Recycling Overview

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Recycling is more important today than it has ever been before. In order to keep our communities safe and clean, we all must pitch in to help recycle and reuse as much as possible. Vacaville Sanitary Service provides a convenient curbside recycling collection program to all residential customers.

View the curbside recycling instructions
View the list of local recycling resources

Close the Loop -- Buy Recycled!

There's just one more important step to recycling: buying products made with recycled content. When you purchase products with recycled content, manufacturers will continue to use recyclables in their products and will expand their use to other products.

Compare labels to find the product with the highest percentage of "post-consumer" recycled content. ("Post-consumer" is the material you recycle in your curbside bin.) Many products, such as greeting cards, tissue, toilet paper and paper towels, offer a variety of recycled-content choices. Be sure to look for the recycling symbol! Other products, such as aluminum cans, almost always contain high post-consumer recycled content, even if the can doesn't have the symbol.


Recycle Symbol
Remember to look for the familiar "chasing arrows" recycling symbol when you shop!

REUSE -- Leave less for the future!

You can help the environment and your pocketbook by buying reusable products. Consider sponges, dish towels, and cloth napkins in place of paper towels and disposable napkins, rechargeable batteries, and products in reusable packaging, such as glass jars.

Instead of throwing that old coat or dress away, consider donating your unwanted household items to a nonprofit or church-run thrift store. Look in the Yellow Pages under "consignment", "second hand", "thrift", "antiques", or "used" such as "clothing - used" or "furniture dealers - used".


Vacaville Sanitary Curbside Recycling

Place these materials inside your blue toter...

Tin and Aluminum Cans
You do not need to remove labels or crush cans.
  • Aluminum Cans (soda and beer cans)
  • Tin Cans (soup, pet food, canned vegetable and meat products and other foods)
NO: Aluminum foil, food trays or pans, scrap metal, coat hangers, spray cans (e.g. hair spray or paint), or propane tanks.


Glass Bottles and Jars
  • Remove lids and throw them away.
  • Glass Bottles (from juice, soda, wine and liquor -- clear, green and brown -- CRV and non-CRV)
  • Glass Jars (from spaghetti sauce, apple sauce, and other food items)
NO: Mirrors, light bulbs, ceramic, window panes, dishware, drinking glasses or mugs, and vases.


#1 - #7 Narrow-neck Plastic Bottles and Jugs
Remove the lids from the bottles and throw them away. You do not need to remove the labels.

recycle number
Look on the bottom of the bottle for the #1 - #7 recycling symbol.
  • Plastic Bottles and Jugs (from soda, juice, milk, bottled water or other household products)
NO: Plastic bags, tubs such as yogurt and margarine containers, food trays or deli containers, styrofoam, plant trays or pots, irrigation pipe, small plastic furniture, and plastic toys.


Newspapers, Magazines and Chipboard
Please place all materials in your blue toter.
  • Junk Mail
  • Newspapers (includes inserts)
  • Office Paper
  • Magazines (includes glossy publications)
  • Chipboard (boxes from cereal, shoes, crackers or gifts)
  • Brown Paper Bags
  • Paperboard Egg Cartons (not styrofoam)
  • Corrugated Cardboard (cardboard with ridges typically used for heavy-duty boxes - please flatten cardboard and wrap it with twine in bundles no larger than two feet by three feet)
NO: Adhesive-backed paper, carbon paper, photographs, facial or toilet tissues, books, plastic or foil lining from cereal or cracker boxes, paper contaminated by food, and thermal fax paper.



Local Recycling Resources

If you are interested in learning more about how to reduce, reuse, and recycle, check out these resources for finding additional information:

By Phone

  • "10 Easy Ways to Buy Recycled" - a guide from the California Department of Conservation - 1-800-RECYCLE

On the Internet

  • Earth's 911 - www.1800cleanup.org - offers extensive listings of recycling and waste reduction resources for neighborhoods throughout the U.S.
  • Recycle City - www.epa.gov/recyclecity - provides fun games and activities that also educate the user about recycling issues.

Vacaville Recycling

  • Vacaville Sanitary Service (707) 448-2945
    Operates recycling, refuse, and yard waste collection. Can answer questions or address issues related to the actual pickup of materials.
  • City of Vacaville Recycling Web Site www.vacavillerecycling.com
    Provides detailed information about the City of Vacaville curbside recycling program, household hazardous waste program, used motor oil recycling, reuse and smart shopping, and other related issues.
  • City of Vacaville Recycling Info Line(707) 454-5705
    Provides recorded information about all of the City of Vacaville's recycling programs.
  • City of Vacaville Recycling Coordinator (707) 469-6509
    Can answer questions about specific materials accepted in the new curbside recycling program or about recycling or environmental programs in the City of Vacaville.