Please prepare your materials before you arrive at the Buyback Center.
Don't see your materials below? Need more detail? Please refer to our Recycling Guide (home page) to learn more and to locate other recyling agencies. Print this page
| We accept the following materials | |
| Cardboard | Preferably dry and flattened cardboard; brown paper bags okay; no waxed cardboard. |
| Newspaper | Newspaper, preferably dry; a few magazines okay. |
| Mixed Paper | Mostly dry paper okay; junk mail okay. |
| Aluminum cans | Empty aluminum cans only; no liquids; flattened or whole okay. CRV and non-CRV cans. |
| Bimetal cans | Empty bi-metal cans only; no liquids; Sapporo beer is an example of a bi-metal can. |
| Glass | Empty bottles and jars with no liquids; all glass must be sorted by color; please remove all caps! |
| Plastic: CRV (California Recemption Value) |
Empty narrow-neck bottles only; "narrow-neck" means the neck of the bottle is smaller than the base of the bottle; includes soda bottles, water bottles, milk and juice jugs, detergent bottles, shampoo bottles. Must be empty and sorted by #1 through #7. Please remove all caps! |
| Plastic: non-CRV | The only non-redemption plastic purchased at Berkeley Recycling is #1 (PET) and #2 (HDPE). |
| Aluminum foil | Aluminum foil with no food waste; includes rinsed aluminum cat food cans. |
| Aluminum scrap | Aluminum scrap includes, signs, aluminum windows, aluminum shavings, rims, scraps, car and bicycle parts. |
| Tin cans | Cans must be empty and preferably rinsed before recycling; labels okay. |
| Scrap metal | Mostly-steel scrap includes bicycle parts, washers, dryers, dishwashers, stoves and mostly metal toasters. Small engines and lawnmowers must have fluids drained prior to arrival. No refrigerators, computers or peripherals. |
| Books | All books accepted for reuse; including soft and hard back, computer manuals, etc. |
| 55-gallon drums | Drums - Metal only - we do not recycle plastic drums -must be completely empty and dry and either cut in half or with a visible four-inch diameter hole. |
The following materials are not accepted at Berkeley Recycling.
| Prohibited materials | Examples of what cannot be recycled at Berkeley Recycling |
| Electronics | No televisions, cellphones, ink cartriges, microwaves, stereos, radios, electronic toys, etc. |
| Computers | No monitors, printers, CPUs |
| CFCs or freon | No refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners (household and auto) |
| Non-household batteries | No car batteries; hand tool batteries; laptop batteries. |
| Asbestos | No insulation, heat ducting, old furnaces etc.. Contact licensed asbestos removal company; breathing asbestos is hazardous to your health. |
| Refrigerated appliances | No refrigerated appliances such as refrigerators and freezers. No microwave ovens. Small mostly-metal appliances such as toaster ovens and toasters okay. |
| Cylinders | No gas, propane or compressed air cylinders. |
| Tanks and drums | No gas tanks. No 55-gallon drums unless cut in half or with visible four inch hole |
| Miscellaneous | No transformers, printed circuit boards, lead or heavy metals. |
| Hazardous Waste | No hazardous waste (except universal wastes listed above) are prohibited including anything ignitable (flammable), corrosive, radioactive, explosive, toxic, oxidizing, carcinogenic. (Read about Hazardous and Universal Waste.) |