agricultural lands to nourish the soil that the food and beverages we consume are grown.

Find PFAS-free compostable fiber-based and plastic food ware products: BPI-certified list ; CMA-Approved list; and CEH’s foodware database. Learn about BPI Certification here. The Center for Environmental Health's Green Screen Certified Foodware database shows products without PFOAs and other toxic chemicals.

To know if you're paper cup, plate, or to-go container is plastic-lined (e.g. poly-coated) on the inside, look for the shiny plastic coating. Wax-lined cups are quite uncommon though treated like non-polycoated paper (compostable). Foil-lined paper, like cake pads, boxes, or cupcake liners, belongs in the garbage.

Consider carrying reusables with you for coffee and tea drinks and take-out food. Ask your local eateries about replacing disposables with reusables.

Consider replacing disposables with reusables.

Wash & reuse once you have them. Consider sharing large quantities for reuse by the community.

Did you know California has a new law that requires all retail food facilities and food delivery platforms to provide single-use foodware accessories (ex. forks, knives, spoons, chopsticks, condiments, straws & stirrers) upon request only? Find our more here.

Consider reusables. Most cities have Styrofoam take out container bans. Contact your City directly to report an eatery distributing food in Styrofoam.

Consider washing for reuse or repurposing before composting.

Consider donation or post online for reuse.

Do not mix old fuel with any other solutions. Even water can be dangerous. Mark your gas can with your name and number when you drop off at the HHW Facilities, and they will let you know when you can return to pick it up.

Even our favorite furniture pieces may need some TLC. See our Furniture Repair fact sheet for tips on wood, leather, and fabric repair, reupholstery, and stain removal, or Textiles Repair fact sheet for fixing zippers and tears.

Consider reuse or repair before disposal. DIY repair resources through iFixit.

Consider reuse or repair before disposal. DIY repair resources through iFixit.

Consider repair before disposal. DIY repair resources through iFixit.

Consider folding for reuse for future celebrations or creative reuse.

Consider reuse or repair before disposal. DIY repair resources through iFixit.

Materials that should not be mixed into curbside recycling: drinking or wine glasses and plates, ceramics, Pyrex or other heat resistant glass, light bulbs, computer monitors, phone screens, plate glass: windows, sliding doors (can be recycled separately), safety glass, car windshields, art glass and leaded crystal, mirrors

It's okay, we won't tell.

Consider reuse or donation of cards in good condition.

Consider organizing for reuse and creative reuse. Adding these to your curbside recycling bin loose, they most likely will end up with the crushed glass and may likely end up being landfilled. Donating to a place that will sort for reuse and resale is the highest and best use, besides doing this for your own use. Taking these to a scrap metal bin to place in directly will have the highest recycling possibility.

The results refer to small helium tanks most often used to fill party balloons. Use up contents as possible before dropping-off at an Household Hazardous Waste Facility.

For larger gas cylinders that were filled with helium, contact a gas cylinder supplier/handler.

Old hoses will jam recycling machinery and are not accepted in curbside recycling.

Consider donating unused or little-used items in good condition to those transitioning into new housing or women's and family shelters.

Consider donation or resale for items in good condition.

Clean, like-new bagged insulation may be donated to a building reuse center or offered online for reuse.

Consider donation or resale.

Junk mail is unwanted advertisements, catalogues, and other paper documents received through the mail.

Click on each company and read the notes associated with it. Contact each relevant company and follow the steps they provide to opt-out of the mail services they provide. Start saving address labels (or taking photos) to ensure you opt-out of each iteration of your mailing address name and spelling.

Consider donation, reuse, or offering online items in working condition.

Consdider donation and repair before disposal.

Clean, good/new condition materials may be accepted by school, college, or university science labs.

Contact TerraCycle about their lab materials recycling programs.

Consider reuse or donation.

Consider resale or donation for reuse.

EPA's Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting Rule requires common renovation activities like sanding, cutting, and demolition, which can create hazardous lead dust, are conducted properly by trained and certified contractors or individuals. For more information, please visit the EPA.

Here are resources for lead painted items in Alameda County Healthy Homes Program.

Do not throw fluorescent or other mercury-containing lights in the trash or recycling bins. High intensity discharge, metal halide, sodium and neon lights all contain mercury as well. It’s illegal and mercury exposure can harm the brain, heart, and immune and nervous systems. Mercury products contaminate California’s drinking water, fish, soil, and air when they are not managed properly. The mercury limit in drinking water is 2 parts per billion in California, since even low quantities are extremely hazardous.

