Alameda County Industries City of San Leandro
Single-Family Service Guide
What Belongs in the Recyclables?
Avoid contamination – Keep recyclable items 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 Personal Hygiene Products or Diapers
No Pressurized Tanks
No Rock, Brick, Dirt, or Concrete
No Styrofoam®
HOUSEHOLD BATTERIES: Put household batteries in a zipper-lock style bag and place on top of (not inside) your recyclables cart for collection. No automotive or liquid lithium-ion batteries allowed. Detailed Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) disposal information here.
USED MOTOR OIL: Put used motor oil in a sealed 1-gallon, screw-top container, and used oil filters in a sealed zipper-lock style bag. Place them next to (not inside) your Recyclables cart. No other automotive liquids accepted. Do not combine motor oil and cooking oil. Up to 3 gallons total of oils are collected per week. Free oil jugs and oil filters may be requested from ACI.
What Belongs in the Organics?
Avoid contamination – No glass, metal, Styrofoam®, or plastic.
Keep the organics loose. Do not bag.
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
HANDY KITCHEN PAIL: For your convenience, a green kitchen pail for collecting food-soiled paper and food scraps is available from ACI. Empty the contents of the pail into your green organics cart. Do not leave the pail at the curb for collection. Need a pail? Contact us – we will get one delivered to you!
USED COOKING OIL: In one gallon or less, sealed screw-top containers, no more than 12 inches in height. Place next to (not inside) your green organics cart. Do not combine motor oil and cooking oil. Up to 3 gallons total of oils are collected per week. Free oil jugs may be requested from ACI.
What Belongs in the Garbage?
Non-Recyclable Glass
- ceramics & drinking glasses
- lightbulbs (no fluorescent-HHW)
- 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.
Proper Curbside Set-Out
Please help us provide safe and efficient service.
- Be sure your carts are at the curb by 6:00 am on your collection day. Log into your account or contact us to find out when we service your area.
- Leave the carts at the curb until we’ve emptied them. Our trucks can arrive at different times each week. Please note: San Leandro Municipal Code prohibits the storage of Garbage, Recyclables, or Organics carts in view of a public street except on 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.
- Do not overload your carts. The lids should close completely.
- Set overflow recycling in paper grocery bags next to the blue cart. Need more recycling space? Residents can have up to 2 recycling carts at no additional charge. Contact ACI to arrange for additional recycling service.
- Overflow garbage will only be collected unless you have affixed pre-paid tags to your trash bag. Contact ACI to purchase tags or to arrange for additional service.
- Do not wedge or compact materials into your carts. Doing so will prevent your cart from being fully emptied when serviced.
- Materials from a construction, demolition, or landscaping project do not belong in your carts. Contact ACI to order a temporary debris box for these items.
Enhanced On-Call/Bulky Item Clean-Up Program – Now collecting items for reuse!
San Leandro residents of single-family homes may schedule a cleanup once per 12-month period at no charge. Rules apply. Click here for detailed information regarding the On-Call/Bulky Item Clean-Up Program,, or contact ACI to schedule your clean-up.
Batteries
CURBSIDE: Residents may place household batteries (A, AA, AAA, C, D, and 9-volt) in a zipper lock-style bag and place them on top of, not inside, their blue recyclables cart for collection.
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 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. Our holiday schedule page has details or check our residential quarterly newsletter for detailed holiday collection schedules.
For an online guide to 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.