What goes where? Green. Gray. Blue.
What goes where?
Fresno is a national leader in recycling, but our goal is to be number one! We can achieve this goal by following the rules of the green, gray, and blue residential carts.
Recycling Hotline
Customers are encouraged to donate clothes and other reusable household items to local charities. There are several disposal options available for larger items that cannot be donated and need to be disposed of. Call the Recycling Hotline for resources at (559) 621-1111.
Green is for Organic Waste
THE GREEN CART
The following items can be placed in the green cart:
ACCEPTABLE MATERIALS
- Food Waste
- Food – soiled napkins / tissues / paper plates / paper bags / cardboard
- Garden plants, nuts, fruits, and vegetables
- Grass
- Leaves and / or pine needles
- Live holiday wreaths*
- Live Christmas trees*
- Trees / branches / palm fronds*
- Wood (untreated)
*Cut in 3-foot lengths
(Please make sure wood and prunings are less than 4 inches in diameter, cut to 3-foot lengths and the lid on the cart can close)
UNACCEPTABLE MATERIALS
These items DO NOT go in the green cart:
- Animal waste
- Plastic bags
- Treated wood
- Dirt
- Rocks
For disposal options or recycling resources, call the Recycling Hotline at (559) 621-1111.
Backyard Composting
Backyard composting is nature’s way of recycling. Composting is fun, easy, and educational. Decomposed organic material such as leaves, grass clippings, twigs, fruit, and vegetables make a great soil conditioner. Compost made from leaves and yard trimmings is great for your landscaping.
To learn more about composting, visit California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecyle) and type “composting” in the search bar, or the Master Gardener’s of Fresno County website.
Grasscycling
Grasscycling is the natural recycling of grass by leaving the clippings on the lawn when mowing. Grass clippings decompose quickly and release valuable nutrients back into your lawn. It’s simple, and it works! Grass clippings make up a big part of California’s waste during the growing season. To keep these out of the waste stream, try grasscycling!
Grasscycling provides free fertilizer and helps make lawns greener and healthier. It reduces turf grass fertilizer and water requirements which can reduce the toxic runoff that enters storm drains and pollutes creeks and rivers. Grasscycling reduces mowing time, too, since it eliminates the need to bag and dispose of clippings.
Finally, grasscycling reduces the amount of yard waste disposed of in landfills. Lawns can generate 300 pounds of grass clippings per 1,000 square feet annually.
For more information on Grasscycling, visit the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecyle) website and type “grasscycling” in the search bar.
Gray is for Garbage
THE GRAY CART
The following items can be placed in the gray cart:
ACCEPTABLE MATERIALS
- Animal waste (bagged)
- Broken glass
- Carpet*
- CDs/DVDs*
- Clothing*
- Cold coals/ashes
- Diapers
- Flexible plastics
- Plastic bags
- Rubber/vinyl hoses
- Styrofoam
- Toys*
- Treated wood
*Consider donating these items, or call the Recycling Hotline at (559) 621-1111 for recycling options
UNACCEPTABLE MATERIALS
These items DO NOT go in the gray cart:
- Auto and household batteries*
- Electronics*
- Concrete: No more than 1/3 of your container may contain concrete. Concrete can be disposed of at the Cedar Avenue Recycling and Transfer Station – 3457 S. Cedar Avenue. Monday – Friday.
- Dirt
- Hot BBQ coals
- Hot fireplace ashes
- Tires*
- Toxic materials*
- Rocks
- Used motor oil/filters*
*For disposal options or recycling resources, call the Recycling Hotline at (559) 621-1111.
Blue is for Recyclables
THE BLUE CART
Note: All items should be completely emptied before placing in the blue cart to reduce contamination. We also recommend items to be cleaned/rinsed.
The following items can be placed in the blue cart:
ACCEPTABLE MATERIALS
Paper
- Books
- Cardboards (please flatten boxes before placing in the Blue cart)
- Cartons
- Magazines
- Newspapers
- Spiral Notebooks
Plastic
- Beverage containers
- Detergent bottles
- Food containers
- Shampoo bottles
Metal
- Aluminum Cans
- Bi-metal cans
- Paint cans (empty/dry)
Glass
- Glass bottles (empty)
- Jars (empty)
UNACCEPTABLE MATERIALS
These items DO NOT go in the blue cart:
- Auto and household batteries
- Clothing
- Diapers
- Plastic bags of any type
- Plastic packaging
- Rubber/vinyl hoses
- Single-use plastics
- Soiled paper products
- Styrofoam
- Tires
REDUCE. REUSE. RECYCLE.
