Curbside recycling is a community waste reduction program that was implemented in response to the California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989. All California communities are required to divert 50 percent of their municipal solid waste from landfills or face stiff fines for non-compliance. These fines, if levied, would result in higher garbage collection rates for everyone.

Why Recycle?

Recycling conserves natural resources and assists the community to achieve the state-mandated 50 percent recycling goal. The cost of the single family residential recycling program is included in the garbage collection rates. For areas of Yuba and Sutter Counties with curbside recycling service, commercial entities and multi-family complexes can also subscribe to curbside and bin recycling services based on the commercial rate fee schedule. As a result of Senate Bill 1383 (2016), effective February 19, 2022, subscription to and participation in the recycling program or self-hauling recyclable materials and organic waste is mandatory. Additional details regarding these requirements can be viewed on the What is SB 1383?, Single Family Residences, Multi-Family Residential Dwelling Properties and Business, Organizations and Agencies pages of this website. 

Prevent Contamination of Recyclable Materials!

Please watch this short one-minute video to find out why recycling contamination is a big problem and how you can help!

What Goes Where?

Blue Recycle Cart

The blue cart is for recyclable glass, plastic and paper products. These items go in the blue cart:

Empty Plastic Containers: any plastic container with the "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7" recycling number on the back or bottom (except for plastic bags, film plastic, packing peanuts and foam packaging). Look for the symbol on these types of containers:

• beverage
• bleach
• condiment
• cleaners
• cooking oil
• detergent
• liquor
• lotion
• mouthwash
• shampoo
• syrup
• milk and water jugs
• plastc lids and bottle caps
• plastic food trays
• yogurt and butter tubs
• meat trays

Paper Products:

• newspapers
• magazines
• phone books
• paper bags
• computer & copier paper
• brochures
• junk mail
• coupons
• catalogs
• envelopes
• wrapping paper
• tissue boxes
• paper tubes
• cardboard boxes (flattened)
• shoe boxes
• take-out cups & lids
• soda & juice boxes
• milk, cream & non-dairy cartons
• cereal & cake boxes (remove food liners and discard them in the gray cart)
• paper egg cartons

Bottles & Cans:

• glass food and beverage containers
• empty soda & beverage cans
• food & soup cans
• fruit & vegetable juice cans
• pet food cans
• aerosol cans (empty)
• steel cans

Metals:

• aluminum pie tins and baking trays

Place recyclables loosely in the blue recycling cart. (NO PLASTIC BAGS, PLEASE!)

For single family residential customers, if you occasionally have more recyclable material than your blue cart can hold, you can place a bag or bundled corrugated cardboard (reduced to a size not exceeding three feet by three feet) next to your blue cart. If you regularly have more recyclable material than your blue cart can hold, please call for a larger or additional blue recycling cart. A larger or additional blue recycling cart is available at no additional cost.

Gray Household Waste Cart

The gray cart is where you put everything that is neither recyclable nor green yard waste. Do not discard hazardous waste of any kind in any of your carts.

• Plastics: plastic bread, shopping, newspaper and garbage bagsvideo tapes, CDs and CD cases
• Glass: window glass, mirrors, ceramics, porcelain, crystal, Pyrex, drinking glasses, non-fluorescent light bulbs
• Kitchen & Food Stuff: aluminum foil, plastic wrap, plastic utensils, straws, potato chip & snack bags, food waste (for Yuba City only), paper plates (for Yuba City only), paper napkins (for Yuba City only), paper towels (for Yuba City only), fast food wrappers, plastic wrap from food trays, six pack rings, waxed paper, dinnerware, ovenware, pots & pans
• Clothes & Linens: pantyhose, worn shoes, clothes & pillows
• Bathroom & Pet Products: bathroom tissue, diapers, sanitary products, ear swabs, toothpaste tubes, animal waste, kitty litter
• Outdoor & Metals: garden hoses, wire, scrap metal, palm fronds
• Packaging: bubble wrap, packing peanuts, aluminum foil, rubber bands, Styrofoam blocks, paper clips

Organic Waste Cart

The organic/green waste cart is for your organic/green waste, including:

