I've been going here for years and although they are constantly busy, you are in and out of there if you already have your stuff sorted prior to arriving. Everyone that works there is respectful and keeps the flow of things consistent. read more

total dump, so stinky and dirty even for a recycling place, they need to be cited for the smell and filth

This used to be the best recycling place in San Diego. It's been a while since I've been by, but there always used to be a ton of people doing their recycling there. Yesterday my husband and I brought our recycling and were surprised that it was so empty on a Saturday. Until we realized what had changed. There are different employees running it now, and they are RUDE and THIEVES. They told us that our recycling items were trash and removed the large Arizona jugs which have CRV printed on them. They took our cans but said they wouldn't give us anything because they were trash, even though they were mostly soda cans with CRV printed on them. We were trying to ask them what they were doing when they were throwing our stuff around and they would barely speak. I saw them as we were leaving taking the soda cans to weigh them, so they were clearly stealing our recycling for themselves. Never again, we'll go somewhere else from now on. read more

Very easy to navigate. I was paid a fair price for my recycling. The staff were attentive and efficient. It gets very busy so plan ahead.

They are fast and always busy. I come to them always and they pay good for your recycling it's no wonder lots of people comes to them for their recycling read more

They do not pay their bills owed to vendors. I have tried to contact them for months and the 2 numbers I have have full voicemail boxes. We do a service for them and trying to collect from them has been not good this year. read more

I come to this pace out of convenience. It gets the job done. Parking is limited and dirty. Parking lot is extremely dirty. The inside of the building is run down. Not sure why owner ship has not been ticketed by the city. The baskets you used need to be replaced. Most of the casters are worn or broken. The staff is hard working. They are constantly hustling to their job done. So if you go there. Leave a tip. Today Aluminum goes for 1.65 and plastic 1.27. read more

American Recycling - Parking lot for recycling - Recycling Center Near Me - San Diego, California

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Yes the parking is small AF. Yes it's dirty AF. But if u come in the right time. You're in and out no more than a couple minutes. Been here a couple times throughout the years. It's coo, not the best, but I'm not gonna drive too far to recycle some stuff. It is what it is. Just be happy they weren't bugging about tips this time around. read more

This place is amazing to sell bottles. I always get a good amount when I sell here. The parking situation is a little tricky but overall a great place. read more

The owner of the business spoke to us inappropriately. He insisted on parking in a space we were already using, and he clearly stated that they would not be purchasing our recycled items. read more

Coming here out of necessity to get a few bucks back from all the beverages we consume. It is a crazy, busy place that is very challenging to get in and out of. And it is smelly, dirty, and absolutely ghetto... On the bright side, they are very quick and have 3-4 workers constantly busting it to ensure there are always empty cans for us to fill and keep the line moving. Working hard with the help of maybe- some controlled substances. The recycling wire baskets and plastic drums all have wheels, and this is important. I've been to some spots that have no wheels and you have to drag the containers to the scale. Normally after I realize this, I won't go back to one of those. Overall it's a little out of the way for me, but since I only go about every 3 months, I'm fine with it. I usually cash out about $25-30 which makes it worth it. Recommendation: Keep your windows closed and doors locked when you're vehicle's unattended, and have a mean look. read more

Very friendly and fast #1 recycling center in San diego I recommend this place to everyone you will be satisfied

Great service, fast workers, great pay. There is traffick to get inside sometimes but most of the time I've gotten in and out pretty fast

I've been going to this place for a very long time it's awesome the people here do care and try to get you the best prices I would give these people 10 Stars if I could awesome place read more

American Recycling - Street view in front of American Recycling - Recycling Center Near Me - San Diego, California

I cannot thank them enough for how helpful they were. Thank you so much. Highly recommend. Not sure if it was an employee but someone named Miguel and another woman there were so helpful thank you thank you thank you read more

Google says they are open till 5:30pm but this is the 3rd time in a month that they would not let me in anytime after 5pm today I was there at 5:11pm gates already closed. False advertisement wasted my time too many times will be looking into seeing if I can file a lawsuit for the false advertising. read more

American Recycling is one of the larger recycling locations I have seen. The appearance is dirty with huge rolling bins stuffed with plastic bottles, glass bottles, beer cans, soda cans and stacks of cardboard. The process is simple. You pull in and park your car. Next, you locate the rolling bins which you must grab fast because other folks are waiting on them also. Then you unpack your car or truck sorting as you go. Cans in one bin, glass bottles, and a third for plastic bottles. Once this is done you roll your bins to the check out. They are weighted and a cashier gives you a receipt with CASH. They even have a hand washing station. read more

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This place is extremely dirty. I get it. All recycling places are pretty messy, but this place was beyond gross. They give you way less money than most places and it's completely disorganized. They also made my boyfriend tip them. Going to Chula Vista for now on. read more