Reduce – Reduce the number of products you buy. Buy wisely and buy less.
Reuse – Reuse whatever you can and donate good used items to a church or charity. Give your recyclable items a second chance.
Recycle – Recycle everything you can. Buy products that are recycled or that can be recycled.
Some items that are labeled as recyclable cannot be placed in the City of Fresno blue recycling carts. For a list of these items and places they can be taken, call the Recycling Hotline at (559) 621-1111 or download the Fresno County Directory of Recycling from the Fresno County Recycling and Solid Waste Disposal website.
For disposal options or recycling resources, call the Recycling Hotline at (559) 621-1111.
Prohibited Items
The Following Items are NOT Allowed to be Disposed of in ANY Cart!
- Batteries (household & car)
- Chemicals
- Dead Animals
- Electronics/E-Waste
- Light bulbs & CFLs
- Medical Waste (sharps/pharmaceuticals)
- Motor Oil
- Pesticides
- Tires
If you have additional questions or if you are looking for more information, contact Fresno’s Recycling Hotline at (559) 621-1111.
Contamination
The Contamination Problem
Items such as diapers, clothing, or food waste are considered contamination when placed in the blue recycling cart. Fresno spends about $500,000 a year to remove contamination found in recycling carts.
Contamination is also a problem in green waste carts. For example, when people put leaves and grass in plastic bags prior to disposal, these bags must be removed by hand before the material can be processed. Plastic and trash of any kind contaminate the green waste cart.
Blue Cart Contamination Examples:
- Carpet*
- Clothing*
- Food
- Plastic Bags
- Rubber Hose
- Styrofoam
- Paper Products with adhesive, glitter, or food waste. Other examples include toilet paper and facial tissue.
- Wood
*For disposal or recycling options, call the Recycling Hotline at (559) 621-1111
Green Cart Contamination Examples:
- Animal waste
- Dirt
- Fabric
- Plastic Bags
- Rocks
- Styrofoam
- Trash and Recyclables
- Treated Wood
Violations & Fines
If contamination is found in your recycling or green waste cart, a notice or fine may be assessed. All fines assessed will appear on your next utility bill.
| Instance | Fine |
|---|---|
| 1st | Notice of Violation |
| 2nd | Warning Letter |
| 3rd | $50 |
| 4th | $100 |
| 5th | $200 |
| All violations thereafter | $200, up to $1,500 (per fiscal year) |
Fines accrued will be attached to your City of Fresno Utility bill.
Used Motor Oil & Filters
To request the free program containers for residential curbside pickup of used oil and/or filters, call (559) 621-1452. Used motor oil and filters in program containers can be placed next to your blue cart on your service day for pickup.
Certified Collection Centers are also available for customers to drop off used motor oil and/or oil filters. Visit https://www2.calrecycle.ca.gov/UsedOil/CertifiedCenters/ or call the Recycling Hotline at 559-621-1111 to locate a certified collection center near you.
More information about used motor oil and oil filter disposal options can be found on the Hazardous Waste and Sharps Disposal – Motor Oil & Oil Filters (drop-down tab) webpage or by calling (559) 621-1111.
Live Christmas Tree & Wreath Recycling
After the holiday season, make sure your Christmas tree does not end up in the landfill. It can serve other useful purposes such as mulch or a compost additive. Recycling Christmas trees in your green cart helps the City reach recycling goals and saves landfill space.
Please note that artificial Christmas trees can be donated or placed in the gray cart for disposal.
Single Family Residential Customers
- Please prepare your Christmas tree for recycling:
- Remove all ornaments, lights and, tinsel
- Remove the stand
- Cut the trees into 3 foot lengths or less so our equipment can handle them
- Place your tree in the green waste cart for collection
- For additional information call (559) 621-1452
Apartments and Commercial Customers
Customers north of Ashlan Avenue contact:
Allied Waste Services of Fresno, (559) 275-1551
Customers south of Ashlan Avenue contact:
Mid Valley Disposal, (559) 237-9425
For Your Safety
Fire Officials warn that it can be dangerous to burn your tree in the fireplace.
No Littering
Dumping trees in vacant lots is considered littering. There are heavy fines for littering in the City of Fresno.
If you have additional questions, contact the Solid Waste Management Division at (559) 621-1452.