Can you recycle plastic bags in Palo Alto, CA?

Not in your blue cart. Bags and film wrap around the sorting equipment at the facility City of Palo Alto 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 Palo Alto, CA?

Batteries never go in any of your Palo Alto, 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.

Recycling rules in Palo Alto, CA

📍 City of Palo Alto · 3-cart program

Who collects your recycling in Palo Alto, CA

Palo Alto, CA collects its own residential waste: City of Palo Alto 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 Palo Alto, CA

Plastic bottles & jugs	♻️ Blue cart	Empty; keep the cap on.
Aluminum & steel cans	♻️ Blue cart	Give them a rinse.
Flattened cardboard	♻️ Blue cart	Clean, dry sections only.
Glass bottles & jars	♻️ Blue cart	Lids off.
Food scraps	🌱 Green cart	Fruit, veg, leftovers, bones.
Greasy pizza box	🌱 Green cart	A clean box can be recycled instead.
Plastic bags & film	🗑️ Gray cart	Store drop-off is better.
Batteries	⚠️ Hazardous	Never 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 Palo Alto, CA directly.

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Palo Alto, CA recycling FAQ

Can you recycle plastic bags in Palo Alto, CA?: Not in your blue cart. Bags and film wrap around the sorting equipment at the facility City of Palo Alto 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 Palo Alto, CA?: Batteries never go in any of your Palo Alto, 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.

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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 Palo Alto guide.