Recycling Collection

The City of Capitola is committed to recycling. Through increased efforts of the community and the staff, the City is recycling 51% of its refuse from the landfill. The State of California mandates that the City achieve a diversion rate of 50%. With your help we can increase our diversion.

Remember to recycle!

  • Paper and junk mail
  • Cardboard (unwaxed), magazines, catalogs, phone books
  • Paper bags, bottles, jars, cans
  • Aluminum and tin/steel cans
  • Plastics with number 1-7
  • Cereal and cracker boxes
  • Aerosol Cans (empty and non-hazardous)
  • Egg and milk cartons
  • Bags of Plastic bags

What NOT to Put in the Recycling Can

  • Carpet, fabric, clothes, shoes
  • Contaminated food containers (Pizza boxes)
  • Disposable razors
  • Green waste 
  • Food scraps
  • Hazardous materials
  • Paper towers or napkins
  • Styrofoam blocks - Capitola residents are welcome to drop off polystyrene plastic foam blocks Grey Bears
  • Redemption and Recycling Centers, Monday - Saturday, 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Ben Lomond Transfer Station located at 9835 Newell Creek Road.
  • Packing peanuts - The UPS Store at 1840 41st Avenue will accept Styrofoam peanuts
  • Wood or vinyl products
  • Individual Plastic Bags
  • Compostable food ware

The City sponsors recycling collection service through its Refuse, Recycling and Yard Waste Collection Franchise Agreement with Green Waste Recovery.  Recycling collection is part of a comprehensive service package available to any resident or business of the City. Unlimited recycling collection is included in the cost of refuse collection.

The City uses a single bin for recycling as opposed to the crates. Green Waste Recovery provides you with the bin. These bins are “single stream,” which means you can put all of your recyclable material into one bin and Green Waste sorts it at their San Jose facility.