Commercial Recycling Service
Mill Valley Refuse Service provides commercial recycling service in Almonte, Alto, Belvedere, Corte Madera, Homestead, Mill Valley, Strawberry, Tiburon and several unincorporated areas of Marin County. Visit our Commercial Service Guidelines to learn more about our collection service.
It’s the law: California businesses that generate four or more cubic yards of solid waste must recycle. Learn more.
At a Glance
- Mixed recycling: it’s okay for commercial customers to mix recyclables (glass, cans, paper etc.) in your brown Recycle Cart(s)
- Cart(s) must be out for collection by 6:00 a.m. on your designated pickup day
- IMPORTANT Contaminated carts (ones that contain any material other than approved recycling material) will be dumped and charged as trash
- NOTE ABOUT PLASTICS #1-7: Read this before you decide to recycle that item
What Goes Where?
Not sure how to properly dispose of something? Search our What Goes Where tool to find out if a material can be reused, recycled, composted, or disposed of in your trash.
Tip: This tool works best if you search for categories instead of a brand name or very particular product. For instance, rather than “Coffee-mate container” search instead for “plastic beverage bottle.” Instead of “cottage cheese container” search instead for “plastic tub.”
What Can and Can’t Go In The Recycle Cart
Below are guidelines about what can and cannot go in your Recycle Cart, but we suggest using the What Goes Where tool above to look up specific items.
The following items are accepted in the Recycle Cart. (If it’s not on the list below, please trash the item.)
Please make sure items are EMPTY, CLEAN & DRY
- Office paper (any color)
- Newspaper & magazines
- Paperboard (like cereal & shoe boxes)
- Junk mail and catalogs
- Paper tubes
- Paper egg cartons
- Paperback books
- Shredded paper in a paper bag
- Cardboard – Flatten. Do not cut into small pieces. If cardboard does not fit in the cart, it must be packed in 2’x2’x2′ bundles or smaller and tied with twine or string. Set bundles next to cart on pickup day.
- Glass bottles & jars (clean; remove metal lids and leave loose in Container Recycle Cart)
- Aluminum cans & foil (clean)
- Plastic bottles, tubs & jugs (clean; okay to leave caps on)
- Tin & bi-metal cans and food trays (clean)
- Pressurized aerosol cans (empty)
- Paint cans (empty)
The following items are not accepted in the Recycle Cart.
- Mailing envelopes with plastic lining
- Waxed or plastic-coated paper or cardboard
- Paper towels or tissues
- Wrapping paper
- Food soiled paper
- Juice, soup, soy, milk boxes & cartons
- Paper cups
- Styrofoam (with or without the triangle arrows label)
- Compostable plastic (with or without the triangle arrows label)
- Light bulbs and CFLs
- Fluorescent light bulbs*
- Plate glass, windows or mirrors
- Ceramics, Dinnerware, Pyrex
- Plastic bags
- Juice bags & pouches
- Metal hangers
- Full or partially full paint cans (metal)*
- Full or partially full Pressurized aerosol cans*
- Propane tanks*
*To dispose of these hazardous wastes visit our Hazardous Waste page.
Note About Recycling Numbers 1-7
Plastic products are sometimes stamped with a number surrounded by the recycling symbol. These numbers only signify the chemical composition of the type of plastic the container is made of. The numbers have nothing to do with whether or not there is an actual market for recycling that type of plastic.
Regardless of the number, only bottles, jugs and tubs should be put into your recycle cart. If a plastic item falls outside that group of items, it should, unfortunately, go into the trash to avoid contaminating your recycling stream.
When in doubt, use our searchable “What Goes Where” online tool to determine if a material can be reused, recycled, composted, or disposed of in your trash.
Recycle Contamination Policy
We know that it can be difficult to determine what materials are recyclable. Unfortunately, when in doubt, it’s better to throw it out (in the garbage) than to risk contaminating your recycling cart.
What is Recycling Contamination?
Contamination is the term used to describe anything that renders your recycled items non-recyclable. Besides ruining good material, contamination increases labor costs at processing plants as workers try to separate contaminated material from good material. Contamination typically occurs when:
- Non-recyclable items are put in collection carts
- Bags of recyclables are dropped into carts rather than dumping the recyclables in loose. Bags are NOT torn open at the processing plants so the bag and all its contents end up in the trash.
Common Recycling Contaminants
- Plastic bags and Packaging (should go into trash)
- Garbage bags (only garbage goes into garbage bags, do not bag your recyclables)
- E-Waste/Batteries (see Hazardous Wastes)
- Scrap Metal & Hangers (should go into trash)
- Food (should go into your compost cart)
- Styrofoam (should go into trash)
- Diapers (should go into trash)
- Clothing (donate or goes into trash)
How We Address Recycling Contamination
Recycle Carts will not be dumped if heavily contaminated with trash.
Instead, our driver will leave a Violation Notice (click on image at right to see a bigger version) on the cart handle describing the contaminant observed in the cart, and providing an opportunity to clean out the cart for pick up the following week. Or you may opt to request a special pickup (for a fee) after cleaning the cart.
When a cart is tagged, a sticker that describes a number of the most common contaminants will be placed on the cart lid as a permanent reminder of what should NOT be put in the cart.
If you receive a Violation Notice and want to schedule a special pickup, call our office at (415) 457-9760.
Recycling Videos
Recycling During Coronavirus
A note from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency about recycling and PPE disposal during Coronavirus.
The Truth About Plastics
This video from the New York Times helps explain some of the issues around plastic recycling labeling.
Plastic Wars
Have efforts to solve the plastic pollution problem made it worse? Go inside the battle over plastics, recycling and what’s at stake with PBS’ Frontline: Plastic Wars.
What is Recycling Contamination?
Recycling Plastic Right
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