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    Berkeley Recycling Center

    3.8 (65 reviews)
    Closed 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    Services - Berkeley Recycling Center

    Recycling dropoff

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    Kris B.

    Sometimes there can be a long line and sometimes, you're lucky and can drive right up. Either way, Berkeley recycling is very efficient and moves people through quickly. If there are delays, it's usually user error - that someone hasn't pre-sorted their aluminum cans from their plastic bottles. Or have non-eligible items mixed in with their recyclables. The couple times I've come with my Dad, things moved along nicely. My Dad has been a regular here for decades but now it's a little harder for him to get here. They pay a fair price here and I highly recommend you give them a try. My parent's recycling is what provided me with my college savings account and I appreciate them for it. :)

    Da Place
    John G.

    Back in the 80's, we were educated on recycling and it was shoved down our throats - from PSA commercials, TV sitcoms, school, media and the government. Well, "shoved" is kind of a strong word to described what happened, but it stuck with me until now. I separate plastic bottles, colored glass bottles, aluminum cans, bi-metal cans and other recyclables items to this day. It's a religion in my household, and I have a system down pat. I crumple every plastic bottles and aluminum cans to maximize every space that I can get as they can take up a lot of space if you don't manage them properly. What's frustrating about recycling is it can take a lot of time off your day just trying to redeem them from recycling centers, and it doesn't help that the state has closed down so many recycling centers as if they don't want us to recycle. Going to recycling centers often feels like a battle and every man for themselves. People can get nasty and have short fuses...and it doesn't help that the people working here are sometimes rude and work so fricking slow. And I mean S....L.....O.........W that it has to be deliberate. I'm a cheap bastard, and I'm gonna squeeze every money from wherever I can get...especially now during this pandemic. Since more recycling centers closed, I had accumulated more recycled items than usual and I needed to clean up. Also, I had extra motivation since a certain someone kept nagging me about it. I found this place on Yelp and after reading the reviews, I picked this one out of 4 others. It's also near the freeway so it's easy to get to. Upon arrival, I was expecting a long line and there were several cars in line. However, the queue was moving fast. I parked in the stall and a worker came up to me if I needed help and he instructed me the process. I got a cart and plastic bins and started putting them in before I quickly realized that I didn't need to do that since they were already pre-separated. Plus, you had the option of doing it as a drive-thru, which was a revelation. All I had to do was get in line and when it was my turn, dump the plastic and aluminum in the conveyer belt and the glass bottles on separate bins marked brown, green and clear glass. The glass bins were on a separate scale and the plastic and aluminum were all weighed and monitored electronically. The people working here were also very friendly and helpful, and one even offered me a mask since I was wearing a makeshift mask I made from my t-shirt. Before I could even blink, the process was done and they were cutting the checks. The whole thing probably took less than 15 minutes and I was shocked...in a good way. It was so effortless and easy since the whole thing was automated and it was a revelation. They should copy this location as a model for every recycling center in the state. Now that I know where to go, I will no longer dread the process of redeeming them as it was a very pleasant experience. #YelpChallenge2020 review No. 45

    Check
    Jeremy H.

    They gave a child a check for his cans the kid can't cash the check Roth no id they kept his cans go elsewhere it's not worth the hassle

    My truck full of bags of crushed cans, all worth a whopping total of $74 here.

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    11 days ago

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    5 months ago

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    5 years ago

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    2 years ago

    The recycling center is well organized and clean. I'm glad I went to this one instead of ones in West Oakland.

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    5 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Some of the rudest workers! So many rules of what goes where. Always yelling at the people coming in to dump! Just be nice!!!

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    18 years ago

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    5 years ago

    Check for times, because the close early on weekdays and sometimes not open on weekends.

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    5 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    5 years ago

    First time coming here and it was pretty fast. Employees were helpful. It was more of a drive-thru. I would definitely recommend this place.

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    6 years ago

    I'm just glad they were opening, the cities nearby have decided recycling doesn't matter anymore. Anywho they're pretty efficient

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    6 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    19 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Berkeley Recycling Center

    Recycle cork? As in wine corks? Many liquor stores used to accept these, but few still do? Where…

    We don't recycle corks. Try checking the Re:Source Database at www.stopwaste.org for reuse and recycling opportunities

    Is it free for drop off ? What time?

    Ca i drop off styrofoam?

    No. We can't recycle styrofoam.

    Do tops need to be removed from plastic containers?

    Yes tops need to be removed

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - Berkeley Recycling Center

    Helpful staff, good value, convenient, quick payment and weighing process.

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

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    Berkeley Recycling Center - recyclingcenter - Updated May 2026

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