What Goes Where - Recology Vallejo: Unincorporated Vallejo
California
California Cont.
Oregon
Washington
What Goes Where

We provide residential and commercial organics, recycling, and garbage collection in the unincorporated areas of Vallejo. Whether you are a business owner, property manager, or resident, we work with you to tailor recycling programs based on your needs. Find out how to properly dispose of your items below. Customers may also drop off recyclables, hazardous waste, and bulky items at the the Recology Vallejo-American Canyon Recycling Facility.

Wondering what stream your waste goes in? Visit What Bin and find out!
Need to change the size of any of your carts, or order a new kitchen compost pail? Contact us.

We accept all food scraps, soiled paper, and plants in the green organics cart. All compostable plastics, including BPI Certified Compostable Plastics, and bioplastics, will not be accepted.

Acceptable Materials

Food Scraps
  • All fruits and vegetables (including pits and shells)
  • Coffee grounds and tea leaves
  • Dairy products (no liquids)
  • Eggshells and eggs
  • Leftovers and spoiled food
  • Cooked meat (including bones)
  • Seafood (including shellfish)

Dirty, Soiled Paper
  • Greasy pizza boxes and paper bags
  • Paper coffee filters and tea bags
  • Unlined Paper plates (not plastic coated)
  • Paper napkins, tissues, and paper towels
  • Water/Food-soiled paper or cardboard
  • Unlined Paper take-out boxes and containers (not plastic coated)

Plants
  • All plant debris, including flowers, leaves, weeds, and
    branches
  • Tree trimmings (less than 6” in diameter and 4’ long)
Other
  • Cooking grease: Small amounts can be soaked up with a paper towel and composted.
  • Corks (no plastic)
  • Cotton balls, cotton swabs with paper stems
  • Hair, fur, and feathers (non-synthetic/colored)
  • Shredded paper
  • Vegetable wood crates (metal wire OK)
  • Wood: small pieces of clean wood/sawdust (no plywood/
    pressboard/painted/stained/treated)
  • Wooden chopsticks, coffee stirrers, toothpicks

Unacceptable Materials

Unacceptable Materials
  • Aluminum foil or trays
  • “Biodegradable/compostable” plastic
  • Cat litter or animal feces
  • Ceramic dishware or glassware
  • Clothing, linens, and rags
  • Cooking/motor oil
  • Corks – plastic
  • Diapers
  • Dirt, rocks, or stone
  • Flower pots or trays
  • Foil-backed or plastic-backed paper
  • Glass, metal, or plastic
  • Soup cartons and juice boxes
  • Paper milk, juice, and other beverage cartons
  • Liquids or ice
  • Plastic bags, wrappers, or film
  • Recyclable/clean cardboard or paper
  • Styrofoam
  • Wood – plywood, pressboard, painted or stained wood

Recycling must be loose, and free of a plastic bag liner. Recycling must be clean and dry. Give food and beverage containers a light rinse.

Acceptable Materials

Metal

No liquids or food

  • Aluminum cans
  • Aluminum foil and trays (ball foil up to softball size)
  • Caps and lids from bottles, jars, and steel (tin) cans
  • Paint cans (must be empty or dry)
  • Aerosol spray cans (must be empty)
  • Steel (tin) cans

Plastics
  • Bottles (leave caps on)
  • Buckets (metal handle ok)
  • Containers
  • Laundry detergent bottles
  • Molded plastic packaging
  • Toys (no electronics, metal, or batteries)
  • Tubs and lids (i.e., yogurt containers and Tupperware)

Paper

(clean, dry, and unsoiled)

  • Bags (paper only)
  • Cardboard
  • Cereal boxes and Paperboard (remove plastic liner)
  • Computer and office paper
  • Egg cartons (paper)
  • Envelopes (windows okay)
  • Junk mail and magazines
  • Newspapers
  • Packing or Kraft paper
  • Sticky notes
  • Shredded paper (place in sealed paper bag and label “Shredded Paper”)

Glass

(no liquids or food)

  • Glass bottles and jars only
    (metal caps and lids too)

Unacceptable Materials

Unacceptable Materials
  • Batteries
  • Ceramic dishware or glassware
  • Clothing/Fabric ( we suggest donating to a shelter or thrift store)
  • Coat hangers
  • Electronics
  • Food scraps
  • Glass mirrors and windows
  • Incandescent light bulbs,
    Fluorescent light bulbs and HIDs
  • Plastic labeled “Compostable” or “Biodegradable”
  • Scrap metal
  • Soiled paper (paper plates, napkins, tissues, towels, take-out boxes, and greasy pizza boxes)
  • Styrofoam
  • Waxed cardboard
  • Wood
  • Yard trimmings

Few things, once they are used, are actually garbage and need to be sent to a landfill. Among such things are non-recyclable plastics and other complex materials that were not designed to be recycled. Only place materials that cannot be reused, recycled in your trash.

Acceptable Materials
  • “Biodegradable/Compostable” plastic
  • Cat litter and animal feces (bagged)
  • Ceramic dishware, glassware, mirrors
  • Cigarette Butts (extinguished – run underwater prior to disposal)
  • Coffee pods (Keurig k cups)
  • Dental floss
  • Diapers and other sanitary products
  • Drink Pouches
  • Feminine Hygiene Products
  • Flimsy plastics (bags, wrappers, film)
  • Foil-backed or plastic-backed paper (soup cartons, juice boxes)
  • Glass mirrors and windows
  • Juice boxes and other shelf-stable cartons
  • Mylar (shiny metal) bags (potato chips, candy bars, balloons, etc)
  • Pens and pencils
  • Porcelain
  • Polystyrene foam
  • Pet food plastic bags
  • Plastic items mixed with metal, fabric, or rubber
  • Rubber bands
  • Small plastics (single-use cutlery, straws, coffee pods, sauce packets)
  • Rubber bands
  • Six-pack ring holder – please cut up
  • Sponges
  • Wood – small pieces of untreated wood waste.

Unacceptable Materials

Organic Materials:

  • Food scraps, plants, soiled paper

Recyclable Materials:

  • Cardboard/paper (clean and dry), glass (bottles and jars), metal (cans/aluminum), plastic (large/rigid)

No Bin Materials:

    • Appliances
    • Asbestos
    • Batteries
    • Construction debris
    • Cooking oil and grease
    • Dirt, rocks, or stone
    • Electronics
    • Fluorescent or HID light bulbs
    • Food scraps, soiled paper, or yard trimmings
    • Household hazardous waste or chemicals
    • Large items (furniture, metal, plastic, wood)
    • Liquids or ice
    • Motor oil
    • Needles or syringes
    • Paint
    • Recyclable cardboard, glass, metal, paper, or plastic
    • Toys with electronics or batteries
    • Waxed cardboard and paper
    • Paper milk or juice cartons
It is illegal to put items such as electronics, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, pesticides, and other chemicals in the trash. When household hazardous wastes end up in a landfill, they can cause serious threats to humans, wildlife, and the environment.
Effective January 1, 2021, treated wood (any wood that has been treated with a chemical preservative to protect the wood against attacks from insects, microorganisms, or fungi) is considered hazardous waste per California State law. Recology is no longer able to haul treated wood waste.
For information about the quantities accepted at our facility, contact us. Find out how to properly dispose of your mattresses, bulky, hazardous, and electronic & universal items below:

Go to these facilities to properly dispose of other types of household hazardous waste and quantities over our limit: