Alameda County Industries City of San Leandro
Multi-Family Service Guide
What Belongs in the Recyclables?
Avoid contamination – Keep the stream clean and dry!
Empty, scrape, wipe or rinse items before placing them in the Recyclables container.
Paper Products
Any recyclable paper that tears, including:
- magazines, newspapers and junk mail.
- aseptic boxes (juice, soup, broth, & milk alternative)
- corrugated cardboard – fit pieces loosely to ensure the cart will empty properly during service. Extra pieces can be flattened, cut to less than 3″ x 2″, and stacked next to your recyclable cart for collection.
- shredded paper (contained in a paper bag or box – but we prefer you put it in the green organics bin)
Glass Bottles & Jars
- please remove lids & caps & recycle
Aluminum & Metal
- food & beverage cans
- aerosol cans (empty)
- paint cans (empty & dry only)
- pots & pans
- scrap pieces (up to 30 lbs. per item)
Plastic Containers
- bottles & jars
- tubs & trays
No Film Plastic or Plastic Bags
No Garbage
No Organics, Food, or Food-Soiled Paper
No Pressurized Tanks
No Rock, Brick, Dirt, or Concrete
No Styrofoam®
RECYCLING TOTE BAGS: Transport recyclables from your living unit to the recyclables collection container at your complex. One bag per unit is provided at no charge. Have your complex owner/manager contact us; we will deliver one.
EXTRA CARDBOARD: Flatten, cut into pieces no larger than two feet by three feet, and stack next to your recyclables cart or bin. By flattening and keeping the cardboard at the proper size, the extra material will fit in the hopper of the collection vehicle.
HOUSEHOLD BATTERIES:
Multi-family customers with cart service can place household batteries in a zipper-style bag on top of (not inside) their blue recyclables cart for collection. Please tape the terminals on 9-volt batteries. No automotive or liquid lithium-ion batteries are allowed.
Multi-family customers with shared bin service can place bagged batteries at the designated curbside location determined by their complex owner/manager.
ACI office: Drop off at the ACI office. No car batteries are allowed.
County HHW: For more information and a list of Alameda County’s disposal locations, please visit StopWaste.org/hhw, or call Alameda County Household Waste team at 1-800-606-6606.
USED MOTOR OIL: Place oil in one gallon or smaller, sealed screw-top containers less than 12” in height. No other automotive liquids are accepted. Place oil filters in sealed zipper-style bags. Cart customers can place jugs and bags next to (not inside) their recyclables cart, curbside, not in the gutter. Customers with shared service can place jugs and bags at the designated curbside location determined by their complex owner/manager. We will collect up to three gallons of oil per week. Do not mix oils in the containers. Request oil jug and filter bag delivery by ACI.
What Belongs in the Organics?
Avoid contamination – No glass, metal, Styrofoam®, or plastic.
Food Scraps
- fruits & vegetables (including peels, pits, & rinds)
- bread, pasta, & other grains
- dairy products
- eggshells
- coffee grounds & tea leaves
- meat & bones
Food-Soiled Paper
- plates & cups
- napkins & towels
- coffee filters & tea bags
- bags (used to contain/wrap food scraps)
- paper takeout containers
- newspaper (used to wrap food scraps or line cart)
- pizza boxes
- shredded paper (use it to soak up liquids and help with odors)
- wax paper & wax-coated boxes
- wooden chopsticks
Yard Trimmings
- flowers
- grass clippings
- leaves
- small branches less than 6” in diameter
- weeds
No Glass, Metal, Styrofoam, or Plastic
No Aseptic Boxes (Juice, Soup, Broth, & Milk Alternative)
No Dirt, Rock, Concrete, Brick, or Treated Wood
No Liquid Fat, Oil, or Grease
No Pet Litter or Feces
No Palm Fronds
KEEP ORGANICS LOOSE. PLEASE NO BAGS: Remember, only items that were once alive belong in the organics containers. The material is taken to a facility to create compost. Plastic, metal, and glass do NOT belong in the organics containers. Be especially mindful of film plastic; it is not easily recyclable, can get caught in sorting machinery, and is difficult to remove during organics processing.
HANDY KITCHEN PAIL: Use to collect food scraps and food-soiled paper in your home. When full, empty the pail into your organics collection container at your complex. Need a pail? Have your complex owner/manager contact us; we will deliver one.
USED COOKING OIL: Collect in one-gallon or smaller, sealed screw-top containers less than 12” in height. Cart customers, please place next to (not inside) your organics cart or bin on the curb, not in the gutter. Customers with shared service will place containers at the designated curbside location determined by their complex owner/manager. Up to 3 gallons total of oils are collected per week. Free oil jugs may be requested from ACI. Free oil jugs may be requested from ACI.
What Belongs in the Garbage?
