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What Goes Where

Recycle and Compost Right in Salinas Valley

Learn what belongs in your recycling and green carts — and why certain items do not belong. Following these simple guidelines helps keep our community clean, reduces contamination, and ensures more materials are properly recycled or composted.

Blue Cart: Recycling

Blue Cart Guidelines: Recycling

Recycling Cart full of loose recyclables

Accepted Items
Put these in your Blue Cart

Recyclable Paper and Cardboard

Dry Paper & Dry Cardboard

Dry Paper & Dry Cardboard

Clean mail, office paper, newspapers, magazines, flattened cardboard, paperboard boxes, paper bags.
Metal items for recycling

Metal

Metal

Aluminum cans, steel/tin cans, clean aluminum foil & trays.
Plastics # 1, 2, 5 for recycling

Plastics

Plastics

Bottles, tubs, and containers labeled #1 (PET), #2 (HDPE), #5 (PP), empty and dry. Number can be found inside the chasing arrows on the bottom of the item
Glass for recycling

Glass

Glass

Bottles and jars, empty and "cleaned" (spatula clean or wiped clean – washing not required)

Tips:

  • Keep materials loose — do not bag recyclables.
  • Flatten cardboard boxes.
  • Empty food and beverage containers (spatula clean or wiped clean – washing not required).
  • Recycle shredded paper in a clear, sealed bag.
  • Keep lids on bottles and containers.

Avoid “Wish-Cycling”
“Wish-cycling” means putting items in the recycling (blue) cart hoping they’re recyclable—even when they’re not. This can contaminate good recyclables, damage equipment, and create safety risks.

Keep these OUT of your blue cart:

  • Small loose items (caps, straws, pens) — too small to be sorted; they fall through the equipment
  • Contaminated paper (excessively greasy pizza boxes, paper plates, napkins) — food-soiled paper can ruin entire batches
  • Non-recyclable plastics (plastic bags, Styrofoam, compostable plastics) — can jam machinery and aren’t accepted in recycling markets
  • Liquids & food residue — contaminate otherwise recyclable materials
  • Non-recyclable glass (ceramics, mirrors, window glass, Pyrex) — melt at different temperatures and contaminate glass recycling streams
  • Hazardous items (batteries, electronics, paint) — require special handling and can harm workers and the environment

When in doubt, leave it out of the blue cart.

Green Cart: yard waste and food scraps

Green Cart Guidelines: Food Scraps & Yard Waste

Person pouring food scraps into curbside green cart.

Accepted Items
Put these in your Green Cart

Food Scraps

Food scraps

Food scraps

Fruits, vegetables, peels, pits, leftovers, bread, rice, pasta, grains, cooked meat and bones, dairy, coffee grounds, and coffee filters—including moldy, spoiled, or “gross” food of any kind.
Leaves and branches in a pile.

Yard waste

Yard waste

Grass, leaves, weeds, plant trimmings, small untreated (not painted or stained) wood.

Tips:

  • Always put items in loose, not in bags.
  • Cover food scraps with yard waste to reduce odors.
  • Sprinkle baking soda in the kitchen container and food and yard waste cart to reduce odors.
  • Additional Storage. Keep a 5 gallon bucket with tight fitting lid by your green cart.  Fill that with food scraps and empty it into the green cart before you wheel it out to the curb.  This keeps your food scraps contained and sealed all week and will lessen flies and odor in your cart.

Avoid “Wish-Cycling”
“Wish-cycling” means putting items in the green cart hoping they’ll be composted—even when they don’t belong. This can contaminate finished compost, disrupt operations, and create safety risks.

Keep these OUT of your green cart:

  • Raw meat and raw bones — can cause odors, attract pests, and aren’t accepted in this composting process
  • Compostable bags and foodware (plates, containers, utensils) — don’t break down fast enough in industrial systems and may have chemical contaminates
  • Paper plates and napkins — often contain coatings or addatives that contaminate compost
  • Dirty or waxed paper — can contaminate compost and won’t break down properly
  • Excessive dirt and soil — adds weight (can break cart or damage trucks), reduces compost quality, and can interfere with processing
  • Pet waste, diapers, and hazardous materials — pose health risks and must be disposed of separately

When in doubt, leave it out of the green cart.

