What Can I Recycle?

Here are the types of household items that can be conveniently recycled in California:

Batteries—Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation, Battery Drop-off Locator. Nonrechargeable batteries of sizes AAA, AA, C, D, button cell, 9 Volt, and all other batteries. http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/WPIE/Batteries/

Beverage Containers—Can be recycled and be back on the shelf in about 90 days. http://www.bottlesandcans.com/

Demolition Debris—The Construction and Demolition Debris Recyclers Database lists places where you can bring demolition debris, such as when you remodel your house, for recycling.

Electronics—E-waste is a popular, informal name for electronic products nearing the end of their "useful life." Computers, televisions, VCRs, stereos, copiers, and fax machines are common electronic products. Many of these products can be reused, refurbished, or recycled. Please note that televisions and cathode ray tube (CRT) computer monitors should not be placed in the household trash. http://www.erecycle.org/

Hazardous Waste—Household hazardous waste that must be recycled or disposed at household hazardous waste collection facilities or other authorized collection facilities include, acids, antifreeze, household batteries, car batteries, brake and transmission fluid, household cleaners, pool chemicals, gasoline and other flammables, mercury thermometers, motor oil, oil-based or latex paint, paint thinners, pesticides and herbicides, barbecue style propane tanks, solvents.

• Fluorescent lamps and tubes can be taken to household hazardous waste collection facilities. They can also be placed in household trash for now in California. However, after February 9, 2006, California households and some businesses are longer allowed to dispose fluorescent lamps and tubes in the household trash. Most businesses in California are already prohibited from disposing of fluorescent lamps and tubes in the trash. Read more.
• Home-generated medical waste, such as pharmaceuticals and syringes might be accepted at your household hazardous waste facility, but check first. Visit the Waste Prevention Information exchange to learn what other options you have for home generated medical waste.
• Other Hazardous Waste disposal and recycling locations can be found at Earth 911. If this option does not work, ask your local contact for waste prevention and recycling.

Metal

• Steel and Aluminum Cans—Beverage cans, food cans, aerosol cans.
• Clean Aluminum Food Packaging—Pie plates, dinner trays, foil.

Motor Oil—Find where to recycle motor oil at the CIWMB used motor oil recycling page.

Paper—Newspaper, magazines, catalogs, phone books, bulk mail, junk mail, office paper, computer paper, envelopes, gift wrapping paper, cardboard, food boxes, shoeboxes, paper towel and toilet paper tubes, paper egg cartons.

Plastic—Plastic that bears the 1 or 2 plastic resin codes, also called SPI codes. SPI stands for Society of the Plastics Industry.

Recycle on Your Own

Food Waste—When we count only the uneaten portions of meals and waste from food preparation, such as trimming produce, Americans throw away 163 pounds of food per person per year. (See Estimating and Addressing America's Food Losses, from the United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. Portable Document Format (PDF), 104 KB.)

• Compost—To learn how to compost, see the CIWMB home composting page or contact your city or county government. If you prefer to compost in a bin instead of an open pile, or if compost bins are required in you community, see the CIWMB compost bin resource list.
• Vermicomposting—Get a worm bin and some worms and practice vermicomposting. Download The Worm Guide to read all you need to know about starting a small worm bin.

Yard Waste—Leaves and grass account for about 8 percent of the waste discarded to landfills in California. But in a landfill they generate significantly more greenhouse gas than they would in compost piles or bins.

• Compost—To learn how to compost, see the CIWMB home composting page or contact your city or county government. If you prefer to compost in a bin instead of an open pile, or if compost bins are required in you community, see the CIWMB compost bin resource list.
• Grasscycle—What could be easier? Set your mower to cut a little long, and leave the clippings on the lawn. No bags to empty when you mow, reduce the water needed on your lawn, reduce the need to fertilize and thereby reduce toxic runoff to creeks and lakes via the storm drains. Alternately, compost your grass clippings or use them as mulch directly from the lawn mower bag, and be miserly with your watering and fertilizing.

Buy Recycled Products

If you are sending your waste to be recycled, but you are not looking for recycled content in the products that you buy, then, in theory, you are not completing a cycle, and are not truly recycling.

Find recycled content products with the following directories:

• Recycled-Content Building Products—This section of the Recycled Content Product Directory lists manufacturers of recycled-content building products.
• Recycled Content Product Directory—May include products of any business in any country that manufactures or produces with recycled material. This directory is intended to be used by all types of buyers: government, business, and consumers.
• RecycleStore—This database lists only products of businesses that are located in one of California's Recycling Market Development Zones. The RecycleStore is targeted at consumers.