Residential Recycling
Apartments & Condominium
There are three types of recycling carts provided for
recycling
Cans & Bottles
Mixed Paper
Newspapers
(Note: Please empty recyclables directly into the
recycling carts-don't leave them in plastic bags.)
Corrugated Cardboard
Cans
& Bottles
Place these containers inside the "Cans &
Bottles" recycling carts.
We accept:
- Cans (food and beverage cans-aluminum, steel and
bi-metal)
- Glass bottles and jars (Remove lids and put into
the bin separately.)
- Plastics: containers with a 1 through 7 indicated
on the bottom of the container-within a triangle of chasing arrows. Clear,
opaque or colored is OK.
- Styrofoam packing blocks (tied inside a clear plastic
bag)
- Milk cartons and juice boxes
- Plastic bags (bundled inside a tied plastic bag).
Any color.
- Scrap metal (foil, metal pots and pans, metal
objects that fit in the recycling bin)
We don't accept these for recycling:
- Unmarked plastics (without a "1" - "7"
code)
- Styrofoam packing peanuts (Donate to mailing houses.)
- Bubble wrap
- Plastic wrap
- Plastic utensils
- Garden hoses
- Plastic toys
- Plastic pipe
- Light bulbs
- Window glass, mirrors, plate glass
- Ceramics
- Dishware
- Clothes hangers
- Wire
- Rope
- Auto parts
- Fuel tanks*
- Syringes and other medical waste * Click
here for more info.
- Hazardous waste *
* These types of waste can't be recycled or disposed
of as garbage at curbside. Contact the County
Household Hazardous Waste Program, at 408-299-7300 for an appointment
for free disposal.
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Mixed Paper:
Place your clean, recyclable paper into the "Mixed
Paper" recycling carts.
We accept:
- Junk mai
- Magazines
- White paper
- Colored paper
- Catalogs
- Computer paper
- Envelopes (plastic windows are OK)
- Writing pad backings
- Paper egg cartons
- Phone books
- Paper grocery bags
- Paper towel rolls
- Wrapping paper (no foil)
- Adhesive notes
- Carbonless (NCR) paper
- Paperback books
- Cartons made of paperboard (such as cereal boxes,
cracker boxes, shoes boxes)
- Pieces of cardboard
We don't accept:
- Food-contaminated paper (coffee cups, pizza boxes,
paper plates and utensils)
- Used paper towels, napkins, and facial tissues
- Blueprint paper
- Hardback books
- Carbon paper
- Plastic-coated paper
- Cereal box liners
- Newspaper (Recycle separately in a paper bag.)
- Milk cartons (Should be recycled with your cans
and bottles.)
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Newspapers:
Newspapers (including any inserts) should be put
into paper shopping bags, or bundled and tied with string, and placed next
to your recycle bins.
Corrugated cardboard:
Corrugated cardboard is recycled at the curb.
- Boxes should be flattened and placed in a separate
pile (no wider than 3 ft. X 3 ft.) next to your recycle bins.
- It is not necessary to tie the cardboard, although
it may be more convenient to maneuver-both for the resident and for the
recycling driver.
Remember that corrugated cardboard has a wavy
line running through it. Paperboard, like cereal boxes and shoe boxes, should
be recycled in your Paper bin, not with the corrugated cardboard.
If an apartment or condominium complex does
not provide recycling services:
- Ask your property manager if you can work with him
or her to start a program. Call the garbage company 408-725-4020 or the
city 408-777-3241 to get started.
- Take your recyclables to a drop-off site in Sunnyvale-the
SMART Station (the Sunnyvale Materials Recovery Transfer Station. Call first
(408-752-8530) to verify that specific materials are acceptable. Click
for more info
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