El Cerrito Recycling Center — Local services in El Cerrito

I love this place! It is so convenient to come and drop off your recycling waste and help the environment at the same time. The facility is nicely run by competent and helpful workers and is operated very efficiently in everything from the drive-thru driveway, parking, and bin placement. There are several areas that are available for you to utilize and that is the main recycling area where you can drop off your glass/plastic bottles, batteries, cardboard, scrap metal, electronics, mixed papers, office papers, used motor oil and cooking oil, etc. You can drop off your unwanted clothing into the large lock bins and there is even a donation trailer where they can take your household goods and get a tax receipt. Whatever can't be recycled in the bins or donated can be left in the exchange zone where it is a free-for-all area where people can go and pick up other's usable items.

One thing I need to let you be aware of when you go to the recycling center that I really don't like is all the vultures (i.e people) loitering around looking into your car and your stuff waiting to pounce on anything you are leaving behind so they can pick it up and go sell it online or in their shops instead of going to the needy people or be recycled. The recycling center has rules and policies to deter people from picking up stuff from the bins unless it is in the exchange zone. But you get those people who will come up to you and pretend they work there asking if you have clothing or other goods to drop off. I just ignore them and put the stuff in the designated bins and keep a watchful eye on my car. One other thing to be aware of is if you are dropping off your electronics like laptops or computers please destroy the hard drive and when tossing the items into the bin, make sure to toss it far enough away that someone can't grab it. If the bin is full, ask a worker for a new bin.

Update: as of April 1, 2024 the exchange zone is temporarily closed for renovation. It will reopen tentatively on July 1st.

Update: August 2024. Exchange zone is now open with new rules and restrictions. See website for details. The whole experience is so much better now that it is monitored and there is no longer the loitering and people running up to you, looking into your car, yelling at you for things that they want to take from you which made the whole experience of going to the recycling center or donation truck an uncomfortable experience.

Another great experience dropping off stuff to get recycled.

Update May 2025: they optimized the layout a bit at the recycling center. The magazines that used to be at the Exchange Zone is now at the same section of the drop off circle where you can get clothes hangers, CDs, pots, and corks. Also, the electronics waste area has been expanded so you can securely drop off your data sensitive devices such as your laptop, tablet, and...

Update: The ‘vulture culture’ is worse than I remember. I wasn’t even able to set my box down before 5 people surrounded me and started grabbing at items. Terrifying, dangerous, rude. I saw some of their cars on my way out and they were packed with goods and junk.

Original review: It’s uncomfortable how many older folk hang around waiting for someone to drop stuff off and then they pounce on the items and discuss values and resale price points. Not illegal but definitely lame and skeevy.

Overall the recycling center is great for dropping off repurposeable items. Wish clothing was accessible to look through but clothing goes into the large...

A very well run place. Clean, efficient. Recycling crew very polite and helpful. The location in stunning. Beautiful nature around it. It feels good to help the planet. It is also great to have such competent, reliable facility like El Cerrito carrying out the task. Several bins and sectors. Tidy driveway, all around polite customers (no pushing). Plastic recycling is an issue since China falling-out. But our nation is required to come up with a plan. Recycling centers are just doing, what they can. In short: El Cerrito Recycling: Dignity for the planet and for the people. Our country used to be run like that, when taxes still paid for...