Recycling Requirements: Palo Alto vs Sunnyvale
How do recycling requirements rules compare between Palo Alto, CA and Sunnyvale, CA?
Sunnyvale has fewer restrictions than Palo Alto.
Palo Alto, CA
Santa Clara County
Palo Alto requires residents and businesses to separate recyclables and organics from trash under SB 1383, AB 341, and Chapter 5.20. GreenWaste collects mixed recyclables weekly in blue carts.
View full Palo Alto rules →Sunnyvale, CA
Santa Clara County
Sunnyvale residents and businesses must source-separate recyclables and organics from trash to comply with state laws AB 341, AB 1826, and SB 1383.
View full Sunnyvale rules →Key Facts Comparison
| Fact | Palo Alto | Sunnyvale |
|---|---|---|
| Mandate | SB 1383 + AB 341 + AB 1826 | - |
| Recycling cart | Blue, weekly pickup | - |
| Organics cart | Green, weekly pickup | Food + yard waste |
| Plastics accepted | Rigid #1-#5 and #7 | - |
| Contamination | Fees for wrong items | - |
| State laws | - | AB 341, AB 1826, SB 1383 |
| Mandatory | - | All residents and businesses |
| Not accepted | - | Plastic bags, foam |
| Plastics | - | Numbers 1, 2, 5 only |
Highlighted rows indicate differences between cities.
Palo Alto FAQ
What goes in the blue recycling cart?
Paper, flattened cardboard, glass bottles and jars, metal cans, and rigid plastic containers marked #1 through #5 or #7. No bags, film, or food-soiled items.
Is food waste separation required?
Yes. California SB 1383 requires all Palo Alto residents and businesses to place food scraps and food-soiled paper in the green organics cart.
What if I put trash in the recycling cart?
Contamination can trigger warning notices or contamination fees, and repeatedly contaminated loads may be charged as garbage.
Sunnyvale FAQ
What goes in the organics cart?
Food scraps (including meat and dairy), food-soiled paper, and yard trimmings all go in the green organics cart.
Are plastic bags recyclable curbside?
No. Plastic bags jam sorting equipment and must be taken to grocery store drop-off programs.
Compare other topics
See how Palo Alto and Sunnyvale compare on other ordinance categories.
Want to add a third city?
Use our full comparison tool to compare up to three cities.
Open Comparison Tool