
Download PDF file for recycle guide 
Recycling Cans
Empty and rinse cans
- Beverage cans
- Can lids
- Food cans
- Pet food cans
- Steel cans
- Tin cans
- Empty Paint Cans (Paint must be dried. Full or partially full paint cans will not be accepted.)
- Aerosol Cans (Empty)
Cartons
Empty, rinse and flatten
- Juice boxes and cartons
- Milk and cream cartons
- Frozen Food Packaging
- Unacceptable Cartons Include: Foil wrapped beverage pouches, straws
Glass
Empty and rinse bottles and jars. Remove lead wrapping and corks from wine bottles.
- Beverage
- Food Jars
- Glass Bottles and Jars (blue, brown, green)
- Wine Bottles
- Unacceptable Glass Includes: Coffee mugs, Cookware (e.g.Pyrex), Dishware, Glass art, Light bulbs, Mirrors, Windows
Plastic
Plastics labeled with number 1-7 inside the recycle symbol: Empty and rinse first.
- Baby wipe containers
- Beverage bottles (e.g. soda, water)
- Bleach and detergent bottles
- Buckets (remove handles)
- Flower pots
- Food containers (e.g. cottage cheese margarine tubs, yogurt cups)
- Prescription Bottles (Empty)
- Shampoo/Conditioner bottles
- Take out food containers (polystyrene, plastic)
- Plastic Clamshells
- Unacceptable Plastics Include: Bubble Wrap, Credit Cards, Disposable Razors, Hoses (e.g. car, garden, appliance), Shoes, Straws, Styrofoam blocks and peanuts, Tarps, Toys, Umbrellas, Webbing from lawn furniture
Plastic Bags
Bundle plastic bags inside another plastic bag and knot the top.
- Bread bags
- Bubble wrap
- Dry cleaning bags
- Newspaper bags
- Potting soil bags
- Produce bags
- Shopping bags
- Unacceptable Plastic Bags Include Cellophane food bags (e.g. pasta, salad, candy, cookies), Food Contaminated Frozen food bags or pouches, Plastic Wraps, Plastic or wax liners from food packaging
Paper
Flatten all boxes and cartons. Tie shredded paper in a plastic bag. Staples, tape and plastic window in envelopes can be recycled.
- Books
- Carbonless paper (e.g. receipts)
- Cardboard
- Cereal & cracker boxes (remove liners)
- Colored or Construction Paper
- Egg cartons
- Envelopes, white and manila (plastic windows OK)
- Frozen food packaging
- Junk Mail
- Newspapers (clean, including glossies)
- Shoeboxes
- Telephone Books
- White office Paper
- Frozen Food Packaging (Clean)
- Unacceptable Paper Includes: Envelopes (padded, plastic, Tyvek®), Napkins and paper towels, Newspaper (dirty with paint, pet waste or food/grease)
Scrap Metals
Small household appliance or pans. No larger than 18" in dimension. Call for information about recycling car parts and other metal.
- Aerosol cans (empty)
- Aluminum foil (clean)
- Aluminum furniture (plastic webbing removed)
- Aluminum pie pans
- Appliances, small metal
- Metals Lids & caps from glass bottles
- Pots and Pans, metals
- Empty paint cans (Paint must be dried. Full or partially full paint cans will not be accepted.)
- Unacceptable Scrap Metals Include Hangers, Hoses (e.g. car, garden, and appliance), Keys, Nails, screws, nuts and bolts
Yard Trimmings
Place yard trimmings in your cart for collection. Do not include or use plastic bags with your yard trimmings
- Branches (cut to fit in can or cart)
- Flowers
- Grass clippings
- Horse Manure/Bedding
- Leaves/Pine Needles
- Palm fronds
- Clean Lumber (Unpainted/Untreated, Cut to fit in cart or can)
- Raw fruits and vegetables
- Small prunings
- Weeds (remove clumps of dirt from the roots)
- Untreated wood chips/Bark
- Unacceptable Yard trimmings include: Ashes, Concrete, Animal Waste/Litter, Food Waste (Meats, Cheese or any other Dairy Products, Breads, Processed, Canned or Prepared Foods), Rocks, Dirt, Concrete(any size), Hazardous Materials, Plastic Bags or any other plastic, Treated Lumber
Household Hazardous Waste
Examples of acceptable Household Hazardous Waste include: Paint, auto fluids, florescent light bulbs, car batteries, pesticides, and propane tanks. These items cannot go into the garbage, recycling or yard trimmings collection.
Call Santa Cruz County Household Hazardous Waste at (831) 454-2606.
Other Stuff
Used Motor Oil, Oil Filters, and Household Batteries: To recycle used motor oil at curbside, you must use the free Green Waste issued oil jugs because they are designed to prevent leaks. To recycle household batteries, such as AA, AAA, D or nickel cadmium, place batteries in a sealed clear bag on top of the Recycle Carts for collection.
Place filled oil jug(s) and bagged drained, oil filter(s) on the curb near your recycling bins for collection. Oil mixed with antifreeze or any other automotive fluid will not be collected. To order FREE oil jugs, call the Customer Service Department.
Large Item Collection: You can have bulky items, such as sofas, refrigerators, or tires picked up at your curb for a small fee. To schedule a pick up appointment call Customer Service Department 24 hours before your next scheduled pick up day.
Extra Services: Call Customer Service Department to arrange for extra pick up of garbage or to order a debris box.
Customer Service Department:
(831) 768-9505
(800) 665-2209
Contact customer service