How to Recycle — Urban Recyclers Inc.

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Paper & Cardboard

One of the most recyclable materials on earth — when it's dry and clean.

✅ Generally Recyclable

✅ Recyclable

Cardboard Boxes

Flatten all boxes before recycling. Remove tape and staples when possible. Keep dry — wet cardboard cannot be recycled.

✅ Recyclable

Newspapers & Magazines

Plain paper, glossy magazines, office paper, junk mail — all recyclable. Remove plastic sleeves or envelopes first.

🚫 Not Recyclable

Greasy Pizza Boxes

Oil-soaked cardboard contaminates the entire recycling batch. Tear off the clean lid (recyclable) and trash the greasy bottom.

🚫 Not Recyclable

Paper Coffee Cups

The plastic wax lining makes them non-recyclable in most facilities. Switch to a reusable cup to eliminate this waste entirely.

✅ Recyclable

Paper Bags & Wrapping

Brown paper bags, kraft paper, tissue paper (non-glossy) — all recyclable. Avoid shiny gift wrap, which often contains plastic coatings.

⚠️ Check Locally

Shredded Paper

Tiny pieces jam sorting machines. Bag shredded paper separately in a paper bag or check if your local facility accepts it bagged.

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Cans & Metal

Aluminum is infinitely recyclable — and in California, it has CRV cash value.

✅ Highly Recyclable — CRV Value in CA

✅ CRV Recyclable

Aluminum Soda & Beer Cans

Rinse and crush to save space. These have California Redemption Value (CRV) — bring them to us and get paid. Recycling one can saves enough energy to power a TV for 3 hours.

✅ Recyclable

Steel & Tin Food Cans

Soup cans, vegetable cans, tuna cans — all recyclable. Rinse well. Labels can stay on. Crush if you'd like to save space.

✅ Recyclable When Empty

Empty Paint & Aerosol Cans

Must be completely empty and dry. Remove plastic caps. Never recycle aerosols with remaining contents — they are pressurized and can be dangerous.

🚫 Not Curbside

Electronics & Batteries

Lithium batteries, circuit boards, and electronics require special e-waste recycling programs. Never place in standard recycling — they can cause fires in facilities.

✅ Recyclable — Ball It Up

Aluminum Foil & Trays

Clean aluminum foil is recyclable. Ball up loose foil into a fist-sized ball before placing in the bin — small pieces fall through sorting screens.

✅ CRV Recyclable

Energy Drink Cans

Same as soda cans — CRV value applies in California. Rinse, crush, and bring them to Urban Recyclers Inc. to get your money back.

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Glass Bottles & Jars

Glass is 100% recyclable and can be recycled endlessly without loss of quality.

✅ CRV Value on Beverage Bottles in CA

✅ CRV Recyclable

Wine, Beer & Soda Bottles

All beverage glass earns CRV in California. Rinse and remove lids. Labels can stay on — they burn off during the recycling process.

✅ Recyclable

Food Jars (Pickles, Jam, Sauce)

Glass food jars are fully recyclable. Rinse well — food residue causes contamination. Metal lids can go in with metal recycling separately.

🚫 Not Recyclable

Broken Glass & Windows

Window glass, mirrors, and ceramics have different melting points and contaminate bottle glass. Wrap broken glass carefully and dispose of safely in trash.

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Plastics

Not all plastic is created equal. The number inside the recycling symbol tells you everything.

✅ #1 & #2 Widely Accepted · CRV on Bottles in CA

✅ CRV Recyclable (#1 PET)

Water & Soda Bottles (#1)

The most commonly recycled plastic. CRV applies in California. Rinse, replace the cap, and bring to us. Do NOT crush — full shape helps machines sort them.

✅ Recyclable (#2 HDPE)

Milk Jugs & Detergent Bottles (#2)

The second most recyclable plastic type. Rinse thoroughly. This includes shampoo bottles, cleaning supply containers, and juice jugs.

🚫 Not Curbside

Plastic Bags (#4 LDPE)

Plastic bags jam and destroy sorting equipment. Return them to store drop-off bins (most grocery stores accept them). Never put in your curbside bin.

✅ Check Number (#3–#7)

Plastic Containers (#3–#7)

Yogurt tubs, deli containers, plastic clamshells — acceptability varies by facility. Look for the number on the bottom and check with your local program.

🚫 Not Recyclable

Styrofoam / Polystyrene (#6)

Standard facilities do not accept styrofoam — it's too light and breaks into pieces that contaminate other materials. Reduce use whenever possible.

🚫 Not Recyclable

Straws & Plastic Utensils

Too small and too light to be sorted by machinery. They slip through and end up in the environment. Switch to reusable or compostable alternatives.

Beyond Recycling

Composting: Nature's Recycling

Composting diverts organic waste from landfills and turns it into rich soil. Nearly 30% of what we throw away could be composted instead.

What CAN be composted

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Fruit & Vegetable Scraps

Peels, cores, stems, seeds — all excellent compost material. Even cooked vegetables work.

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Coffee Grounds & Filters

Coffee grounds are nitrogen-rich and break down fast. Paper filters compost too.

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Yard Waste & Leaves

Grass clippings, dead leaves, plant trimmings — brown materials that balance your compost pile.

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Eggshells & Tea Bags

Crushed eggshells add calcium. Plain paper tea bags compost; remove staples if present.

What CANNOT be composted (home pile)

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Meat & Fish

Attracts pests and creates odor in a home pile. Industrial composters can handle these.

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Dairy Products

Cheese, milk, and butter break down slowly and attract animals to your compost bin.

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Pet Waste

Contains harmful pathogens. Never add to home compost — use designated pet waste systems.

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Treated Wood / Diseased Plants

Chemical treatments and plant diseases can persist in compost and spread to your garden.

The Hard Truth

America's Landfills Are Running Out of Room.

This is not a distant problem. It's happening right now — in your state, in your county, in your community. Here's what the numbers actually look like.

U.S. Municipal Solid Waste Landfill Capacity

Already 0% Consumed

Landfill space used (US avg)

54%

Recyclables sent to landfill

69%

Food waste landfilled

76%

US recycling rate (2023)

32%

Landfills projected full by 2036

~80%

Sources: U.S. EPA Municipal Solid Waste Report · Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) · National Waste & Recycling Association · 2023 data.

Every can you recycle instead of trashing is one less item in a landfill. Urban Recyclers Inc. exists to make that as easy and rewarding as possible — we pay you for your CRV recyclables while helping protect the environment our children will inherit.

Start Recycling With Us →

Step by Step

How to Recycle Properly

Doing it right the first time means your recyclables actually get recycled — not rejected and landfilled.

Rinse your containers

A quick rinse removes food residue that contaminates other recyclables in the batch. No need to scrub — a 3-second rinse is enough.

Check the number on plastic

Look for the recycling symbol with a number (1–7) on the bottom. #1 and #2 are widely accepted. For others, check with your local facility or ask us.

Flatten cardboard boxes

Flat boxes take up less space in your bin and make the sorting process faster and more efficient at recycling facilities.

Remove caps and lids from bottles

Caps are often a different material type. Remove them — many can be recycled separately or returned to retailers.

Keep your bin dry

Wet paper and cardboard break down and become useless. Store your recycling in a covered bin or dry area.

When in doubt, leave it out

One contaminated item can ruin an entire truckload of recyclables. If you're unsure, ask us directly — no question is too small.

Bring CRV items to Urban Recyclers Inc.

CRV bottles and cans have real cash value in California. Don't throw that money away — bring them to us and we'll pay you on the spot.