California recycling directory
Recycling centers in San Diego, California
12 facilities with contact info, hours, pricing, and accepted materials. Compare them and find the closest drop-off.
Available Recycling Centers
AIM Recycling San Diego
981 Heritage Rd San Diego CA 92154 USA
AIM Recycling San Diego located at 981 Heritage Rd, San Diego, California 92154, USA, offers metal recycling services. They accept a variety of metals including steel, iron, copper, brass, aluminum, wire, household metals, batteries, and computer electronic waste. Conditional acceptance is provided for CRV materials, while certain items are prohibited. The center operates from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm from Monday to Friday, with weekend closures. Visitors should note the specific hours of operation and the list of accepted materials before planning a visit.
Services: Scrap metal buying · CRV redemption · Electronic waste recycling · Battery recycling
Accepts: Steel, Iron, Copper, Brass, Aluminum, Wire, Household metals, Batteries
American Recycling - San Diego
4070 Home Ave San Diego CA 92105 USA
Cash For Cars San Diego
6880 El Cajon Blvd
Cash For Cars San Diego buys vehicles in any condition (junk, damaged, non-running, or salvage-title) for cash. They offer free towing and frequently schedule same-day pickup. Quotes are free and commitment-free.
Services: Cash for junk cars · Free towing · Same-day pickup · Junk car removal
Accepts: Junk cars, Salvage-title vehicles, Non-running vehicles, Damaged vehicles, Cars without emissions certification
Do you pick up vehicles for free?
Yes, Cash For Cars San Diego provides free towing when you sell your vehicle.
Can you buy my car the same day?
Yes, same-day pickup is frequently available.
Cph Recycling Industries
6400 Datsun St San Diego CA 92154 USA
IMS Recycling Services Inc
2740 Boston Ave San Diego CA 92113 USA
Miramar Recycling Center
5165 Convoy St San Diego CA 92111 USA
Miramar Recycling Center is a recycling drop-off center located at 5165 Convoy Street in San Diego, California.
Mojica's Recycle
2826 Commercial St San Diego CA 92113 USA
San Diego CRV Center
857 32nd St San Diego CA 92102 USA
SD Recycling Depot
Behind Minit Mart Liquor 2351 Ulric St San Diego CA 92111 USA
Materials Accepted in San Diego
Based on the listings above, materials commonly handled in San Diego include Cardboard, CRV beverage containers, Electronics, Appliances, Glass. Browse the guides below for preparation tips, scrap values, and what's recyclable.
Recycling in San Diego, California
San Diego runs a three-container curbside system (black trash, blue recycling, green organics) through its Environmental Services Department, with blue bins collected every other week and black and green bins collected weekly. The city's own Miramar Landfill and Recycling Center anchors local disposal and buyback operations, and residents pay nothing to drop off household hazardous waste there by appointment. Starting July 1, 2026, the city will stop collecting trash from black containers, a change tied to its broader waste rules, so residents should confirm their service status directly with the city.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can go in the blue recycling bin in San Diego?
San Diego's blue bin takes most paper (newspaper, office paper, cardboard, clean food boxes, magazines), cartons like soup, soy milk, and juice boxes, empty glass bottles and jars with lids on, and empty metal and aluminum beverage and food containers, including clean foil. It also accepts a wide range of rigid plastics: bottles, jugs, jars, yogurt and dairy tubs, clear PET #1 clamshells, drink cups, deli trays, berry baskets, plant pots, buckets, and toys. Labels do not need to be removed before recycling.
What is not accepted in San Diego's blue bin?
Styrofoam, plastic film, plastic bags, and plastic utensils are not accepted in the blue bin. Soiled or food-contaminated paper is also rejected, along with chemically treated paper like photographs, blueprints, and NCR (carbonless) paper. Aerosol cans that once held hazardous waste cannot go in either: if empty they go in the trash, and if they still contain product they must be handled as household hazardous waste.
Does San Diego recycle glass and food scraps curbside?
Yes to both, but in different bins. Empty glass bottles and jars go in the blue recycling bin along with their lids. Food scraps and food-soiled paper go in the green organics bin under the city's SB 1383 program, which also takes yard waste like garden clippings and wood waste; the green bin is collected weekly.
Where can San Diego residents take household hazardous waste and electronics?
City residents can drop off household hazardous waste (paints, cleaners, motor oil, batteries, pesticides, and similar items) free of charge at the city's Household Hazardous Waste Transfer Facility, but only by appointment, and proof of city residency is required. The facility itself does not take electronic waste; the city directs residents to separate e-waste recycling drop-off points instead. The Miramar Recycling Center, run separately, does accept TVs, computer monitors, laptops, and CPUs on a donation-only basis (no payment).
How much is a CRV refund on cans and bottles in San Diego, and can I recycle scrap metal there too?
California's CRV redemption pays 5 cents for containers under 24 ounces and 10 cents for containers 24 ounces or larger, plus 25 cents for CRV cartons as of a 2024 program expansion. At the Miramar Recycling Center, aluminum cans and plastic bottles are capped at 100 pounds per day and glass bottles at 1,000 pounds per day for CRV refunds. The same center also pays scrap value on select metals like ferrous scrap, and accepts cardboard and mixed paper on a donation basis, so it functions as both a bottle redemption site and a light scrap-metal drop point.
San Diego Recycling Tips
- •Blue recycling bins are only collected every other week in San Diego, not weekly like trash and organics, so check the city's collection schedule lookup tool if a bin overflows.
- •Break down large rigid plastics (crates, totes, laundry baskets, pallets, lawn furniture) before putting them in the blue bin; if they jam the cart or stick out, the truck may skip the pickup entirely.
- •The Miramar Recycling Center at 5165 Convoy St. charges disposal fees for specific items even though it's a recycling center: $25 for refrigerators, freezers, and CFC-containing appliances, $12 for large appliances like washers and dryers, $7 for tires, and $0.25 per pound for small household electronics.
- •Household hazardous waste drop-off at the Miramar facility is appointment-only and requires proof of city residency (photo ID or a recent bill), so don't plan on a walk-in visit.
- •San Diego has no on-demand bulky item pickup for single-family homes; residents should contact the Environmental Services Department directly or request a Community Cleanup, unlike many neighboring cities in the county that offer scheduled bulky pickups through EDCO or other haulers.
Recycling Centers Near San Diego
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