The following lamps are considered hazardous in California: fluorescent lamps, compact fluorescent lamps, HID lamps, High intensity discharge lamps, metal halide lamps, sodium vapor lamps, grow lamps, Zenon lamps, headlights - auto, mercury vapor lamps, video projector lamps, ultraviolet lamps, UV lamps, water treatment lamps, sun lamps, tanning lamps, mercury containing lamps, LED lamps. The following ballasts are considered hazardous in California: light fixture ballasts, lamp ballasts, electronic ballasts, fluorescent light ballasts, HID light ballasts, PCB containing ballasts, no-PCB ballasts.

Be sure to transport in a way that prevents breakage. If a light breaks, refer to epa.gov/cfl. If a bulb breaks, open a window to disperse mercury vapor, collect the shards with tape, and place in a closed and sealed container—do not vacuum!

How are lights recycled? Lights must be recycled at EPA-approved sites. Glass is recycled or landfilled, recovered metal is recycled, and mercury is stored, disposed, or reused.

Consider reuse or repair before disposal. DIY repair resources through iFixit.

Consider repair, stain removal and reuse before donation to an organization that has reuse and/or rag and textile shredding capactity.

Click here to learn more about clothing repair, stain removal for clothing and linens, donation/recycling programs, and customizing & cleaning furniture.

Swap plants, seeds, cuttings, grafts, and accessories with neighbors, friends, family, and community members to spread joy and keep them out of the landfill. Post online or set up a free plant stand or swap.

Visit the Lawn to Garden Marketplace for a complete directory of Bay Area sources for bulk recycled compost, mulch, and sheet mulch materials and visit the FAQ section for tips for buying bulk compost.

Use StopWaste's Gardening at Home resources to make worm or home compost for your house or garden plants.

Are you looking to start a veggies, herbs or flowers? Check out free seeds from seed libraries or find a farmer's market to find starts. See Alameda County's list of Seed Libraries and Catalogs.

Consider donation for reuse.

Consider reuse or repair before disposal. DIY repair resources through iFixit.

Consider reuse or donation before disposal.

Consider posting online for repair, donation or resale.

Boat Waste resources: Boating Clean & Green, Pumpout Nav App, SF Bay Clean Boating Map, Bilge Care & Preventing Oil Spills, Fishing Line, Abandoned Vessels, Oil, Chemical & Hazardous Waste Spills

East & West Contra Costa, and San Mateo County boaters can get a discount on USCG safe marine flares - info here.

Donate or offer up your mattress, box spring, and futon for reuse to your community before recycling. Find a collection site at ByeByeMattress for no cost or a small incentive payment. Wet, moldy, and/or bed bug items must be landfilled and will not be accepted for recycling (see full list). Learn what gets recycled from a mattress.

New mattress being delivered? California law requires retailers to offer to take back your old one at no cost.

Clean and dry pillows, mattress toppers, bed frames and bedlinens to be donated separately.

Organizations are most able to accept reusable working equipment in good condition that can be cleaned and new/unused single-use materials in packaging. Corporate donations can find an accredited Medical Surplus Recovery Organization here and donate products to them.

Pre-filled syringes and auto-injectors with an integral or attached needle is considered a "sharp."

Old vitamins and supplements may be composted along with the cotton filler. Packaging can be recycled (ex. clean, dry plastic bottle) or put in the garbage (ex. blister packs). Silica gel packs can be reused (e.g. edible dry goods) or landfilled.

Unmedicated lotions, cosmetics, fragrances, sunscreen agents, and similar products belong in your household trash. Do not put these products down the drain or into the toilet.

Prepare your medicines for disposal before arriving at a kiosk site. Accepted items include all prescription drugs in any dosage form (e.g. pills, liquids, creams, aerosols). Protect your privacy by removing or obscuring any labels showing your personal information on drug containers or vials. You can pour all your pills into a Zip-lock bag no larger than 1 gallon in size, and recycle the vials and other containers in your home recycling. Liquids and creams should remain in their original containers and tightly closed to prevent leakage. Aerosols should have their protective caps affixed to prevent accidental discharge. Remove inhaler vials from the inhaler housing. Kiosks are located near the pharmacy area, or for hospitals and police departments, in the lobby.

At the kiosk: Take care at the kiosk not to introduce too many materials into the kiosk drop-chute at one time. Check the kiosk chute after closing to ensure the drugs dropped into the kiosk. Federal law prevents anyone from reviewing or examining the drugs you wish to dispose, so place them in the kiosk yourself – do not accept any unsolicited assistance to do so.

