
Recycling
This section has everything you need to know about recycling at your home, business, apartment or school. If you're not sure how to recycle a particular item, find it in the list below or use our search bar at the top of the page.
What Can I Recycle?
In a nutshell, paper, glass, metal, and plastic bottles (#1 and #2 only, or rigid containers #5 that are gallon-sized or larger). Recycling has changed and there are fewer things we can place in our blue bin. Click the lists below for some common items that can go in your recycling bin.
Also check out our Recycling FAQs and the Recycling Worst Offenders List, a list of unrecyclable materials that confuse lots of people.
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Glass Bottles & Jars
- Bottles (clear, green, brown, amber and blue)
- Jars with tops off (tops are metal, see below).
- Read more about Glass Bottles & Jars
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Metals — All Metal
- Clean aluminum foil and pie plates
- Metal Cans of all types (aluminum, steel, tin, bi-metal and Empty aerosol cans)
- Pots, pans and other metal objects
- Read more about Metals
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Paper & Cardboard (must be dry and clean)
- Mixed paper: office paper, paper bags, junk mail and colored paper
- Magazines, newspapers and phonebooks
- Corrugated cardboard and paperboard
- Read more about Paper
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Plastic — Plastic #1 and #2 bottles and some containers
- Plastics 1 and 2
- Plastics 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7
- Read more about Plastic
Worst Offenders — NOT RECYCLABLE IN BLUE BINS
These items are not recyclable in your blue bin, even though many people think they are. Our website lists innovative ways to recycle, reduce and reuse many of them, but please do not put these in your recycling container.
- Plastic Bags/Film Plastic
- Styrofoam
- Electronics
- Batteries
- Complete list on the Recycling FAQs page.
Outreach Materials
Posters, magnets, pamphlets, brochures, flyers…We’ve got it all! Check out our Outreach Materials page for free resources related to waste reduction in Santa Barbara County.
Recycle at Home
Recycle at Work
Check out our detailed how-to guide on our Business Recycling page.
Recycle at School
Head over to our School Recycling page for tons of helpful information for implementing or expanding waste reduction programs on campus.
Recycle your CRV Containers
Some materials qualify for the California Refund Value, or CRV for short. Many locations throughout Santa Barbara County will accept these items and give you some money in return for your efforts. Check out our CRV page for more information.
What else is in the Recycle section?
Recycling happens outside of your blue bin, too. Check out the materials in this section to see how you can recycle various household items! Below is a complete list of pages. Just click a link and go!
- AB 1276 – Single-Use Foodware Accessories and Standard Condiments
- AB 1276 Complaint Form
- Agricultural Plastic Recycling
- Agricultural Waste Recycling
- Aluminum Scrap Recycling
- Asphalt Recycling
- Athletic Shoe Recycling
- Benefits of Composting
- Bicycle Recycling
- Brass and Bronze Recycling
- Bricks Recycling
- Business Organic Waste Collection
- California Refund Value (CRV) Beverage Container Recycling
- Cardboard Recycling
- Carpet Recycling
- Cast Iron Recycling
- Children Accessories Recycling
- Christmas Tree Recycling
- Clothing Recovery
- Composting Workshops
- Concrete Recycling
- Construction Waste Recycling
- Container and Wrapper Recycling
- Cooking Oil Recycling
- Copper Recycling
- Crayon Recycling
- Dental Material Recycling
- Dirt/Soil Recycling
- Discount Compost Bins
- Document Shredding
- Drywall Recycling
- Fishing Line Recycling
- Flooring Recycling
- Foam Packaging Recycling
- Food Donation
- Food Expiration Guidelines
- Food Forward
- Food Waste Prevention
- Glass Container Recycling
- Gravel Recycling
- Green Business Program
- Green Cart Recycling
- Home Composting
- Junk Mail Recycling
- Magazines, Catalogs and Phone Books Recycling
- Mandatory Commercial Recycling Program
- Manure Recycling Program
- Masonry Recycling
- Mattress Recycling
- Metal Cans Recycling
- Metals (other than cans) Recycling
- Mulch Program
- Newspaper Recycling
- Online Recordkeeping System FAQs
- Outreach Materials
- Paper Recycling
- Paperback Books Recycling
- Paperboard Recycling
- Photographic Film
- Plastic Bags
- Plastic Beverage Container Recycling
- Plastics #1 and #2 Recycling
- Plastics #3 – #7 Recycling (no Styrofoam)
- Plastics Recycling
- Polystyrene (Styrofoam) Packaging
- Program Exemption Application
- Propane Tank Exchange
- Razor Handles Recycling (Preserve brand only)
- Recycle at Home
- Recycle at Multi-Family Complexes
- Recycle at School
- Recycle at Work
- Recycling Containers
- Recycling FAQs
- Recycling Resource Guide
- Retail Compost Bins
- RMDZ Program
- Roofing Materials Recycling
- Sand Recycling
- Santa Barbara County Regional SB 1383 Food Recovery Plan
- SB 1383
- SB 1383 & Non-Local Entity Requirements
- SB 1383 Edible Food Recovery
- SB 1383 Edible Food Recovery Tools
- Setting Up a Food Recovery Plan
- Shoe Recycling
- Steel Recycling
- Stone Recycling
- Teacher Resources
- Terra Cycle Container & Wrapper Recycling
- Tiles Recycling (Flooring)
- Tiles Recycling (Roofing)
- Tin Recycling
- Tires Recycling
- Toothbrushes (from Preserve)
- Untreated Wood & Pallets Recycling
- Vehicles and Automotive Parts Recycling
- Vermicomposting
- Water Filters Recycling (Brita brand only)
- What Can I Recycle?
- White Paper and Computer Paper Recycling
- Why Recycle?
- Window Glass Recycling
- Wine Cork Recycling
- X-Ray Film
- Yard Waste Reduction
Related Events
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North County Only: Free Kitchen Pail Pick Up!
February 2, 2023 -
Composting Workshop at the Solvang Library!
May 5, 2022 -
Composting Workshop at the Solvang Library!
May 5, 2022 -
Santa Ynez Valley Shredding Event
April 4, 2022 -
Document Shredding Event – Santa Ynez
April 4, 2021 -
Document Shredding Event – Buellton
April 4, 2021 -
Document Shredding Event – Solvang
April 4, 2021 -
Orcutt Composting Q&A Session
August 8, 2019 -
Santa Barbara Composting Q&A Session
November 11, 2019
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