Drop-off Recycling at the El Cerrito Recycling + Environmental Resource Center
The El Cerrito Recycling + Environmental Resource Center
Recycling Center Yard Hours
March 1 through October 31
Monday - Friday: 8:00am to 5:45pm
Saturday - Sunday: 9:00am to 4:45pm
Environmental Services Office Hours
Monday - Friday: 9:00am to 5:00pm
Center and Offices are closed on the following holidays:
New Year's Day, Dr. MLK Jr. Birthday, President's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day (and the day after), Christmas Eve Day, Christmas Day, and starting at Noon on New Year's Eve Day.
With the exception of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's, if one of the above holidays falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the Center will be closed on the following Monday (in most cases). For the most up-to-date closure information, please see our Activities Calendar.
Location: 7501 Schmidt Lane (map)
From San Pablo Avenue, turn east onto Schmidt and continue all the way until the end of the street. The Recycling Center is located on the left.
Rules and Regulations:
-Most materials free of charge (see below for special circumstances)
-Supervise your children and leave pets at home
-Place accepted items in designated areas only
-Parking in the facility is limited to 30 minutes
-Notify staff of issues and call 911 in an emergency
-Do not drop off items that the City does not accept
-Do not take any items without City permission
-Do not get in or move any bins or equipment
The Recycling Center does not buy back bottles and cans from the public. For CRV centers, visit the State of California website.
Materials Accepted
- All Curbside Recycling Materials (small or large quantities) including:
- Aluminum (cans, pans, and scrap), Tin, and Scrap Metals- clean and empty
- Cardboard- must be broken down and flattened
- Mixed Paper- white paper, colored paper, newspaper, shredded paper, file folders, junk mail, magazines, envelopes, etc
- Glass Containers- bottles and jars rinsed clean
- Hard Plastics or Food Containers- all clean plastics
- Plastic Beverage Containers- all clean plastics, all #s
- Plastic Chemical Bottles- all clean plastics that contained chemicals- (Must triple rinse)
- Plastic Film and Wrapping- tightly bagged and tied off at the top- clean grocery bags, bread bags, cling wrap, etc
- Soft Plastics and film- plastic bags must be tied tightly together in one plastic bag
- Hard to Recycle Items including:
- Aluminum windows and screens
- Appliances (small working)
- Asceptic packaging (such as aluminum-lined soy-milk containers) rinsed
- Automobile Batteries- lead-acid cell
- Bath tubs, bathroom fixtures, sinks
- Batteries- alkaline, NiCad, lithium, and auto batteries
- Bricks, tiles, and cinder blocks
- Cabinets
- Carpet (fees apply)
- Cartons and asceptic containers- such as soy milk, milk, and juice containers with or without aluminum lining (rinsed)
- Chemistry equipment
- Clothing
- Collectibles
- Exercise equipment
- Fluorescent tubes and CFLs- residents of El Cerrito, Richmond, San Pablo, Pinole, and Hercules only temporarily (other residents: check back late summer 2012).
- Furniture- home and office
- Home healthcare equipment
- House wares
- Insulation
- Lumber and plywood- untreated, dimensional, and at least 5 feet long
- Medicinal sharps (in approved containers)
- Musical instruments
- Pharmaceuticals
- Plate glass
- Scrap Metals- including water heaters, stoves, dishwashers, washers and dryers (no CFCs)
- Sewing machines
- Styrofoam- clean white block styrofoam, no packaging peanuts, no cups or food containers.
- Textiles
- Toys and books
- Used cooking oil
- Used motor oil and filters- 5-gallon container maximum
- Video game consoles
- Electronic Waste
- Cameras and video equipment
- Cell Phones
- Computers, Computer Monitors, Televisions, laptops
- Computer components and accessories
- DVD/CD/VHS Players and discs/tapes
- Electric shavers and toothbrushes
- Food processors, rice cookers
- Hair dryers, curlers, and straighteners
- Ink cartridges
- Lamps
- Microwaves, toasters, toaster ovens
- Phones and answering machines
- Printers, Copy Machines, Scanners, and Fax Machines
- Radios, stereo equipments
- Vacuum cleaners
- Video games and consoles
- Wiring and cables
- The Exchange Zone (materials must be in good condition and reusable)
- Art and office supplies
- Bicycles and parts
- Corks
- Garden pots
- Hangers- metal, plastic, or wooden clothes hangers
- Media- books, magazines, DVDs, CDs, audio tapes, video tapes
- Reading Glasses- Lion’s Club drop-off box is located next to book exchange
- Packaging materials
- Sporting goods
- Tools and hardware
- Non-perishable food for the Contra Costa Food Bank
Materials NOT Accepted
- Refrigerators, Air Conditioners
- Paints (accepted late Fall 2012)
- Chemicals and other Household Hazardous Waste
- Gas Tanks, 55-Gallon Drums, Pressurized Cans or Tanks
- Wood, Grass Clippings
- Yard Waste, Dirt
- Ashes
- Any type of Mattress, Box springs
- Glassware, Mirrors, Ceramics, Pyrex
- Waxed Paper, Waxed Cardboard
- Compost
- Tires
- Food
- Food Soiled Paper & Cardboard
- Garbage
For information on where to recycle or dispose of materials not accepted at the Recycling Center, visit Contra Costa County's Complete Materials List.
Exchange Zone
The Recycling Center is also home to a free, community-run materials exchange. The Exchange Zone accepts reusable and gently-used materials. For a complete list of materials accepted at the Exchange Zone, please see above.
Visitors are welcome to take up to one box of materials from the exchange zone per day.
Mulch and Compost for Sale
The Center will begin to sell high-quality mulch and compost produced locally starting summer 2012. In the interim, the Center will give away standard quality compost and mulch on site. Residents are permitted to take up to one half cubic yard of compost or mulch from the site during this free giveaway.
Please call ahead to check for mulch and compost availability: 510-215-4350.
|
|