If there are problems with the information or services provided by MedProject.org, please contact safedrugdisposal@acgov.org.

In the old style of thermostats with a lever or switch - not the newer electronic kind - there is mercury inside the sealed glass tilt switch.

Properly recycling mercury thermostats is the law. Use the Thermostat Recycling Location Finder to find free drop-off sites near you. Residents, contractors, and businesses all qualify for rebates of up to $30 per mercury thermostat.

Consider reuse or repair before disposal. DIY repair resources through iFixit.

Milk, Juice, and Ice Cream Cartons are made from paperboard coated with a waterproof plastic, generally polyethylene (plastic). There are drink cartons lined with "renewable and plant-based" resin, however the resin behaves like conventional plastic and does not break down in municipal composting systems. Renewable materials are generally understood to be made from matter that can be regenerated or regrown in a human lifetime vs non-renewable conventional plastics made from petroleum. See more here.

Ice cream container lids with thick plastic around the edges belong in the garbage.

Wine cartons, boxes, & pouches as of Jan 1, 2024 are eligible for CA CRV. Learn more here.

Contact your contractor for proper C&D recycling and disposal services if you are doing home remodeling, construction, or demolition projects to order a debris box for C&D to be sorted for recyclables.

Businesses in Alameda County: Use the Bin Liner by City Tool to determine what kind of indoor bin liner your trash, organics, or recycling bin can have.

Post online for reuse.

Consider reuse or repair before disposal. DIY repair resources through iFixit.

It is illegal for needles and other sharps to be placed into trash or recycling containers. People hand sort at the start of the recycling process; keep them safe by not placing used needles in plastic containers and putting them in your recycling bin.

Sharps, syringes, needles, auto injectors, prefilled syringes with needle, and lancets should be in a sealed FDA cleared Sharps container. Sharps containers are available in most drug stores and from mail order & internet ecommerce sources. Kiosks in pharmacies, Hospitals and Police Departments can accept Sharps containers up to 1 gallon in size. HHW Facilities accept larger sharps containers.

Sharps containers are available in most drug stores and from mail order & internet e-commerce sources.

Free Mail-back containers mailed directly to your home are available by calling 1-844-633-7765 or visiting med-project.org, choose "Mail Back" to fill out an on-line order form. Novo Nordisk also has a free Mail-back container service for their customers: 1-877-438-0564.

Consider donation through posting online, non-profits, schools, community organizations, or companies that specialize in office furniture (i.e. cubicles) redistribution. Most small thrifts do not accept large volumes of or office furniture in general, unless it's very good condition that can be used in a home.

Consider reuse, repair, reupholstering, and remanufacturing. Find out how they are good for people, the planet, and the business from Center for Environmental Health. If you need to purchase new furniture, use their guide to Choosing Healthier Furniture.

This is a notoriously tricky item to dispose of. If it works, please pass it along for reuse at a community thrift, NextDoor, Facebook Buy Nothing Group in your city, or such.

Consider repair before disposal. The internet has many DIY video tutorials on fixing for the common reasons these stop working. Your oil-filled heater brand's website will have repair how-to information and can be contacted regarding issues (ex. DeLonghi). Alternately, contact a local heater repair company regarding repair or refurbishing.

Oil-filled heaters are considered a major appliance under the Public Resources Code. Click here for DTSC's list of Certified Appliance Recyclers. Appliance recyclers have contractors to remove the mineral oil. Most bulky and curbside programs accept appliances. This metal appliance is not accepted by Household Hazardous Waste facilities, however, the drained mineral oil from the heaters is accepted in a resealable, labeled bottle. Contact a metal recycler, appliance recycler, and/or your bulky pick-up service provider for recycling of broken oil-filled heaters.

Consider if the food is still edible by people: Deciphering Dates on Products or StillTasty. Then consider feeding animals - high quantity or volume - like pig farmers. Then feed the soil.

Depackage by hand, recycle empty, dry rigid plastics and metals, and compost edible materials. Contact your hauler if you need additional service. Commercial depackaging services are becoming more available for pallets, cases, and containers. Consider paying staff to depackage by hand to meet state regulations of keeping organics out of the landfill.

For Edible Food & Product donation, start here.

Store and save in a large garbage bag (clear is desirable). Post online for reuse - to use for moving or packing delicate items, along with any air pillows and bubble wrap. Packing and shipping stores that reuse these may or may not have space - consider contacting them before you go.

