Why should I recycle?
What can I recycle?
Why is recycling different everywhere?
I’ve heard that my recyclable materials don’t actually get recycled, they get hauled to the dump. Is that true?
What is single-stream recycling?
Should I bag up my materials before placing them in the recycling bin?
Can I recycle ______ ?
When in doubt, which is the better option: recycling or garbage?
Who owns my recyclables?
Why is theft of recyclables a problem?
What should I do if I see someone stealing recyclables out the NRWS container?
What is my collection day?
My trash/recycling was not picked up.
I have a question about my garbage bill.
I have a question about my collection service.

Why should I recycle?
1. Recycling saves resources. It reduces the amount of valuable materials that end up in our landfills and reduces the need to extract virgin materials, including oil — recycling one ton of plastic saves the equivalent of nearly 4 barrels of oil. Our local recycling and composting efforts help save the equivalent of over 10 million gallons of gasoline each year! In addition, 17 trees are saved by recycling one ton of paper.

2. Recycling saves energy. Each year, 140,000 tons of materials are recycled or composted at the Napa Recycling & Composting Facility. By keeping these valuable resources out of the landfill, we significantly decrease carbon dioxide and methane emissions and save enough energy to power all the houses in Napa for nearly three months!

3. Recycling saves jobs. Did you know that the recycling industry in California employs as many people as the film industry? And, for every ton of material that is recycled, instead of wasted in incinerators and landfills, 10 times more jobs are created in recycling sorting, and 25 times more jobs are created in recycling manufacturing. Check out the Institute for Local Self-Reliance’s Recycling Means Business page to learn more.

4. Recycling saves money. Recycling is more efficient than wasting and costs us all less. Recycling and compost collection is included with your service, and your monthly rate is determined by the size of your garbage container. The bigger the cart, the more you pay. Save money by reducing your waste!

What can I recycle?
Visit our Recycling Guide to find out what goes where, as well as a lot of great tips for reducing and reusing all sorts of items.

Why is recycling different everywhere?
Under US law, recycling programs have to be run at the state and local level, so there is no national standard. What can and cannot be recycled — and how you recycle — can vary even between adjoining towns and cities. This is due to what hauling services and sorting facilities are used, and the economics of transporting and selling recyclable materials into the marketplace.

I’ve heard that my recyclable materials don’t actually get recycled, they get hauled to the dump. Is that true?
Rest assured that your recycling is headed for the sorting facility, not the dump. It costs money to deliver trash to the dump; in the trash hauling world this is called a tipping fee. Conversely, recyclable materials are valuable and can be sold for profit.

That said, some items that are deposited in recycling bins ultimately end up in the trash after they are sorted out at the recycling center, simply because they are deemed not recyclable in the first place and are rejected by sorting machines. This is especially true for items that are “wish-cycled,” meaning that people put them into the recycling hoping the items are recyclable when in fact they are not.

Also, occasionally, a load of recyclables is so heavily contaminated with hazardous materials or non-recyclables that it must be thrown in the trash.

What is single-stream recycling?
Single stream recycling is a sorting method that makes recycling easy for residents. All recyclable materials (glass, plastic, paper, etc.) go into a single cart or bin at the curb, rather than getting separated into multiple bins. Then, sophisticated equipment sorts everything out at the recycling center.

To see how single stream recycling works, watch this video:

Should I bag up my materials before placing them in the recycling bin?
No. Bags can jam up sensitive equipment at the recycling facility and are difficult for workers to deal with.

Can I recycle ______ ?
Use our search tool at the top of this page to find out if you can recycle just about anything. You can also check out our lists of Most Requested items, Top Troublemakers (things you should not recycle), and Special Programs (things that you need to dispose of in a specific way, like electronics).

When in doubt, which is the better option: recycling or garbage?
If you’re unsure what to do with something, you can always use our search tool to find out. But if you don’t have a mobile device or computer handy, throw the item out. Putting non-recyclable items in the recycling can be expensive (labor cost of sorting out non-recyclables and/or lowered resale value of contaminated recyclables), and also even potentially dangerous (workers having to extract items from machinery).

Who owns my recyclables?

Recyclable materials that you have at your home or work — cans, bottles, paper, cardboard and other things — belong to you. When you buy a bag of groceries, not only do you buy the contents, you buy the cans and bottles too. When those cans and bottles are empty, they’re yours.

You may choose to take your cans and bottles to a recycling buyback center and be paid for their California Redemption Value (CRV) or you may choose to put your recyclables in the blue cart from Napa Recycling & Waste Services (NRWS) and leave it at the curb for pickup. Once those materials are in the blue cart and taken to the curb, only you or NRWS have the right to remove them.

The recyclables have value, and the revenue NRWS receives from processing recyclables is taken into consideration when garbage collection rates are set.

Why is theft of recyclables a problem?
Unfortunately, some people think it’s okay to steal recyclables from blue carts or commercial recycling bins at businesses. Normally the thieves target aluminum and other higher value materials, but may take glass and other items as well. Recycling thieves often leave a mess because they aren’t accountable to anyone.

So, recyclables are being stolen, but you may say “Why should I care?” The answer is this: over time, the value of stolen materials adds up. This represents a loss of revenue for NRWS, which in time could lead to an increase in the collection rates we all pay. For City ratepayers, losing all the revenue from the sale of recyclables would result in an immediate 10-20% rate increase.

What should I do if I see someone stealing recyclables out the NRWS container?
Don’t look the other way. If you know recyclables are being stolen, please report the theft to the non-emergency police phone line at (707) 257-9223 or e-mail us. If you have the opportunity, take a picture of the thief, jot down a license plate number or provide a description — every piece of information helps. Remember, it may make a difference in your bank account.

What is my collection day?
Please visit our Collection Schedule page.

My trash/recycling was not picked up.
Please visit our Missed Collection page.

I have a question about my garbage bill.
Find answers to billing questions on our Bill Pay FAQ page.

I have a question about my collection service.
Find information about your service or contact us.