Extremely rude and unhelpful staff member shown on images. First time recycling here and this man had us restart our sorting because we used a different bin type with no signs regarding this policy. Instead of offering to simply dump them into a bin he was bringing out he pointed to get back into a different line. Some guy behind me asked him how much for a stolen bike and the same attendant said $150. read more

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This business gets really business; regardless how busy they are, I always receive wonderful service. They have some of the nicest and most helpful employees! :) Thanks for making the recycle experience not a chore. read more

Good place to recycle we've there for years best prices in town extremely recommended

Smoking on site. Seems like they rounded down 3 tenths of a pound on the scale display down to the nearest pound (#.000 on the receipt - who comes in with exact poundage down to the ounce/gram?)... First and last time I'll go there. ETA: State and local recycling regulators told me they conducted repeated inspections over the past year and also got shorted money. If they're not going to stop ripping people off after being fined repeatedly, they need to be shut down, their assets criminally forfeited, and paid out to their victims. read more

update: $22.42 made at this establishment thus far. Who said drinking problems dont pay off?! read more

American Recycling - Recycling Center Near Me - San Diego, California

Great place very nice especially the lady at the register your the best also most of the guys are very helpful but a couple of them don't have the time of day for you read more

These people are scammers. My mother and I used to take the same amount of cans and always got about 100-130 and now every time we go we get less than a hundred bucks. Make sure when you go you write down the lb. of what you take while the are weighting you cans. read more

This place smells like shit but it gets the job done no id required if under 100$ i use them but its dirty and staff is shitty no wonder it smells like shit read more

A couple of years ago I started to buy bottled water. I used bottled water for anything and everything.. formula, cooking, drinking. Then I had a wonderful idea. Why not start saving the bottles and recycle them for some dough? Excellent. Then, I came up with a better idea. I went to my favorite bank and opened a savings account that I would use to deposit only my recycling money. I started this after my son's first birthday and no joke I was able to pay for his second birthday party with the money from that account. $400! I'm doing this every year---forever! It helps your wallet and the environment. It might not be the most pleasant smell or sight but you're in and out of there in like five minutes max. And don't expect to get a whole lot of cash at once, at 96 cents a pound you won't get too much at a time, but it does add up. read more

It's not worth it! If you think you can make a few extra bucks by taking your recyclables to the recycling center you're an idiot! At risk of contracting a mutated strain of gonorrhea bird flu west nile rectal cancer, I would highly recommend donating your recyclables to the city. As you enter the parking lot you'll see about 8 or 9 cars that you typically avoid on the road. The smell can only be described as the smell of vomit after someone ate out the inside of a dumpster. If you're a bad catholic and you want a preview of hell, check out this recycling center. There is nothing homey about Home Ave! My college roommate and I visited this little slice of hell on several occasions in the days when we would do almost anything for money. After saving all of our bottles and cans for a couple months, we decided to take them in for cash. If you're having a wonderful day and you want to feel like shit, I suggest visiting the recycling center. The looks we received could only be compared to the looks a western traveler receives when meandering through the wrong neighborhood of a third world nation. The peoples' faces were painted with sadness and we were obviously not welcome. What were we doing here? Why did this seem like a good idea? Why didn't we just go to that little shed in the parking lot of Ralphs? Seriously, why didn't we go to that shed? Fucking idiots! read more

it's 8:09 there opening time is 8:00 am i ask them what time they going to open and he anwer with a attitude i am on the phone you can wait it's 8:10 and they just open been waiting in the sun for 10 minutes read more

this place will rip you off if you weigh your baskets of plastic or aluminum they will weigh it but it will not will not show up on your receipt they got me for a whole basket full of plastic like $20 worth so the guy handing the money out watch out he's pocketing your money make sure all your baskets show up on your receipt i wasn't tripping that bad for a buck to cause a seen man i was draped in gold anyways and leaving there to buy more gold i recycle for i environment only not for money but for those that truly need that money badly double count your baskets double check your receipt please read more

This place can be packed. There is little parking inside the fences, so if that is the case, park on the street - if there is availability. The rolling bins can hold a surprising amount of bottles, I saw one and thought there was no way it could hold much, but they can. I was really impressed how quickly they got the lines moving. These guys work hard and fast. When I got all my bins ready and saw the line, I thought I was in for a 45 min wait, but hardly, they work really fast. read more

I gotta say this is the best recycling center, they've NEVER ripped me off nd have warned me on how much time I have left before closing,even let me in late. Employees have never been ride or disrespectful. I enjoy going there to to turn in my recycling. They are the best place to turn in especially on a Sunday. read more

Been coming here over 20 years, and although dirty, always quick and friendly. Today, some young kid I never saw before started yelling at me and was really rude. I watched him, and never actually saw him working, just walking around with keys being rude. Sorry, but I'll be going to 32nd street from now on. Last thing I need is some kid 40 years my junior treating me that way. read more

