How It Works
Irvine, California residents - Recycle From Home™ makes it incredibly easy to recycle right from your home or office! 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 barcode tracking labels to you. With them, you can 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. Additionally, your items are recycled within 24 hours of pick up. Your recycled items are weighed and your redemption is calculated, based on the CA CRV rates, 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 to bag your recycling materials up. 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 make 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 the bags are not easily found, please leave instructions where bags are placed). Please note that our drivers will not go into closed gated areas. This includes back/side yards or 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 an easy-to-see location. When you schedule a pick-up in Step Four, you will upload a clear, close-up photo of the bar code on each bag. Need more barcode labels? Contact us.
Step Four
Schedule a Pick-Up
Log in to our website and schedule a pick-up using our online scheduler. Please 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. Additionally, 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. (Instructions may include 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. This notification will indicate 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. Your redemption is calculated based on the CA CRV rates. All payments are made to you according to the payment selection you choose 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. They 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. CA CRV rate is 5 cents for each beverage container less than 24 ounces. CA CRV rate is 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, per consumer per day. Likewise, it shall pay the refund value for no more than 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 rates. This, minus a 10% service fee to cover our program costs.
California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Section 2500(e) (2), requires Recycling Centers
to post refund CA CRV rates by weight, by container, and by material type. To See current recycling program CA CRV 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 its own bag. (We have a 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. For this reason, 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?
Yes! As of 11/4/22, we now pick up from commercial offices within the City of Irvine.
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 enter your home or go into areas that are not easily accessible for safety reasons. This includes backyards, side yards with a fence, or garages.
Is there a weight limit on how much glass I put in a bag?
We suggest you double bag and load no more than 20lbs of NON-broken glass bottles in each bag. (About 1/4 bag)
HOW TO RECYCLE FROM HOME?
With Recycle From Home™, you can recycle right from your home or office. We are committed to meet the recycling needs of the city of Irvine, California through a very convenient process. The six steps of our recycling process are:
- Step 1: Bag up your CRV materials
- Step 2: Tie up your bags and place them outside
- Step 3: Add the proper bar code labels to your bags
- Step 4: Schedule a pick-up with Recycle From Home™
- Step 5: Our drivers pick up your recyclables your bags
- Step 6: Receive your redemption, based on the CA CRV rates.
And just like that, you can easily recycle from home to help the environment, and get paid for it.
WHAT BEVERAGE PACKAGES DOES RECYCLE FROM HOME™ TAKE?
At Recycle From Home™, we accept all CA CRV materials, which include aluminum, glass, plastic and bi-metal containers. Beverage packages that aren’t eligible for CA CRV recycling include milk, wine, and distilled spirits containers. Learn more about what we take here.
Schedule a Pickup!
City of Irvine residents - Schedule one of our service vans to pick up your CA CRV containers right from your home or office and receive payment typically within one business day!
Schedule Pickup!