Offer it up for community members and organizations to use, before taking it for recycling.

Drop-off paint for recycling at no cost to a local PaintCare site. Accepted items include house paint as well as primers, stains, sealers, and clear coatings such as shellac and varnish.

If paint is dry, tap paint chunks into trash. Place dry, empty can or bucked into recycling bin with lid separated - if accepted for recycling in your curbside program. Use up wet leftover paint, offer it to neighbors, or drop it off for recycling at a PaintCare partner paint store.

Rags, stirrers, pans and brushes with dried paint may go into the garbage. Empty spray paint belongs in the recycing bin (cap off); click here for partially uses cans of spray paint.

Post for reuse - 100's of repurposing projects on the internet - or find a recycler.

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.

Empty, dry cardboard, paperboard, food and beverage glass, aluminum, steel, and plastics #1 & #2's can be recycled curbside when empty of product.

Contact your brands for their take-back or packaging recycling policy. Consider reuse of cleaned packaging before disposal. Plastic sprayers, pumps, and droppers may be cleaned & reused, but are generally considered contamination in the recycling bin. Empty tubes for lotion, lip and eye products, and such belong in the trash, along with sachets or packets made of multiple materials like plastic, paper &/or foil/metal.

Learn about why recycling beauty packaging is hard & actions to take, like finding a shop to bring your own packaging to refill or choosing brands that sell refills.

Per CalRecycle, please do not put unmedicated lotions, cosmetics, fragrances, sunscreen agents, and similar products down the drain or into the toilet; the best "somewhere else" to throw these items is your household trash. Landfills are the best place at present to dispose of personal care products when they are no longer being used. Click here for medicated lotions, creams and shampoos, and here for nail polish. Old vitamins and supplements may be composted.

Non-medicated products: use up, donate or place in trash. Reuse the container, and check if your brand offers a take back for recycling program for the container/packaging.

Find a shop to bring your own packaging to refill with personal care products..

Never flush wipes, menstrual products, or dental floss - these clog pipes. Keep lotions, cosmetics, fragrances, sunscreen agents, and similar products out of the drain and toilet; the best "somewhere else" to throw these items is your household trash. Medicines, medicated lotions, creams and shampoos go to a Meds Drop-box (here); nail polish and acetone goes to a Household Hazardous Waste facility. Vitamins & supplements go in the organics bin.

Pet waste and litter from pets who eat meat (such as carnivores cats or omnivores dogs) belongs in the trash. Cat waste does not belong in the toilet as it causes toxoplasmosis in sea otters (drains to bay/ocean). Litter and waste from vegetarian pets (such as rodents and birds), may go into the green bin unless pets take medication.

Repaired and refurbished pianos, delivered locally, are more apt to find a new home. Many piano stores sell used pianos, tuned by their technicians (see Piano Technicians Guild), through consignment, and have partner piano moving companies to direct you to. Piano donations, including the moving and tuning fee, may be welcomed by senior centers, community centers, clubs (ex. Boys & Girls, Rotary, Lions), high schools & colleges, and piano players/students. Share an image, condition, size, brand, age, details, and current use with your local and social networks (ex. Facebook Buy Nothing in your city group, local PTAs, piano stores & teachers, NextDoor, etc.).

Consider washing, replacing the cover, and reusing or donating as possible. Tips for washing different pillow types.

Consider washing, replacing the cover, and reusing or donating as possible. Tips for washing different pillow types. FYI Pillow stuffing (and stuffed animals) make great pet bed inserts.

Consider reuse, donation, and repair.

Materials that should not be mixed into curbside recycling: drinking or wine glasses and plates, ceramics, Pyrex or other heat resistant glass, light bulbs, computer monitors, phone screens, plate glass: windows, sliding doors (can be recycled separately), safety glass, car windshields, art glass and leaded crystal, mirrors

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.

Bubble envelopes that are all plastic (without paper lining and not Mylar) may be collected with clean plastic film & bags for recycling.
Consider cutting the opening to the size you need it, covering up the mailing label and reusing for future shipping needs. Offer a large quantity up to the community for packing material.

Consider reusing these signs for messaging that is important to you or your community, or repurpose for schoolyard art projects attached to fencing with zip ties. The wire stand can be recycled at scrap metal collection facilities. Putting the stand in a curbside recycling cart jams recycling machinery. If printing these signs, think about how they could be evergreen - reused over time. For example, a graduation lawn sign without the year to be reused by graduates annually.

