How It Works
Irvine, California residents - Recycle From Home™ makes it incredibly easy to recycle right from your driveway or doorstep! No more loading up the car with boxes or bags of cans and bottles in search of a redemption center. We provide collection bags and bar code tracking labels to you to sort your CA CRV aluminum cans, plastic and glass bottles. Just schedule a pick-up online and put your items out for us to pick up and you’re done! We’ll handle the rest.
Our processing center schedules our drivers to pick up at a designated time that you select, and your items are recycled within 24 hours of pick up. Your recycled items are weighed and your redemption is calculated and processed for payment. Your recycling redemption funds are then sent to you electronically or as a check mailed to you.
Step One
Bag it Up!
Use our clear bags provided and make sure all items are drained of any liquid and properly sorted into 4 separate types. Please fill up bags containing aluminum cans or plastic bottles (Please makes sure cans are separate from plastic and no partial bag loads please). Bags containing glass should NOT be filled to the top as the bags will tear. We strongly suggest double-bagging your glass and only fill with approx. 20 lbs of NON-broken glass (about 1/4 full).
Need more of our clear recycle bags? Contact us.
Step Two
Tie it Up!
Securely tie the tops closed on each bag and place your bags outside for pick up (if not easily found, please leave instructions where bags are placed). Please note that our drivers will not go into closed gated areas such as back/side yards or into your garage/home to pick up bags.
Step Three
Add Labels
Affix one provided Recycle From Home™ bar code label on each of your bags in easy to see location. You will be uploading a clear, close-up photo of the bar code on each bag while scheduling a pick-up in Step Four. Need more bar code labels? Contact us.
Step Four
Schedule a Pick-Up
Log in to our web site and schedule a pick-up using our online scheduler and upload individual photos of each bag showing your bar code label. During this step, you will let us know how many bags we will be picking up and you will choose from upcoming pick-up times in your neighborhood.
Note: if your pickup requires specific instructions for our drivers, please leave notes in the comments section (community gate code, bag location, request for more bags or labels, etc.)
Step Five
We’re On Our Way!
Once your bags have been picked up from your location, you will receive a notification via text or email that your bags are being transported back to our processing facility.
Step Six
Get Your Payment!
Within 24 hours of pick up, you will receive a notification via email or text with your total redemption amount. All payments are made to you according to the payment selection you chose during your account setup.
Got Questions? We've Got Answers!
Some of our more frequently asked questions are listed below for your convenience. If you have a question that is not addressed in the FAQ section, please contact us and we'll get you an answer right away.
Do you pick up in other cities besides Irvine?
At this time we only pick up in the City of Irvine, California.
What is CA CRV?
Consumers pay California Redemption Value (CRV) when they purchase beverages from a retailer, and receive CRV refunds when they redeem the containers at a recycling center. Most beverages packaged in aluminum, glass, plastic and bi-metal containers are eligible for CRV. Notable exceptions are milk, wine and distilled spirits, which are not included in the CRV program. CRV is 5 cents for each beverage container less than 24 ounces and 10 cents for each container 24 ounces or greater.
Is there a limit to how much you will pick up?
As part of the CalRecycle Pilot program, Recycle From Home shall pay the refund value for no more than 25 pounds of aluminum or plastic beverage containers, or 250 pounds of glass beverage containers, received from a given consumer per day.
Please note: For any material received from consumers in excess of these weight limits, Recycle From Home shall not pay in excess of the scrap value for the additional material.
Can my aluminum cans and water bottles be crushed?
Yes, we will accept crushed or non-crushed aluminum cans and plastic bottles.
How long does it take to get my money?
Payments are typically made within 24 hours of processing your recyclables. Funds are sent to you through your selected choice of payment method when you set up your account. You may change this payment method at any time through your customer account settings. Note: If a mailed check is your choice of payment method, please allow 2-3 days for local postal carriers to deliver to you.
How much do I get paid for my recycling?
Recycle from Home™ pays you 100% of the published CA CRV program rates minus a 10% service fee to cover our program costs. To See current recycling program rates here.
Why do I have to separate the items in different bags?
All CA CRV processed through Recycle from Home™ needs to be separated into separate categories. Please bag up your items separately so cans aren’t mixed with plastic bottles. Non broken CA CRV glass bottles are also separated in it’s own bag (20lb limit on glass bags please – that’s approximately 1/4 bag full) See our What We Take page for details.
I need more bags and labels - how do I order more?
You can let us know when you schedule a pick-up or you can contact us at any time. We will drop off the items to your residence. Need more bags to complete a scheduled pick up? No problem – our drivers carry bags and bar code labels to supply to our customers.
Can I use my own trash bags?
We ask that all Recycle From Home™ customers use our supplied bags. We recycle all our plastic bags after processing so we need them to all be the same exact material when it’s being processed. If you need more bags from us, just let us know!
Who’s the kid on the side of the van?
You’re looking at our brand ambassador and founder Ryan Hickman. Ryan started recycling when he was just 3 years old in an effort to clean up our environment. Find out more about Ryan here.
Do you pick up from commercial/office locations?
Our program is set up to pick up from residential neighborhoods. If you have a commercial location that needs a recycling solution, contact us.
Do you take other recyclable items?
Recycle From Home™ only picks up CA CRV labeled items. For a full list of what we take, see our What We Take page. If you have other recyclable items that are non CA CRV, we suggest you take them to OC Recycling for processing.
Can I leave my bags on my doorstep or behind my gate?
When scheduling your pick up, you can specify any pick up specifics (on porch, next to driveway, etc. However, our drivers do not go into your home or closed areas such as backyards, side yards with a fence or into your garage for safety reasons.
Is there a weight limit on how much glass I put in a bag?
We suggest you double bag and load no more that 20lbs of NON broken glass bottles in each bag. (About 1/4 bag)
How full should I fill my bags?
Please fill up your bags containing aluminum cans or plastic bottles to the top of the bags. Any bags containing glass should NOT be filled to the top as the bags will tear. We strongly suggest double bagging your glass and only fill with approx. 20 lbs of NON broken glass (about 1/4 full).
Schedule a Pickup!
City of Irvine residents - Schedule one of our service vans to pick up your CA CRV containers right from your home and receive payment within one business day!
Schedule Pickup!
