Recycling and composting not only diverts waste from our landfills, but saves your house money! The City of Berkeley does not charge for recycling and charges less for food waste pickup for composting than for garbagepickup. So help your house out by putting these items in designated containers.
BOTTLES/CANS
Plastics labeled #1 and #2 on the bottom
Glass bottles and jars (but not plates or glasses)
Steel/tin/aluminum cans
Foil, foil trays and Pie plates
No take out containers
No yogurt, cottage cheese, or plastic containers #3 - #7
Rinse, but no need to remove labels
All food: veggies/fruit, meat (bones), dairy, fish,
Coffee grounds, filters and tea bags
Food soiled paper: paper towels, paper plates, napkins
Pizza boxes
Waxed cardboard
Wood that does not have paint, chemicals or nails
Egg Cartons
MIXED PAPER
Newspaper and inserts
White and Colored paper
Junk Mail and Magazines
Dry Food boxes
Wrapping paper
Paper bags
No need to remove staples or envelop view finders
No tissue paper (like from toilette paper rolls)
No waxed paper
No cups/plates, milk or juice cartons, or food-contaminated paper
No photographs
CARDBOARD
Corrugated cardboard boxes (flattened)
Brown paper bags (even big flour ones if string is removed + no plastic lined)
No waxed cardboard
GREASE
Grease is collected in a metal bin in the kitchen. Large chunks of food should NOT go in the grease bucket . . . it’s for grease only. Grease will be collected regularly and is collected by a company that sells it to other companies that turn it into cosmetics or process it with animal fee. Please keep your grease bucket at most half full. If your grease bucket is full before a scheduled pick-up day, email CK at recycle@usca.coop.
ELECTRONIC WASTE
Recycling or maintenance managers are responsible for having an area designated for these items. Do NOT put these items in the trash! They become toxic in landfills.
Monitors & TVs, flat panel displays, computers, laptops, cell phones, small printers, scanners, fax, large printers, copiers, A/V equipment, uninterruptible power supply, keyboards, cables, microwaves, toasters, small accessories, and anything else you plug into a power outlet
HAZARDOUS & UNIVERSAL WASTES
Recycling or maintenance managers are responsible for having an area designated for these items. These items also become toxic in landfills and should not be put in the trash.
Household batteries, fluorescent bulbs, light bulbs (bulbs are NOT recyclable if they are broken!), paint, stain, varnish, thinner, and adhesives; auto products such as old fuel, motor oil, oil filters and batteries; cleaners and sprays, garden products
PACKAGING MATERIALS
We collect packing peanuts, Styrofoam and bubble wrap and give them to UPS and other local companies to be reused.