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Acceptable Materials for Recycling Cart
(Metal, Glass, Plastics, and Paper)

Metal
- Containers: empty and rinsed
- Lids and caps are okay

• Aluminum foil (clean)
• Aluminum pie pans
• Beverage cans
• Food cans
• Pet food cans

Glass
- Bottles and jars only (empty and rinsed)
- Any color glass is okay
- Lids and caps are okay

• Bottles
• Beverage containers
• Jars

Please no ceramics, broken glass, mirrors, lead wine bottle wrappings or corks.

Plastics
- Plastic containers only
- Empty and rinsed
- All plastics must be marked #1,2,3,4,5,6 or 7
- Lids and caps are okay
- Plastic bags must be bundled together in another plastic bag

• Bags (marked #4 only)
• Buckets (without handles)
• Beverage containers (like soda, water and juice bottles)
• Foam egg cartons
• Flower pots (no dirt)
• Foam packing blocks (#6 only)
• Food containers
• Household cleaning containers
• Milk jugs
• Styrofoam™ containers #6
• Takeout containers

Paper
- Clean and dry with no food matter
- Flatten boxes
- Shredded paper must be in paper bag
- Staples, tape, envelope windows are okay

• Books (paperback)
• Boxes, packages
• Cardboard (cut to fit loosely in cart or for extra cardboard, cut 3' x 3' pieces or smaller and place in between the gray recycling cart and green yardwaste cart)  
• Catalogs
• Cereal boxes
• Colored paper
• Computer paper
• Coupons
• Envelopes
• Frozen food packages
• Gift wrap (non-metallic only)
• Juice boxes
• Magazines
• Milk and cream cartons
• Newspaper and inserts
• Office paper
• Paper bags
• Shredded paper (in a paper bag)
• Telephone books
• Tissue paper (gift type)
• Unsolicited mail

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Acceptable Materials for Green Organics Cart
(Yardwaste, Food Scraps, & Food-Soiled Paper) 

Yardwaste

• Branches
• Flowers
• Grass clippings
• Holiday trees (tinsel-free)
• Leaves
• Shrubs (small)
• Twigs
• Weeds

Please no tree stumps, rocks, dirt, palm fronds, pet waste or sand.

Food Scraps

• Bread
• Coffee grounds
• Dairy products (butter, cheese and yogurt)
• Egg shells
• Fruit
• Leftover cooked or raw foods
• Meat and bones (beef, pork, chicken, fish, etc.)
• Pasta
• Rice
• Vegetables and peelings

Please no plastics or plastic bags, metal or foil, glass, liquids, diapers, or trash.

Food-Soiled Paper
- Only food-contaminated paper in green cart
- Most clean/dry paper goes in recyclables cart

• Coffee filters (paper only)
• Egg cartons (food contaminated paper cartons only – no foam cartons)
• Newspaper (for food lining or wrapping only)
• Paper bags (for food lining or wrapping only)
• Paper cups (uncoated)
• Paper napkins
• Paper plates (uncoated)
• Paper towels
• Pizza boxes
• Tea bags

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Food Scrap Frequently Asked Questions

General Program information

• What is the Fremont food scraps program?
• What are food scraps and food-soiled paper?
• Where can I get the finished compost produced?
• Do I have to participate in the food scraps program?

Kitchen Pail

• Why use the kitchen pail?  What is it for?
• What if I don't have space to store a kitchen pail?
• My pail is broken, can I get another one?
• Can I use a plastic bag to line the kitchen pail?
• Are there special pail liners available?    
• What if I have no yardwaste?  Can I put just food scraps in my organics cart?
• Does all paper go into the organics cart?
• Can I put my kitchen pail at the curb for collection?
• Why can I put meat, bones & dairy products in the organics cart for composting, but not in my backyard compost pile?

Odors, Animals and Insects

• I'm concerned about possible smells in my kitchen pail and green cart if I use the food scraps program.
• I'm concerned about the possibility of flies or maggots in my kitchen.

• I sometimes get ants in my garbage cart and am afraid I will get ants in my green cart if I add food scraps.

Q. What is the Fremont food scraps program?
A. The Fremont food scraps program allows you to place food scraps and some food-soiled paper products together with yardwaste in the green organics cart (formerly "yardwaste" cart). The food scraps can be collected in the kitchen pail provided by Allied Waste and then emptied to the organics cart as needed. The organics cart may be taken to the curb for collection on a weekly basis on your scheduled collection day. Allied Waste will collect the contents of the cart.