In California, items you cannot put in your curbside recycling bin include plastic bags and film, expanded polystyrene foam, ceramics and window glass, heavily grease-soaked paper, garden hoses and wire, needles and other medical sharps, household hazardous chemicals, electronics, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, mattresses, paint, and tires. Most of these are not just unwelcome in the blue bin; they are illegal to throw in the trash, and the state has built separate take-back programs for each one.
Plastic Bags and Film
Thin plastic bags, shrink wrap, bubble wrap, and any flexible plastic film are the single biggest problem for California recycling facilities. They wrap around the spinning shafts inside sorting equipment and shut down entire processing lines. Keep them out of your curbside cart entirely.
Many grocery stores accept clean plastic bags and film at separate in-store drop-off bins near the entrance. That is the correct route for produce bags, bread bags, dry-cleaning film, and the plastic overwrap from paper towel or water bottle packs.
Polystyrene Foam Food Packaging
As of January 1, 2025, California bans the sale of expanded polystyrene (EPS) food service ware statewide. Under SB 54, producers had to demonstrate a 25% recycling rate for EPS by that date, they failed, and the failure triggered an automatic prohibition on selling, distributing, or importing EPS cups, clamshell containers, plates, and similar single-use food packaging.1State of California – Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. Attorney General Bonta Issues Reminder on EPS Foam Food Service Ware Ban in California
The ban covers food service items specifically. Packing peanuts, foam coolers, and foam insulation are not part of the ban, but they still do not belong in your blue bin.2CalRecycle. Expanded Polystyrene Food Service Ware Requirements Some mail-and-ship stores accept clean packing peanuts for reuse.
Ceramics, Mirrors, and Window Glass
Only glass bottles and jars belong in curbside recycling. Ceramics, mirrors, window glass, Pyrex, and drinking glasses are made from different materials with different melting points, and even a small amount contaminates an entire batch of glass headed for remanufacture. Wrap broken pieces safely and put them in the trash, or check with your local hauler about bulky-item pickup for larger items like a broken mirror or window.
Heavily Food-Soiled Paper
A lightly stained pizza box is fine in most California programs. A paper plate drenched in grease is not. Grease and food residue contaminate the paper recycling stream because they cannot be washed out during pulping. Food-soiled paper belongs in your green organics bin, not the blue bin.
Hoses, Rope, Wire, and Other Tanglers
Garden hoses, extension cords, string lights, rope, chain, and stray wire all wrap around sorting equipment the same way plastic bags do. They are called “tanglers” for a reason. None of them belong in curbside recycling. Scrap metal yards will often take copper wire and cords, and some hardware stores accept old string lights around the holidays.
Sharps and Medical Waste
Needles, syringes, and lancets are never recyclable, and loose sharps in a recycling cart can seriously injure sanitation workers. California offers free sharps containers with prepaid mail-back packaging through dedicated take-back programs, and CalRecycle’s Where to Recycle tool lists local drop-off sites.3CalRecycle. Where to Recycle
Household Hazardous Waste
Paints, solvents, pesticides, motor oil, antifreeze, drain cleaners, pool chemicals, and oven cleaners all qualify as household hazardous waste. Putting any of them in the trash, pouring them down a drain, or dumping them on the ground is illegal in California.4Department of Toxic Substances Control. Household Hazardous Waste
You have to bring these items to a household hazardous waste facility. Most counties run permanent drop-off sites and hold periodic free collection events. CalRecycle and your county’s environmental health department can direct you to the nearest option.5CalRecycle. Household Hazardous Waste
Electronics
Televisions, monitors, laptops, tablets, and other covered electronics do not go in curbside recycling. California’s Electronic Waste Recycling Act charges a fee at purchase to fund free collection: $4 for screens under 15 inches, $5 for screens 15 to under 35 inches, and $6 for screens 35 inches and larger.6CalRecycle. Electronic Waste Recycling Fee Because you already paid for recycling at checkout, you should never have to pay to drop off a covered TV or monitor.
Starting in 2026, a separate fee applies to certain battery-embedded consumer electronics.7California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Covered Electronic Waste Recycling Fees Guide CalRecycle’s e-waste recycler locator can help you find drop-off sites for old electronics.
Batteries
Batteries are classified as universal waste in California and cannot go in the trash or curbside recycling. Lithium-ion batteries in phones, laptops, power tools, and vape devices are especially dangerous because they catch fire when crushed inside a garbage truck or sorting line.
Under the Responsible Battery Recycling Act of 2022 (AB 2440), any retailer with five or more California locations must eventually serve as a permanent collection site for covered batteries once stewardship plans take effect.8LegiScan. California AB2440 Chaptered Text For now, take batteries to a household hazardous waste facility, a participating hardware store or electronics retailer, or a municipal or library drop-off bin.
Fluorescent Bulbs and Mercury Items
Fluorescent tubes, compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs), and mercury thermometers all contain mercury and require special handling. They are illegal to place in the trash or recycling. Bring them to a household hazardous waste facility or a participating retailer that accepts them.4Department of Toxic Substances Control. Household Hazardous Waste
Mattresses
Mattresses, futons, and box springs are too bulky and structurally complex for curbside recycling. Every mattress sold in California includes a recycling fee that funds free drop-off, set at $18 per unit as of April 1, 2026.9Mattress Recycling Council. 2026 California Mattress Recycling Fee Adjustment Visit ByeByeMattress.com to find a free drop-off location near you.
Paint
Leftover paint does not go in the trash and never in a drain. California’s Paint Stewardship Program, run by PaintCare on behalf of paint manufacturers, accepts leftover architectural paint at hundreds of retail and collection sites statewide. Only containers of five gallons or less are accepted at drop-off locations.10CalRecycle. Paint Management Use PaintCare’s online site locator to find the closest drop-off point.
Tires
Old tires do not belong in curbside recycling or in the trash. California charges a $1.75 fee on every new tire sold, which funds the California Tire Recycling Management Fund.11California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. California Tire Fee – Sec. 42885 When you buy replacement tires, the installer usually handles the old ones. If you need to dispose of tires on your own, contact your local waste hauler or bring them to a tire collection event. Illegal tire dumping carries steep fines.
What Happens if You Put the Wrong Things in the Bin
SB 1383 requires California jurisdictions to inspect recycling, organics, and trash carts for contamination. If your hauler finds prohibited items in a bin, you will typically receive a contamination notice explaining what was wrong and how to fix it. Most cities lead with education, but repeated contamination can bring formal violations and fines, and some cities also charge per-incident fees. The details vary by jurisdiction, so check your local waste hauler’s rules.
Check Your Local Rules Too
The items above are off-limits statewide, but your city or county may add to the list or require stricter sorting. Your waste hauler’s website is the most reliable place to confirm what belongs in each bin at your address. CalRecycle’s Where to Recycle tool can also direct you to local recycling centers, hazardous waste facilities, and special collection programs for items like carpet, pharmaceuticals, and sharps.3CalRecycle. Where to Recycle