Consider reuse or repair before disposal. New in package liners will be accepted as houseware at thrifts. Do not place old plastic shower curtain liners in recycling bins as they will jam the equipment.

Consider reusing polyester stuffing for other projects, or offering up for others to use for their projects through online community groups, or Craigslist, FreeCycle, Buy Nothing, Next Door or such. Thrifts will accept new in package filling.

Consider donation or posting online for reuse.

Consider donation or posting online for reuse.

Reusables can last up to 10 years and can be refilled hundreds of times. Reusables save money because you only pay for the gas and filling service, not the container! Reusables reduce the impact on landfills and the environment.

Consider donation or posting online for reuse.

Consider reuse or repair before disposal. DIY repair resources through iFixit or local Fixit clinics. Radios without "electronics" are considered electrical and may go into the garbage when beyond repair, reuse or refurbishing. Digitial &/or bluetooth radios and speakers with electronic components - think digital screen and having a computer chip - would be considered an electronic device, and when beyond repair, refurbishing or reuse, considered e-waste.

Consider reuse or repair before disposal. DIY repair resources through iFixit.

Dehumidifiers with refrigerants are treated like "refrigerators" when they need to be replaced, repaired, or recycled.

When shopping or dining out, bring your reusable bags, reuse plastic and paper bags, or refuse a bag. For information on Alameda County's Bag Law, click here, or on the California State Bag Law, click here.

Consider donation or posting online for reuse. Consider cleaning it and repurposing your rugs and mats before disposal. Find a carpet/rug cleaner to rent or borrow, or have a specialist work on it at their shop or bring their tools to your site. A clean but stained, work rug or mat may be perfect in an another area of your home, or may be just the thing for another site.

Separate the larger metal piece as scrap metal for curbside recycling and the plastic pieces go into the trash. The separated electronic waste (circuit board) is accepted at the HHW Facilities. Read Earth911's in-depth article for detailed information.

Sawdust and scraps from wood that is made with glues, like plywood or engineered lumber, belongs in the trash.

Consider reuse or repair before disposal, or DIY repair through iFixit or FixIt Clinics.

Poor condition looks different to different folks. Tie or rubber band pairs of shoes so they stay together and donate them for possible reuse or recycling.

Consider reuse or repair before disposal. DIY repair resources through iFixit. Consider repair and reuse before disposal. Remove all engine fluids before recycling or disposal.

Consider donation or posting online for reuse. Needs a little repair? Find DIY repair resources through iFixit or local Fixit Clinics.

Consider offering clean soil for free to the community on NextDoor, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist or such as many folks will want it to use for their own gardening and construction projects. If you have it on a tarp, in buckets or reusable bags, it will be easy for others to take what they need from your front yard project.

Problem with your solar panels? Contact your installer or service provider for repair options. If the panels need to be replaced but still operate, donate for reuse or contact a reseller (ex. Habitat for Humanity). In California, DTSC lists Universal Waste Recyclers that treat Solar Panels (PV Modules). Note that some recyclers only accept from large private companies or government contracts - not from consumers. Solar Panel Handlers consolidate and then send them to recyclers. Many panels don't make it to recyclers due to the cost to recycle per panel; panels are most often transported to other states for recycling.

The California Product Stewardship Council's Solar Panel Stewardship hosts the most current links to policy, studies, and articles on solar panels. Considering solar? PG&E's Residential Guide to Solar Installation. Solar Permitting Guidebook (4th Edition). The California Energy Commission maintains a list of PV modules available by manufacturer and model number, and includes the hazardous content. Updates from E-Scrap and E-Reuse Conference.

Consider reuse or repair before disposal. DIY repair resources through iFixit.

Consider reuse or repair before disposal. DIY repair resources through iFixit.

Offer portions of or whole bales to local gardeners, schools, or farms.

Styrofoam recycling drop-off may be a good choice if you have a lot and you combine it with another trip to that area. Avoid or minimize purchases that you know will be packed in Styrofoam. Reach out to the company that you received the Styrofoam from and ask them to use another material, or a convenient means of recycling it. Support extended producer responsibility. Choose products that contain post-consumer recycled plastic.

Due to the light-weight nature of Styrofoam, food waste makes up most of the weight (30%) in our landfills. While it may feel bad to throw large volumes of Styrofoam in the garbage, eating food too-good-to-waste and composting food scraps has a bigger environmental impact by decreasing GHG emissions of food in the landfill. Source link.

