El Cerrito Recycling Center

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.

Very nice community waste and recycle center for the household. Items taken include e-waste and books. There’s also a book repository that you can browse and take books from. Always the interesting.

See pics for things you can donate