Non-Recyclable Glass
- ceramics & drinking glasses
- lightbulbs (no fluorescent)
- mirrors & window glass
Non-Recyclable Paper
- carbon paper
- laminated items
- metallic wrapping paper
- paper used for cleaning (soiled)
- photographs
- vacuum bags
Non-Recyclable Plastics
- 6-pack rings (please cut)
- plastic bags, film, & wrap
- plastic plates & utensils
- plastic straws & stir sticks
- records, tapes, & CDs
- tape (duct, packaging, masking)
Textiles
- cotton balls (soiled)
- rugs & mats
- shoes, clothing, & stuffed animals (that cannot be donated)
- sponges
Other
- balloons (latex & Mylar)
- clothes hangers
- diapers
- personal hygiene products
- foam & Styrofoam®
- hose (garden or rubber)
- pet feces & litter (bagged)
- plastic bags
- rubber bands
- toothpaste tubes
- toys (try donating first)
- wood (painted or stained)
PLEASE NOTE: Pressure-treated lumber and other treated wood waste (referred to as TWW, ex., from fencing or decking) are not accepted in the ACI collection program. These materials have been considered hazardous waste in California since 2021. For information about where to transport treated wood waste, please reference the Department of Toxic Substances Control Requirements for Generators of Treated Wood Waste (TWW) Fact Sheet.
No Organics or Recyclable Materials
No Dirt, Brick, or Concrete
No Hot Ashes
No Pressurized Tanks
No Paint, Batteries, Fluorescent Bulbs, Poison, or other Household Hazardous Waste (HHW)
KEEP OUR WORKERS SAFE. PUT HAZARDOUS WASTE IN THE RIGHT PLACE. Hazardous waste and e-waste do not belong in any ACI collection container. Items like batteries, CFL bulbs, fluorescent lights, smoke detectors, pesticides, fertilizers, pool & photo chemicals, paint/varnish, toxic cleaning products, unwanted medications, and sharps (needles, lancets, etc.) need to be taken to a hazardous waste collection facility. For more information and a list of Alameda County’s disposal locations, please visit StopWaste.org/hhw, or call Alameda County Household Waste team at 1-800-606-6606.
Help us Provide Safe and Efficient Service
FOR CUSTOMERS WITH CART SERVICE:
- Be sure your carts are at the curb by 6:00 am on your collection day*.
- Place your carts facing the street with wheels against the curb (if possible).
- Leave 3 feet between each cart.
- Do not place carts close to parked cars, fire hydrants, low-hanging branches, parking meters, utility poles, and other obstacles.
FOR CUSTOMERS WITH SHARED BIN SERVICE:
- Be sure your enclosures/bins are accessible by 6:00 am on your collection day. Do not block access to the enclosures/containers.
FOR ALL CUSTOMERS:
- Do not overload your carts/bins. The lids should close completely. Need more space? Have your complex manager contact ACI to arrange for additional recycling service.
- Do not wedge or compact materials into your carts/bins. Doing so will prevent your cart/bin from being fully emptied when serviced.
- Materials from a construction, demolition, or landscaping project do not belong in your carts/bins. Contact ACI to order a temporary debris box for these items.
*Please note: San Leandro Municipal Code prohibits the storage of Garbage, Recyclables, or Organics carts/bins in view of a public street except on collection day.
USE THE EXPANDED ACI ON-CALL BULKY ITEM CLEAN-UP PROGRAM FOR MULTI-FAMILY COMPLEXES
The ACI of San Leandro clean-up program allows for more recycling, reuse, and less waste. All multi-family residential customers may schedule an on-call bulky item clean-up to discard overflow waste, bulky items, reusable items, and recyclable materials.
A Clean Up Bulky Item Collection includes:
- up to three cubic yards of reusable materials, recyclable materials, yard trimmings, and solid waste
- up to three bulky items – one bulky item may be exchanged for an electronic waste item
- once per unit, per 12-month period, at no charge
Rules apply. For more info, contact us or click here for online info.
HOUSEHOLD BATTERIES:
Multi-family customers with cart service can place household batteries in a zipper-style bag on top of (not inside) their blue recyclables cart for collection. Please tape the terminals on 9-volt batteries. No automotive or liquid lithium-ion batteries are allowed.
Multi-family customers with shared bin service can place bagged batteries at the designated curbside location determined by their complex owner/manager.
ACI office: Drop off at the ACI office. No car batteries are allowed.
County HHW: For more information and a list of Alameda County’s disposal locations, please visit StopWaste.org/hhw, or call Alameda County Household Waste team at 1-800-606-6606.
LATEX PAINT:
ACI on-call bulky item clean-up: Latex paint is accepted through ACI’s on-call bulky item clean-up program.
County HHW: For more information and a list of Alameda County’s disposal locations, please visit StopWaste.org/hhw, or call Alameda County Household Waste team at 1-800-606-6606.
HOLIDAY COLLECTION SCHEDULE: No collection on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Visit our holiday schedule page for more details.
Proper Sorting is the Law
California State law SB 1383 helps to keep compostable materials out of landfills. All multi-family complexes must comply. For more info and an online guide of what belongs in your carts, please visit SanLeandroSorts.com
A downloadable/printable PDF version of this page in English is available here.
To view this information in another language, use the translate button at the top right.