Cannot believe how dirty, smelly and filthy this place is. Employees are rude and equipment is in horrible shape. The metal bins for aluminum and plastic are bent, rollers are clogged with gunk, the trash cans for glass are stuck inside one another and are broken and look as if they've never been cleaned. Watch out for the fork lift driver. He is not looking for customers, that's for sure. Basically, you are better off going to another recycling center. Many around this area are cleaner, nicer people, and same price for your recycling. This place used to be one of the better places, but not anymore! read more

The cashier bearded guy long hair is amazing hes got great customer service. Nice great soInce of humer and even better HES SINGLE LADIES

For about 2 years now, I've been a regular customer bringing hundreds of pounds of cans to recycle. Although the female cashier has been friendly over the years, the others are rude which is why I will now take my business elsewhere. I'm not sure what they make compared to what they pay out, but you've had someone bringing you business for this long, why would you treat them with such unfriendly demeanor? Every single time, they RE-go thru the cans, dumping them into an empty basket, going thru them one by one and the weight almost always comes out to only 1 pound less than the initial weigh. Seriously?! You're going to waste my time and everyone else's over ONE POUND! The guy with the tasteless double sleeve tattoos is the main one. It's like he gets so upset having to go thru the cans, but maybe should try and remember, this is the job he signed up for...You don't like going thru people's nasty recyclables, find another job. Because of him, I'll be going to Mike's recycling! read more

Aside from being extraordinarily dirty, as many of the other reviews on this site have already mentioned, this establishment suffers from a severe lack of customer service. I've only been here a couple of times, and before today, have never really had anything but a neutral experience. I don't expect much from a recycling business in the way of customer service or cleanliness, but this place falls short of even the lowest expectations. WHAT HAPPENED: This evening at 5:00 p.m. I looked at the time the Yelp listing for their close time and was hopeful because they are listed as being open until 5:30. So I grabbed my bottles and cans and set out to the facility. Pulling into the dimly lit parking lot at 5:19, I figured all had gone to plan. I was greeting by a dirty orderly of the recycling plant who waved me off like you would a fly. The second I stepped out of my car he immediately slammed the gate shut and flipped the sign on the gate to "Closed". All this was, in fact, happening despite the fact that they still had a customer inside! A customer whom they had to then open the gate back up and let out. I said, a little irritated to say the least, "Don't you close at 5:30?" And the man barked back at me "You gotta be inside by 5:15! Come back tomorrow at 8:00a.m.!" I work full time, but I can assure you, were I to exert anywhere near the rude and disrespectful behavior of this particular person at my job, I wouldn't be employed for long. The short story is, if you're trying to get in before they close, I wouldn't bother, because they will not accommodate you, and if you care about customer service, take your recyclables somewhere else. I know I will. read more

I thought the customer service was great, dirty.... duh! It's a recycling center not a nail salon!!!

Since moving into my apartment and drinking water bottles became a habit, I decided to start recycling and plus get paid to do so, that's a win! This recycling center is practically down the street from me which made it a perfect location. They take plastic in all different shades and sizes, glass, and aluminum. I've seen folded boxes there as well but I don't know If they recycle that there since I mainly bring glass, plastic, and aluminum. Anyways, it's simple when you get here they have trash barrows that you can throw each recycling item into and then take it up to the main building where they place it on a scale and it tells you the weight and how much it was, after you're do recycling your stuff, you go up to the window and a nice girl hands over a receipt, you sign it and she give you a copy a long with your earnings! Real simple. I love this place but i come every 6 months or so hahaha. read more

American Recycling is almost always packed with people. Even when I go early on a Saturday morning, it's not unusual for me to have to park on the street. If you go there, wear expendable shoes and expect to get dirty. Because of the volume of business they do, it's not even remotely possible for American to keep its wheeled trash barrels, the pavement, etc. clean. Fortunately there is a sink with hand soap and paper towels, so you can wash up as you walk out with your cash in hand. I've found the people who work there to be easy-going and polite, but once in a while I have encountered a customer who was being impatient. I've seen people fail to wait their turn when there weren't enough barrels available for everyone. Some of the customers are hard-core recyclers who show up with the recyclables from restaurants or bars. The mix of what I would call wholesale customers with people like me who bring an SUV load at most creates a bit of tension, as the facility is really set up for small customers. The location on Home Avenue is convenient. Traffic getting in and out is never a problem unless the freeways are jammed, and there are two alternate approaches - Coming in via Fairmount Avenue or Federal Boulevard. It's also possible to come down to Home from Azalea Park or Hollywood Park, but unless you happen to live there that's no different than coming in on Fairmount. It's always good to get my home clear of several months' accumulation of CRV containers. American Recycling also accepts non-CRV glass and cardboard. Check with them for other recyclables such as lead. Their rules and prices are subject to change without notice. It helps to have your CRV containers sorted before you arrive - Green glass, brown glass, all-aluminum containers, and bi-metal cans are all priced differently. read more