Why Recycle? • What Goes Where? • Recycling Rewards Program

Curbside Recycling

Curbside recycling is a community waste reduction program that was implemented in response to the California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989. All California communities are required to divert 50 percent of their municipal solid waste from landfills or face stiff fines for non-compliance. These fines, if levied, would result in higher garbage collection rates for everyone.

Why Recycle?

In addition to conserving natural resources and achieving the state-mandated 50 percent recycling goal, the less you throw away, the less you pay! The cost of the recycling program is included in the garbage collection rates. These rates are based on the size of your garbage (gray) cart. So, the less you throw away, the less you will pay for garbage service. Weekly residential garbage service is available from Yuba-Sutter Disposal, Inc. in three cart sizes (32-, 64- and 96-gallon carts). For areas of Yuba and Sutter counties with curbside recycling and yard waste collection service, the basic service rate is for the standard 32-gallon garbage cart and there is no additional charge for recycling and yard waste collection. If you are finding that you regularly need a larger garbage cart, you can order a 64- or 96-gallon cart at an additional cost. This is one reason why it is important for you to reduce, reuse, and recycle everything possible from soda bottles to yard trimmings.

What Goes Where?

Blue Recycle Cart

The blue cart is for recyclable glass, plastic and paper products. These items go in the blue cart:

Empty Plastic Containers: any plastic container with the "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7" recycling number on the back or bottom. Look for the symbol on these types of containers:

beverage
bleach
condiment
cleaners
cooking oil
detergent
liquor
lotion
mouthwash
shampoo
syrup
milk and water jugs
plastc lids and bottle caps
plastic food trays
yogurt and butter tubs
meat trays

Paper Products

newspapers
magazines
phone books
paper bags
computer & copier paper
brochures
junk mail
coupons
catalogs
envelopes
wrapping paper
tissue boxes
paper tubes
cardboard boxes & pizza boxes (flattened)
shoe boxes
take-out cups & lids
soda & juice boxes
milk, cream & non-dairy cartons
cereal & cake boxes (remove food liners and discard them in the gray cart)
paper egg cartons

Bottles & Cans

glass food and beverage containers
empty soda & beverage cans
food & soup cans
fruit & vegetable juice cans
pet food cans
aerosol cans (empty)
pie tins
steel cans

Place recyclables loosely in the blue recycling cart. (NO PLASTIC BAGS, PLEASE!)

If you occasionally have more recyclable material than your blue cart can hold, you can place a bag next to your blue cart. If you regularly have more recyclable material than your blue cart can hold, please call for a larger blue cart. Larger blue recycling carts are available at no additional cost.

Gray Household Waste Cart

The gray cart is where you put everything that is neither recyclable nor green yard waste. Do not discard hazardous waste of any kind in any of your carts.

Plastics

plastic bread, grocery, newspaper and garbage bags
video tapes, CDs and CD cases

Glass

window glass
mirrors
ceramics
porcelain
crystal
Pyrex
drinking glasses
non-fluorescent light bulbs

Kitchen & Food Stuff

plastic wrap
plastic utensils
straws
potato chip & snack bags
food waste
paper plates
napkins
paper towels
fast food wrappers
plastic wrap from food trays
six pack rings
waxed paper
dinnerware
ovenware
pots & pans

Clothes & Linens

pantyhose
worn shoes
clothes & pillows

Bathroom & Pet Products

bathroom tissue
diapers
sanitary products
ear swabs
toothpaste tubes
animal waste
kitty litter

Outdoor & Metals

garden hoses
wire
scrap metal

Packaging

bubble wrap
packing peanuts
aluminum foil
rubber bands
Styrofoam blocks
paper clips

Green Yard Waste Cart

The green cart is for your green yard waste, including:

flowers
grass clippings
leaves
plant trimmings
small branches & prunings
green plants
weeds

Your driver will NOT collect your green yard waste container if it contains:

plastic
glass
rocks
animal waste
large branches
tree stumps
lumber
herbicides & insecticides

If you have more green waste in the Spring and Fall than your green cart can hold, you can bundle the excess and place it next to your green cart. If you regularly have too much green waste, additional green carts are available at no additional cost.

Christmas Tree Recycling

Yuba-Sutter residents have four options for recycling their Christmas Trees. Please make sure your tree is free of all tinsel, ornaments and the stand before sending it to be recycled. Flocked trees cannot be recycled and are sent directly to the landfill. Since wreaths and evergreen roping are generally made with wire or plastic backing, these items should be placed in your garbage cart.

Christmas Tree recycling options are:

Participate in the Buttes Area Boy Scout Districts Christmas Tree program. For a small donation to the Boy Scouts your tree will be collected by a Scout volunteer for recycling. The money raised by Scout volunteers will benefit the local Boy Scouts.
Cut your Christmas Tree to fit inside your green yard waste cart.
Take your Christmas Tree to the Marysville Transfer Station at 3001 North Levee Road between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. daily and pay the applicable minimum or weight-based charge.
Yuba-Sutter Disposal, Inc. will collect Christmas Trees beginning December 27th through the end of January. Christmas Trees will be collected when placed at the curb during your regularly scheduled garbage day.

Recycling Rewards Program

The Regional Waste Management Authority and Yuba-Sutter Disposal, Inc. established the Recycling Rewards Program in 2003. Recycling Rewards is designed to encourage residents to improve their recycling efforts by offering cash rewards to randomly selected households that recycle properly. Contamination of the curbside recycling carts with garbage and other items not included in the program results in reduced recycling rates, increased material processing costs and, ultimately, higher collection rates.

Six households in the Curbside Recycling area are randomly selected each month to participate in the Recycling Rewards Program. Once selected, the Yuba-Sutter Disposal, Inc. Recycling Coordinator inspects the contents of the blue curbside and/or green yard waste recycling carts placed at the curb on collection day. If all items in the carts are recyclable as listed in the current recycling program promotional materials, that household will get $50. The selection of households and cart inspections continues until six successful recycling households are found each month.

Participation in the Recycling Rewards program is easy. Residents in the Curbside Recycling area just need to regularly and correctly make use of their blue curbside recycling cart and/or green yard waste cart. Recycling Rewards recipients will be listed in the Appeal Democrat and in the Yuba-Sutter Disposal, Inc. newsletter, "Recycling Resource." They will also be announced on KUBA, COOL 104, KKCY, KMYC and ComCast Channel 19.

Employees of Yuba-Sutter Disposal, Inc. or its parent company and any subsidiaries; the Regional Waste Management Authority; or its member jurisdictions are not eligible to participate. This project is funded by the Regional Waste Management Authority, Yuba-Sutter Disposal, Inc. and a grant from the California Department of Conservation.