How to Set Your Recyclables Out

• Set your recyclables out in your blue Recycling cart on your designated Garbage, Clean Green, and Recycling pick-up day prior to 7:00 am.
• Place Recycling cart in the gutter with the wheels against the curb and at least 3 feet away from each of your Garbage and Clean Green carts, and other obstacles such as parked cars, landscaping, etc. on your designated pick up day.
• Place blue Recycling cart at the sidewalk curb right next to the gutter without obstructing the sidewalk and at least 3 feet away from carts. Do NOT place recycling bins on the sidewalk where they can interfere with sidewalk users. 
• After carts are emptied, return them to the backyard or side yard until next collection day.
• Please rinse food and beverage containers and flatten cardboard.
• Please remove the metal lids from glass containers, and place separately in your recycling cart.
• Visit Recology on the web.

Recology’s Expanded Recycling Program
The expanded curbside recycling program allows residents to recycle glass, plastics #1, #2, #3, #4, #5 and #7 (NO STYROFOAM), film plastic, used motor oil and used motor oil filters, aluminum and metal containers, scrap metal, newspaper, mixed paper, cardboard and compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFL's - single-family homes only). Only blue recycling carts should be used to set out recyclables.

• Plastics #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, and #7 (NO STYROFOAM). Plastic including food and beverage containers, water, soft drink, milk and juice bottles, detergent, fabric softener and shampoo bottles, vitamin or prescription bottles and other plastic containers should be checked for the recycling symbol and number on the bottom of the container before being placed into your blue recycling cart. NO Styrofoam, plastic utensils, PVC piping, or plastic toys. Rinse food containers to discourage odor and pests.
• Plastic bags (film plastics):  Place plastic grocery bags, dry-cleaning bags, newspaper bags, shopping bags, bread bags, etc., into one clear plastic bag ("bag the bags") and place in blue recycling cart. This "bag the bag" procedure allows for improved recovery of these materials. NO bubble-wrap or other film plastic accepted.

3. Metals

• Cans: Place aluminum beverage cans and metal food cans into your blue Recycling cart. Be sure to rinse containers to discourage pests. 
• Scrap metal: Place metal pots and pans, clean pie tins, metal lids from jars or bottles, and clean aluminum foil into your blue Recycling cart. NO wire hangers, auto parts, fuel tanks, etc.

4. Motor Oil

• Used motor oil: Place in one-gallon or less plastic containers (such as old motor oil bottles OR rinsed detergent, fabric softener, milk or juice jugs) with screw-top lids. Pop-top plastic containers may also be used; be sure to tape the top down securely with masking or duct tape. Label the container “waste oil” and set beside your blue Recycling cart.
• Oil filters: Place in sealed, leak-proof plastic bags and place next to your blue Recycling cart.

5. Newspapers 
Place newspapers into blue Recycling cart. No bundling necessary. 

6. Mixed Papers
Includes standard paper (white and colored paper, letter paper, computer paper, envelopes), glossy paper (magazines, catalogs, telephone books), miscellaneous paper (junk mail, adhesive notes, paper egg cartons, brown paper grocery bags, non-metallic wrapping paper and tissue paper), and chipboard/paperboard (manila folders, cereal boxes with liners removed, gift boxes, paper towel rolls). Place in blue Recycling cart. NO food-contaminated paper products.

7. Cardboard
Break down, flatten and cut pieces to fit into blue Recycling cart.  Extremely large or oversize cardboard boxes should broken down, flattened and cut into 3' x 3' pieces; bundle with string or twine and set next to blue Recycling cart for collection.

8. Compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFL's)
Single-family homes only; NO fluorescent tubes. Seal CFL's in Ziploc-style plastic bags and set beside blue recycling cart. To safely dispose of fluorescent tubes, contact the County Household Hazardous Waste Program at (408) 299-7300 or www.hhw.org.