What Goes Where

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Sustainability is one of the city’s top priorities. We can all contribute to a sustainable Carlsbad by diverting waste away from the landfill through proper recycling and composting. Here's how:

Blue bin is for recyclables

Plastics: Look on the bottom of containers for a number inside the recycling arrows and recycle plastics numbered 1 through 7
Metal cans, aluminum foil: Recycle all food and beverage metal cans – steel, tin, bi-metal and aluminum
Cardboard, newspaper and magazines: You can also include newspaper inserts, catalogs, paperback books, phone books and brochures
Paper food containers: Recycle food boxes including juice boxes, egg, ice cream and milk cartons, and cereal and pasta boxes
Paper: Recycle envelopes, office paper, junk mail, greeting cards and file folders; paper must not be food soiled

Green bin is for organics

Food waste: Fruit, vegetables, meat, bones, dairy, eggshells, coffee grinds and prepared food
Yard waste: Recycle yard trimmings, plants, leaves, branches and grass
Food-soiled paper: Soiled napkins and paper towels, tea bags, paper plates, pizza boxes and coffee filters

Learn more about organic waste composting.

Grey bin is for landfill

Everything else should go in your grey bin

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Why it’s important

Diverting recyclable materials away from the landfill creates new products, conserves natural resources, reduces energy use and curbs carbon emissions. Bringing bottles and cans to your local recycling center also puts cash back in your pocket.

Around 20% of what is put into the blue recycling bins is not recyclable. By eliminating materials that don’t belong, you’ll help ensure recyclables find their future use. If the blue bins contain trash or non-recyclables, the entire load might not be recycled.

How you can help

Recycle right

Other recycling tips

Laws and regulations

Assembly Bill 341

Effective July 1, 2012, the State’s mandatory commercial recycling law (AB 341) requires all businesses that generate four cubic yards or more of solid waste per week and multi-family properties with five units or more to arrange for recycling services. The law established a goal to divert at least 75% of waste from the landfills by the year 2020.

Assembly Bill 1826

Beginning April 1, 2016, the State’s mandatory organic waste recycling law (AB 1826) phased in requirements for businesses and multi-family residences that generate specified amounts of waste to arrange for recycling services for organic waste. Organic waste (also referred to as organics) means food waste, green waste, landscape and pruning waste, nonhazardous wood waste, and food-soiled paper waste that is mixed in with food waste.

Senate Bill 1383

In September 2016, Governor Brown signed into law SB 1383, establishing methane emissions reduction targets in a statewide effort to reduce emissions. Beginning in 2022, SB 1383 requires every jurisdiction to provide organic waste collection services to all residents and businesses. Residents and businesses are required to subscribe and participate in their jurisdiction’s organics collection service.

In addition to state laws, the City of Carlsbad requires the separation of recycling, organics and trash as per Carlsbad Municipal Code section 6.08.020. Additionally, section 6.08.050 mandates that all trash and recycle bins remain covered.

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