Remove tape from paper and cardboard as possible to ensure the fiber product is recycled. Share good condition used rolls of tape with the community for reuse (ex. duct, masking, clear, washi, electrical) through online listservs and groups.

Consider donation or reuse if in good condition. Older, vintage landline telephones without "electronics" though electrical, may go into the garbage. Modern telephone systems with electronic components - think digital screen and having a computer chip - would be considered an electronic device and when broken or beyond repair, considered e-waste.

Consider donation or posting online for reuse.

Consider reuse or repair before disposal. Check with an alteration specialist to see if their machines can handle sewing repairs. Local sporting goods and outdoor stores may have a repair program.
Posting broken gear on NextDoor, Craigslist, or Buy Nothing with the issues your gear is in may get rehomed by people who are willing to repair it, buy replacement parts, or have alternate use cases.

Consider posting leftover boxes for reuse or donation to a building supply store.

Contact a local tire dealer about recycling. Use CalRecycle to search for a tire recycler.

Contact your Brand or manufacturer about take-back/recycling programs.

Consider loaning or donating tools to your community.

Excited to start a DIY project but need to borrow a saw? Do you need a pair of loppers to trim your fruit trees? Several cities have tool lending libraries where residents can rent a variety of tools for 1-3 weeks at a time while participating in a circular and sharing economy. Alameda County Tool Libraries

Consider loaning or donating tools to your community.

Excited to start a DIY project but need to borrow a saw? Do you need a pair of loppers to trim your fruit trees? Several cities have tool lending libraries where residents can rent a variety of tools for 1-3 weeks at a time while participating in a circular and sharing economy. Alameda County Tool Libraries

Consider loaning or donating tools to your community.

Excited to start a DIY project but need to borrow a sander or drill? Do you need a pair of loppers to trim your fruit trees? Several cities have tool lending libraries where residents can rent a variety of tools for 1-3 weeks at a time while participating in a circular and sharing economy. Alameda County Tool Libraries

Consider posting these as replacement parts for other families, reusing them for art projects, future pinatas or prizes for school fairs.

Consider reuse or repair before ewaste recycling or DIY repair through iFixit.

Consider posting for reuse before disposal.

Consider reuse or repair before recycling, or DIY repair through iFixit.

Consider reuse or repair before recycling, or DIY repair through iFixit.

Some vacuum bags may allow you to empty and reuse as possible, and filters can be cleaned and reused. Lint may go in organics if mostly pet hair/dried food bits from hard flooring, or in the trash if carpets and/or walk off mats due to the plastic fibers.
Have unwanted unused bags and filters from an old model? Offer or donate these to your community for reuse.

Consider reuse or repair before recycling, or DIY repair through iFixit.

Consider reuse or repair before ewaste recycling, or DIY repair through iFixit.

Consider reuse or repair before ewaste recycling, or DIY repair through iFixit.

Consider repair, resale, or donation before recycling.

Consider reuse or repair before disposal, or DIY repair through iFixit.

Contact your water filter brand to determine if they have a take-back program for recycling.

Consider donation or resale before recycling.

Gift the gift of reuse by donating, reselling, or recrafting pieces that made your celebration meaningful.

Consider reuse or donation.

This is not accepted for composting.

Consider partnering with arborists and cities to transform specimen trees.

Pressure treated, preserved wood, or treated wood waste (including the sawdust), referred to as TWW, has preserving chemicals like arsenic, creosote, and copper. When outdoor structures built with preservative treated wood – such as decks, gazebos, fences and retaining walls – are demolished and discarded, the wood is considered TWW.

DTSC lists the current Transfer Facilities that accept TWW across the state. The CA Water Board lists Landfills that accept TWW.

TWWDisposal.org has fact sheets and outreach materials on the appropriate handing, disposal (landfills that accept TWW), and other management of treated wood waste for residents and for facilities that may receive or handle treated wood waste. Spanish translation is enabled on their website.

Painted, engineered, stained, lacquered, plywood/composite, and wood painted with "copper green" may go in the garbage.

Sheet mulching with cardboard, compost and mulch (chipped clean wood) can be done right on top of your lawn to save time, money, and water and build healthy soil. Go to www.lawntogarden.org to learn more and use the Marketplace tool to find supplies locally.

Metallic gift wrap cannot be recycled. Consider reuse, such as wadding for packaging or storing ornaments. Consider repurposing other items for wrapping, like maps, newspaper, blueprints, wallpaper samples, or fabric.

X-ray recycling services including the chemical removal and recycling of silver from imaging films which is mostly polyester.