What Can I Recycle?

If you have recycling service at your home, business, office, apartment or school, you may place the following items in your commingled recycling container:

• Aluminum foil and pie plates(must not have residue from food or beverages)
• Cans of all types (aluminum, steel, tin, bi-metal and empty aerosol cans)
• Cardboard
• Glass containers, bottles, and jars
• Mixed paper of all colors (e.g. glossy and non-glossy paper, clean grocery bags, worksheets, office and computer paper, junk mail, magazines and envelopes)
• Newspapers and all inserts
• Paper bags
• Paperboard (e.g., cereal and tissue boxes and other containers without a wax coating)
• Pots and pans (e.g. aluminum, copper, or steel)
• Telephone books
• #1 Plastic containers (PETE, PET or Polyethylene Terephthalate) (e.g. small sport top water bottles; soft drink, mouthwash, ketchup, and salad dressing bottles; peanut butter, jelly and jam, pickle jars; food trays)
• #2 Plastic containers (HDPE or High Density Polyethylene) (e.g., milk, water, juice, cosmetic, shampoo, dish and laundry containers; yogurt and margarine tubs)
• #3 Plastic (PVC or Polyvinyl Chloride)(e.g. detergent/cleanser bottles)
• #4 Plastic containers (LDPE or Low Density Polyethylene)(e.g. squeezable bottles such as honey, mustard)
• #5 Plastic (PP or Polypropylene)(e.g. ketchup bottles, yogurt containers, margarine tubs, straws, lids, empty medicine bottles)
• #6 Plastic except Styrofoam (PS or Polystyrene)(e.g. compact disc cases, plates, empty medicine bottles)
• #7 Other Plastic (e.g. three and five-gallon reusable water bottles; ketchup, juice, and syrup bottles)

The following types of materials should not be placed in commingled recycling containers in Santa Barbara County:

• Aerosol cans (if contents are in can)*
• Automotive fluids*
• Batteries*
• Chemicals*
• Electronics
  
• Paints / solvents*
  
• Paper towels
  
• Plastic bags**
  
• Plastic egg cartons and cups
• Pottery
• Styrofoam (if clean, many packaging stores will accept the peanuts)
• Tissue and toilet paper
• Waxed cartons and paperboard (e.g. milk or juice cartons and frozen food boxes)
• Window glass and light bulbs

** Please note that Styrofoam, packing peanuts, plastic egg cartons, plastic bags, and electronics should NOT be placed in your commingled recycling container. Generally speaking, only hard plastics may be placed in your commingled recycling container. Plastic bags may be placed in receptacles located at major grocery stores for recycling. The following types of plastic bags (must be clean and dry) are accepted at major grocery stores to be recycled:

• Grocery bags;
• Bread bags;
• Retail bags with the hard plastic and string handles removed;
• Newspaper bags;
• Dry cleaning bags;
• Clear bags labled with a #2 or #4.

Many mail and packaging stores accept packing peanuts to be reused or recycled. Contact a local store to verify that clean packing peanuts will be accepted. Electronics should be taken to a facility that collects such items for recycling or dropped off during one-day collection events held periodically throughout the County. For a list of facilities that accept electronics, please click here: http://www.lessismore.org/Programs/electronics.html

If you would like a poster that shows pictorially the types of materials that may be placed in commingled recycling containers in Santa Barbara County, please call the County of Santa Barbara Public Works Department, Resource Recovery & Waste Management Division, at (805) 882-3600. To view this poster, which is 11" x 17", click on this link:
What's Recyclable_ 11 X 17.pdf
To view a smaller image of this poster (8 1/2" x 11") that may be printed, click on this link:
What's Recyclable_ 8 5 X 11.pdf

Magnets (3" x 9") in English and Spanish are also available. To view the magnet, click here:
3 X 12_What's Recyclable magnet.pdf
3 X 12 What's Recyclable magnet in use.pdf

We also offer stickers (7" x 8") that may be placed on recycling containers. The posters, magnets, and stickers may be obtained by contacting the County Public Works Department, Resource Recovery & Waste Management Division, at (805) 882-3600.

If you have green waste service at your home, business, or school, you can throw the following items into your green waste container:

• Grass clippings (although it is recommended that you leave them on the lawn after mowing to return nutrients to the soil)
• Leaves
• Small branches and prunings
• Ivy

• No food waste.
• No animal waste.
• No dirt and rocks.
• No nursery pots.
• No palm fronds.
• No pampas grass.
• No agave.
• No cactus.
• No bamboo.
• No succulents.
• No castor bean.
  
• No plastic bags.

Lots of other stuff can be recycled too.
Check out the Directory of Materials
to see a quick & comprehensive listing of recyclable materials and drop-off locations not found in the above lists!

If you have any questions, please contact the County Public Works Department, Resource Recovery and Waste Management Division, at (805) 882-3617.

For information on the City of Santa Barbara's recycling programs, please visit:
http://www.santabarbaraca.gov/SolidWaste/index.htm.

Send mail to: webmaster with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2000 Santa Barbara County Public Works Department
Resource Recovery and Waste Management Division

Last updated: July 1, 2010