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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.

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.

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.

Close the Loop, by Buying Recycled Products!

We can also reduce our environmental impact and the waste we create by making sustainable purchases. Buying durable products, choosing items made from recycled materials, and thinking about the environmental impact of how our belongings are made, are all ways we can reduce out impact. To help everyone make better purchases, we made this handy dandy guide, which can be viewed here.

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!

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