RecycleSmart
As the region’s Trusted + Proven + Essential sustainability partner, we are committed to our mission and work hard daily to make it a reality. We use an approach called Community Resource Optimization to reduce our carbon footprint and increase the value of the material we collect and process.
What We Do
Mt. Diablo Resource Recovery is proud to partner with the residents and businesses within the RecyleSmart service area. Our innovative programs are helping our communities achieve their quest for zero waste.
Our Service Areas
Customer Service
Processing
Residential
Household Battery
CommunityWe appreciate your help!
By scraping, wiping, or lightly rinsing out your food and beverage containers and only placing acceptable items in your blue cart, you are helping to ensure that your recyclables get the afterlife they deserve.
Processing Recycling
The contents of your blue cart are picked up by Republic Services and make their way to our Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Pittsburg. Recently, we improved our recycling processing capabilities by making significant investments in our operation. Our sorting machine, often called Big Blue, was retrofitted entirely to increase efficiency and reduce residual. Meet Big Blue 2.0!
What Goes in your Blue Cart?
Glass
- All colors; lids, caps
- Bottles
- CRV beverage containers
- Jars
Metal
- Aluminum cans
- Aluminum foil (clean)
- Aluminum pie plates
- Cookie Sheets
- CRV beverage cans
- Food cans (clean)
- Pet food cans
- Steel cans
- Pots and pans
- Cupcake tins
- Utensils + Silverware
- Metal water bottles
Paper
- Paperback books
- Boxes, packages
- Carbonless paper
- Cardboard (must fit in cart)
- Catalogs
- Colored & construction paper
- Computer paper
- Copy paper
- Coupons
- Detergent boxes
- Egg cartons (non-Styrofoam)
- Envelopes with metal clips
- Envelopes (standard and plastic windows)
- Gift wrap (non-metallic)
- Junk mail
- Magazines
- Manila folders
- Newspapers and inserts
- Office paper
- Paper bags
- Paper packaging with remnant tape
- Paperboard boxes (cereal & shoe boxes)
- Paper towel and toilet paper tubes
- Pet food bags
- Post-its
- Shredded paper (placed in a paper bag)
- Telephone books
- Tissue paper (gift type)
Plastic
- Containers only, empty
- Plastics #1 to #7
- Rigid plastics
- Plastic bags
- Baby wipes containers
- Bleach bottles
- Buckets without handles
- CRV beverage containers (soda, water, juice)
- Detergent bottles
- Food containers (non-Styrofoam)
- Household cleaning containers (empty)
- Lids and caps
- Milk jugs
- Prescription bottles (empty)
- Salad dressing bottles
- Shampoo and conditioning bottles
- Tube containers
- Water jugs
Reuse Program – An innovative partnership between MDRR & RecycleSmart
Reuse is a key piece of the sustainability puzzle. Working with RecycleSmart, we collect + redistribute gently used goods to help those in need and reduce what goes into landfills. It’s all part of an approach to environmental stewardship we call Community Resource Optimization.
Residential Reuse Days
Twice a year, single-family households within the RecycleSmart service area can place gently used items curbside at no additional charge. Our team goes by and collects these items, brings them to our warehouse, and later, we find homes for the items picked up. Your reusable items create jobs, aid those in need, and keep material out of the landfill.
Program brochures are mailed out to residents at least two weeks before the area’s dedicated Reuse Day. To find out when your Reuse Day is, please get in touch with Republic Services at (925) 685-4711.
Acceptable Items
Home Decor & Accessories, Office & School Supplies
Garden, Outdoor & Sporting Equipment (No gas or oil in equipment)
Gently-Used Furniture (No broken, stained, or ripped furniture.)
Clothes & Shoes
Scrap Metal, Wire
Car Parts and Auto Batteries
Unacceptable Items
Construction and Demolition
Tires
Household Hazardous Waste
Rocks or Dirt
Cribs or Car Seats
Loose Wood
Broken Items
Broken or Unassembled Furniture
Household Battery Recycling
Partnering with RecycleSmart, we collect household batteries during the residential Reuse Days. Year-round, throughout the RecycleSmart service area, we partner with 12 community retailers so that apartments, condos, and businesses can conveniently recycle their household batteries.
Battery Drop-off Sites
- Alamo – CVS/Pharmacy, 3158 Danville Blvd.
- Blackhawk – CVS/Pharmacy, 3420 Camino Tassajara
- Danville – CVS/Pharmacy, 650 San Ramon Valley
- Danville – Danville Music, 115 Town, and Country Dr.
- Danville – Walgreen’s, 611 San Ramon Valley
- Lafayette – CVS/Pharmacy, 3625 Mt. Diablo Blvd.
- Lafayette – Ace Hardware, 3311 Mt. Diablo Blvd.
- Moraga – Ace Hardware, 1409 Moraga Rd.
- Moraga – CVS/Pharmacy, 1480 Moraga Rd. #D
- Moraga – CVS/Pharmacy, 580 Moraga Rd.
- Orinda – CVS/Pharmacy, 50 Moraga Way
- Orinda – Rite Aid, 27 Orinda Way
Together with this program, we reduce the need for raw materials and conserve resources. We also keep harmful material out of the environment and follow the law!
Community Educational Tours
We believe that education is key to improving the way we recycle and helps to encourage environmental stewardship.
We provide scheduled tours to schools, clubs, sustainability groups, and the public. During the 45-minute tour of our Recycling Center & Transfer Station, you will see how recyclables are sorted and prepared to produce recycled products later. This interactive tour gives our community a firm understanding of why reducing waste and recycling is so important.
