Quick Reference:
What Goes Where ?

Resources & Downloads

  • Property Manager Toolkit
    Everything you need to manage waste at your property—signage, tenant flyers, communication templates, and more.
    Download Toolkit

  • Inspection Checklist
    Quick monthly form for monitoring bin areas, reducing contamination, and staying compliant.
    Download Checklist

  • Tenant Sorting Guide
    Easy-to-read flyer for residents: what goes in waste, recycling, and organics bins.
    Download Guide
  • Bulky Item Disposal Instructions
    Step-by-step guide for scheduling pickups of mattresses, appliances, and e-waste.
    View Instructions

  • Holiday Collection Schedule
    Stay on top of pickup changes during holiday weeks.
    View Schedule

Recycling & Organics

Made Simple for Our Community

Keeping Tracy clean starts at home. Our curbside Recycling & Organics program makes it easy to do your part — sort it once, and we’ll take care of the rest.

Every blue and green cart helps reduce waste, protect local waterways, and keep our neighborhoods beautiful. Whether you’re setting out recyclables or collecting food scraps, these small steps add up to a big difference.

Scroll down to see what goes where — and how to prepare your materials for collection.

Recycling Made Simple

Your blue recycling cart is for clean, dry items that can be remade into new products.
Please place materials loose (not bagged) inside your cart.

What Goes in the Blue Cart

Paper & Cardboard

  • Newspapers, magazines, junk mail
  • Cardboard boxes (flattened)
  • Cereal boxes and paperboard
  • Office paper and envelopes

Glass, Metal, & Plastic Containers

  • Aluminum and tin cans
  • Glass bottles and jars
  • Plastic bottles, tubs, jugs, and containers labeled #1–7
Keep These Out of Your Blue Cart
  • Plastic bags, film, or wrap
  • Food or liquid residue
  • Styrofoam or foam packaging
  • Tanglers (cords, hoses, wires)

Tip: Not sure where something goes? Try our Waste Wizard tool — just search an item and it will tell you the right cart.

Organics Recycling

Your green cart is for compostable materials — including food scraps, yard waste, and food-soiled paper. These items are collected weekly and turned into nutrient-rich compost for farms, gardens, and landscaping.

What Goes in the Green Cart

Food Scraps

  • Fruit and vegetable peels
  • Meat, bones, and seafood
  • Bread, grains, and dairy
  • Coffee grounds and filters

Yard Waste

  • Grass clippings, leaves, branches (less than 4 ft long)
  • Weeds, flowers, and small plants

Food-Soiled Paper

  • Napkins, paper towels, and pizza boxes
  • Paper plates and paper cups (uncoated)
Keep These Out of Your Green Cart
  • Plastic bags or compostable “look-alikes”
  • Glass, metal, or foil
  • Diapers and pet waste
  • Dirt, rocks, or treated wood

Tip: Use a small kitchen pail or paper bag to collect food scraps indoors — then empty it into your green cart each week.

Remember: If it wasn’t once alive, it doesn’t belong in the green cart. Only food scraps, yard waste, and food-soiled paper can be composted. No plastic or foam packaging of any type.

When in Doubt, Keep It Out

Contamination (placing the wrong items in carts) increases collection costs and reduces the value and usability of recyclable or compostable materials. If you’re not sure where something belongs, leave it out or use the Waste Wizard to check.

Collection Day Reminders

  • Place carts at the curb by 4:00 a.m. on your scheduled pickup day.
  • Keep carts three feet apart from each other and three feet away from mailboxes or vehicles.
  • Make sure lids are closed completely to prevent litter and wildlife problems.

We’re Here to Help

Our team is local — we live and work right here in your community. Whether you need help replacing a cart, adding an extra pickup, or learning more about what goes where, we’ll take care of it.