Cardboard
Truckee offers three convenient options for residents to recycle cardboard:
- Place inside a blue cart
- Place inside a securely tied blue bag
- Drop off at a community recycling site
All California residents are required to keep cardboard and other organic materials out of the trash to reduce methane emissions from landfills. Read more about what these new requirements mean for Truckee. Make sure to follow the directions below to ensure your cardboard is recycled and avoid overage fees.
Cardboard in Blue Carts
Cardboard can be placed loose inside your recycling cart and set out on your normal recycling collection day. Make sure to cut larger pieces of cardboard down so they fit inside the cart with the lid fully closed. Remember, recyclables inside recycling carts should never be bagged!
Cardboard in Blue Bags
Cardboard can also be placed alongside other recyclables inside securely tied blue bags. This keeps the cardboard clean and dry so it can be recycled when blue bags are separated from trash at the processing facility. Untied blue bags or loose cardboard will be collected as trash and may result in an overage charge.
Community Drop-Off Locations
Truckee offers FREE drop-off bins for cardboard at two locations in town:
- Truckee Town Hall, 10183 Truckee Airport Road
- Nevada County Sheriff’s station, 10879 Donner Pass Rd
Please break down your boxes before placing them in the bin! Boxes that are not folded flat make the bins fill up quickly, causing overflow and litter. If the bins are full, please try another location or come back another day, and do not leave cardboard on the ground. Leaving cardboard or other materials on the ground next to the community drop-off bins is illegal dumping and subject to citation.
Loose Cardboard and Overage Charges
Loose cardboard placed next to your trash can, inside a trash can, or inside your bear shed will be collected as trash and may be subject to an overage charge. This is because blue bags and any loose materials placed next to your trash can are collected by the trash truck rather than the recycling truck, which can only service carts. Recyclables that are inside securely tied blue bags can be sorted out of the trash at the processing facility. If cardboard is placed loose next to your trash can or inside an untied blue bag, it will end up mixed in with the other trash and be too contaminated to recycle. Help us keep this material out of the landfill and avoid overage charges by ensuring your cardboard is recycled right!
