Recycling
Everything you wanted to know about recycling in Berkeley can be found on the City’s Zero Waste Programs and Services page or by calling 510-981-6350. Or try the Berkeley Ecology Center’s guide on Berkeley Curbside Recycling or another resource, Berkeley Recycling.
Another excellent location for recycing is El Cerrito Recycling. They take batteries, lightbulbs, unused medications, almost anything you can think of. They also have a book exchange where you can take books and then pick up more! As one reviewer writes, “Hoarders, beware!”
- Electronics’ recycling
- Computer Recycling Center — “Computer Recycling Center program takes all computers, technology, network, telephone, test equipment and cell phones, working and nonworking, and overstocks of electronic parts. You can drop off your equipment at one of our events or locations, and Businesses with a truckload of items can request a business pickup.” Call 88-88-usedPC (888.887.3372). May 2015
- eWaste Collective (formerly the Alameda County Computer Resource Center – ACCRC) — “We will recycle anything you can plug into a power outlet that doesn’t have food put inside of it on a regular basis. This means we’ll recycle your computer, your VCR, your Television, but not your microwave, your washing machine, or your refrigerator. When you give us your computer, you will receive a tax write-off, and we will attempt to fix your equipment and then give it away to someone who would otherwise never be able to afford a computer. If your equipment is completely dead, it will be recycled in an environmentally friendly manner.” 620 Page Street, just west of 2nd Street, Berkeley, 510.528.4052
Open 9am – 5pm weekdays, 10am – 5pm Saturdays. Closed all major holidays. May 2015 - eWastedirect.com — One homeowner writes, “If we have five items of electronic recyclables minimum, they will schedule a free pick-up. If we have five households with electronic recyclables minimum, they will schedule a free drop-off of a collection bin, and then they will pick it up.” Call (877) 437-9558 or visit their website. May 2015
- Green Citizen — This is the electronics recycling service located closest to UT at 1971 Shattuck Avenue. They accept anything that plugs in or runs on batteries. They also recycle stryrofoam and shred documents. Call 510-981-1900, x104 or visit their website for hours.
- Computer Recycling Center — “Computer Recycling Center program takes all computers, technology, network, telephone, test equipment and cell phones, working and nonworking, and overstocks of electronic parts. You can drop off your equipment at one of our events or locations, and Businesses with a truckload of items can request a business pickup.” Call 88-88-usedPC (888.887.3372). May 2015
- Hazardous waste
Got hazardous waste? Alameda County’s Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Center, 2100 East 7th Street, Oakland, (800) 606-6606, is open every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday between 9am and 2:30pm and on Saturdays between 9am and 4pm. No appointment is necessary. There are restrictions, dos and don’ts of what can and cannot be dropped off, so it’s best to check their website’s guidelines.
- Paper, cans, bottles, packing material, bubblewrap, styrofoam, cardboard
- All UT residents may recycle newspapers, mixed paper, cans, tins, and plastic in the large blue containers located in the locked, enclosed area on the southwest corner of Building 9. Please do not overfill recycling containers. The City of Berkeley will only empty recycling bins if the lids can be fully closed. They also will not pick up items left on the ground inside the enclosure area.
UT recycling bins cannot accommodate your moving boxes or other cartons. You may either take them to a Recycling Center or flatten them into 3’ x 3’ piles (City regulations) next to your regular garbage for pickup. PLEASE do not dump your boxes or other household wares in the UT recycling areas. The Association must hire someone to haul these items to the dump resulting in higher operating costs and higher monthly Association dues. - Handle with Care Packaging Store, 1625 University Avenue, 510.540.6311 — they take styrofoam packing peanuts, bubblewrap, and unbroken-down boxes. (Tip: An alternative to our recycling area.)
- Berkeley Shred It, 1461 Eastshore Highway, Berkeley, 800.380.8202 — they do bulk shredding and you pay by the box full – $10 for a standard sized box. It is very quick and easy.
- All UT residents may recycle newspapers, mixed paper, cans, tins, and plastic in the large blue containers located in the locked, enclosed area on the southwest corner of Building 9. Please do not overfill recycling containers. The City of Berkeley will only empty recycling bins if the lids can be fully closed. They also will not pick up items left on the ground inside the enclosure area.