• food waste (in Live Oak, Marysville, Wheatland and the Unincorporated Areas of Yuba and Sutter Counties where organic waste collection is provided), including meat/bones, seafood (including shellfish), fruit/pits & peels, grains, dairy, vegetables, coffee grounds with paper filters, tea & tea bags, milk & juice cartons (no plastic jugs)
• food soiled papers (in Live Oak, Marysville, Wheatland and the Unincorporated Areas of Yuba and Sutter Counties where organic waste collection is provided), including used paper products, used paper napkins, used paper towels and greasy pizza boxes
• cotton balls & swabs; hair, fur & feathers (non-synthetic); small pieces of lumber (unpainted and untreated); wooden chop sticks; and, natural corks (in Live Oak, Marysville, Wheatland and the Unincorporated Areas of Yuba and Sutter Counties where organic waste collection is provided) 
• flowers
• grass clippings
• leaves
• plant trimmings
• small branches & prunings
• green plants
• weeds

Your driver will NOT collect your green yard waste container if it contains:

• plastic
• glass
• rocks
• animal waste
• large branches
• tree stumps
• lumber
• herbicides & insecticides

For single family residential customers, if you occasionally have more green waste material than your organic waste cart can hold, you can place bagged or bundled green waste material next to your organic waste cart. If you regularly have more material than your organic waste cart can hold, please call for an additional organic waste cart. An additional organic waste cart is available at no additional cost.

Christmas Tree Recycling

Yuba-Sutter residents have three options for recycling their Christmas trees. Please make sure your tree is free of all tinsel, ornaments and the stand before sending it to be recycled. Flocked trees cannot be recycled and are sent directly to the landfill. Since wreaths and evergreen roping are generally made with wire or plastic backing, these items should be placed in your garbage cart.

Christmas tree recycling options for single family residences are:

1. Curbside Christmas Tree Collection. Place your Christmas tree (without stands, flocking or ornamentation and no greater than six foot lengths) at the curb beside the organic waste cart for collection by Recology Yuba-Sutter beginning on your first collection day after December 25th until January 15th. This service is provided as part of Recology Yuba-Sutter’s Collection Service Agreement with each City and County. Please note that if your Christmas tree will not fit in the organic waste collection truck, Recology Yuba-Sutter will send a separate truck to collect your Christmas tree.
2. Cut your Christmas tree to fit inside your organic waste cart.
3. Take your Christmas tree to the Marysville Transfer Station at 3001 North Levee Road between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. daily and pay the applicable minimum or weight-based charge or utilize a Free Dump Coupon.
4. For Christmas trees with stands, flocking or ornamentation or disposed of after January 15th, utilize a Free Bulky Item Collection Service.

Christmas Tree recycling options for multi family residences are:

1. Christmas Tree Collection. Place your Christmas tree (without stands, flocking or ornamentation and no greater than six feet in length) at the collection point designated by the owner or manager of the multi-family complex beginning on your first collection day after December 25th until January 15th. This service is provided as part of Recology Yuba-Sutter’s Collection Service Agreement with each City and County.
2. Take your Christmas tree to the Marysville Transfer Station at 3001 North Levee Road between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. daily and pay the applicable minimum or weight-based charge.

Keep Out of Your Carts

Not everything is safe for curbside collection! Certain common things CANNOT be placed in ANY of your carts. Mechanical collection of these items could injure collection workers or pollute our environment when they are broken and crushed together in the collection truck. Mixing these items with recyclables or other waste stored in your carts could cause a fire or explosion or otherwise damage your property and health!

• Alkaline batteries
• Rechargeable batteries
• Car batteries
• Fluorescent tubes & bulbs
• Halogen tubes & bulbs
• High Intensity Discharge (HID) bulbs
• Neon tubes & lamps
• Thermostats
• TVs, Computers, Other Electronic devices
• Paint Fuels
• Gas & Camp Stove Cylinders
• Pesticides
• Fertilizers
• Acids
• Bases
• Pool & Spa Chemicals
• Medicines & needles (sharps)

DO NOT PUT THESE ITEMS IN YOUR COLLECTION CARTS. See the Household Hazardous Waste page for disposal directions.