The new year will bring a new set of rules for how San Franciscans should dispose of hard-to-recycle household items, from electric toothbrushes to old clothes.
The city will still accept “clean, loose and dry” paper, glass and hard plastics in its blue bins as it has in years past. But several items that don’t fit into those categories — and need to be sorted into specialty recycling streams — will have new drop-off locations in 2026, according to the city’s Environment Department.
This week, the city rolled out a new system for recycling batteries, which are classified as hazardous waste and can spark fires in garbage trucks or recycling facilities if they’re thrown away with household trash. A new partnership with the Nevada-based Redwood Materials will open “smart” drop-off boxes at eight locations around the city…