Recycling rules in Oxnard, CA

📍 City of Oxnard · 3-cart program

Who collects your recycling in Oxnard, CA

Oxnard, CA collects its own residential waste: City of Oxnard operates the carts directly rather than contracting the route to a private hauler. Households get three carts — a blue cart for recyclables, a green cart for food scraps and yard trimmings, and a gray cart for everything else.

That third cart isn't optional: California's SB 1383 requires organic-waste collection statewide, which is why food scraps have their own cart here instead of going in the trash.

The quick answer for Oxnard, CA

Plastic bottles & jugs♻️ Blue cartEmpty; keep the cap on.
Aluminum & steel cans♻️ Blue cartGive them a rinse.
Flattened cardboard♻️ Blue cartClean, dry sections only.
Glass bottles & jars♻️ Blue cartLids off.
Food scraps🌱 Green cartFruit, veg, leftovers, bones.
Greasy pizza box🌱 Green cartA clean box can be recycled instead.
Plastic bags & film🗑️ Gray cartStore drop-off is better.
Batteries⚠️ HazardousNever curbside — tape the terminals.

This is the short list. The full A–Z of what is and isn't recyclable is on what can I recycle? — or scan the item and get the answer for Oxnard, CA directly.

📷 Scan an item

Oxnard, CA recycling FAQ

Can you recycle plastic bags in Oxnard, CA?
Not in your blue cart. Bags and film wrap around the sorting equipment at the facility City of Oxnard uses, which is why they're excluded almost everywhere. Take clean, dry bags back to a grocery-store drop-off, or put them in your gray cart.
What do I do with batteries in Oxnard, CA?
Batteries never go in any of your Oxnard, CA carts — not the blue cart, not the gray cart. They're household hazardous waste and a genuine fire risk in the truck. Tape the terminals and take them to a local e-waste or household-hazardous-waste drop-off.

Popular item guides

How to dispose of a refrigeratorHow to dispose of a couchCan you recycle styrofoam?Can you recycle plastic bags?Can you recycle pizza boxes?Can you recycle glass?

More recycling guides

Palm Bay, FLPalm Coast, FLPalmdale, CAPalo Alto, CAPalos Verdes Estates, CAParamount, CAPasadena, CAPasadena, TX

Still not sure?

Rules vary by material and by hauler, and the sorting line is strict — one wrong item can contaminate a whole load. When in doubt, point your camera at the item for a verdict, or check the official City of Oxnard guide.