Find out more about Food Scrap Recycling Here

Tips for success

Plastic 1, 2 & 5 examples

Only Plastic # 1, 2, & 5 are recyclable in your Blue cart

Only plastics #1, #2, and #5 are recyclable curbside​​

Compostable go in trash

“Compostable” does not mean it can go in curbside organics

“Compostable” bags and containers go in the garbage cart. Click image above to find out more.

When in doubt, place items in the garbage

Unsure if it's Recyclable? Place in the Garbage

If you’re unsure, keep it out of the recycling and green carts.

Holding a clothing price tag

Too Small for Recycling? Place in the Garbage

If the item is smaller than 2"x2" it will likely fall through recycling screens.

Quick Reference Guide

Cart

Accepted (place these in the curbside cart)

Not Accepted 

Recycling

Clean paper, cardboard, metal cans, glass bottles/jars, plastics #1,2,5

*Black plastics- Only accepted by Tri-Cities and Monterey Disposal

Bags, Styrofoam, black plastics, small items, liquids, contaminated materials, hazardous waste

Green Cart

Food scraps, yard waste

Plastic bags, compostable foodware, dirty paper, pet waste, hazardous waste

Find your Waste Hauler here for more information
Black Cart: Garbage

Black/Gray Cart Guidelines: Garbage

These items do not belong in Blue carts (recycling)  or Green carts (organics) and should always go in the garbage.

Mixed materials can't be recycled

Mixed Materials & Non-Recyclable Packaging

These items use mixed materials or coatings that can’t be separated and contaminate recycling.

Chip bags, candy wrappers, and foil-lined bags • Coffee bags (foil-lined) • Plastic mailers and padded envelopes • Cardboard cans (like Pringles containers) • Waxed or coated paper (wax paper, butcher paper, parchment paper) • Paper coffee cups and paper take-out containers
Personal Hygiene items

Personal & Hygiene Items

These items are contaminated and must be placed in the garbage.

Diapers and feminine hygiene products • Cotton balls, swabs, and pads • Facial tissues and paper towels • Disposable wipes and masks • Toothbrushes and dental floss
Non-donatable textiles that go to the garbage

Unusable Textiles

If possible, always Donate first.

Worn-out clothing, rags, and shoes (if not reusable) • Pillows and stuffed items
Plastic Bags & Film

Plastic Bags & Film

Flexible plastics tangle sorting equipment and have limited markets for recycling.

Plastic bags (grocery, produce, bread bags) • Plastic wrap and cling wrap • Bubble wrap and air pillows • Ziploc-style baggies
Pet and household waste that goes in the garbage

Pet & Household Waste

These contain contaminants, pathogens, or mixed materials that can’t be processed.

Pet waste, cat litter, and bedding • Dryer lint and vacuum dust • Broken household items (toys, hangers, sponges, etc.)
Tanglers and non recyclable

Tanglers

These items tangle recycling equipment and disrupt sorting operations and can't be recycled.

Cords • Wires • Hoses • String • Rope • Netting
Disposable Foodware

Disposable Foodware

These contaminate recycling and compost and must be placed in the garbage.

Plastic utensils, straws, and cup lids • Styrofoam cups, plates, and containers • Compostable cups, plates, utensils, and packaging
Broken items that need to go in garbage.

Broken or Non-Recyclable Materials

These materials contaminate recycling or have different properties that prevent processing.

Ceramics • Dishes, • Drinking glasses • Mirrors • Window glass • PVC • Vinyl • Plexiglass
Food related items

Food-Related Items That Do NOT Go in Organics

These contaminate compost or can’t break down properly in our local processing systems.

Grease, cooking oil oaked paper, and bacon fat • Raw meat and bones • Dirty paper products (napkins, pizza boxes, paper towels) • Compostable bags and foodware *Bottles of used cooking oil can be dropped off at our HHW faciliy.

Beyond The Curb – Recycling Other Materials

Find out what to do with other items like hazardous materials and bulky items here.
Click Here
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