Berkeley Curbside Recycling Taking More Kinds of Plastic

Berkeley residents can now recycle additional types of plastic – including food containers and plastic cups – in the blue curbside bins.

The Ecology Center, which operates the city's curbside recycling program, said that in addition to plastic bottles, it will now accept "clean food storage containers, dairy tubs (like yogurt), plastic cups, and trays." 

"There are still plastic items that should not go in to the blue curbside recycling carts like styrofoam, plastic bags or wrap, compostable plastics, utensils, straws, and coffee lids," the center said. "Residents can drop off oversized plastic objects such as buckets, lawn furniture, and crates at the Berkeley Recycling Center on the corner of Gilman and 2nd Street." 

The City of Berkeley website also contains information about the expanded range of accepted plastics:

"Acceptable plastics are any clean rigid plastic container that fits in the cart, including dairy-product tubs, 'clam shell' containers, buckets, planter pots, food trays, and plastic cups.

"Please do not include small plastic items that are not containers, compostable plastics, styrofoam, or plastic bags."