Came on Monday at 4:00PM. There was a bit of a line & took around 15min to get to the front…read more I just needed to drop off brake rotors & springs after replacing them on my car. Works quick if you just want to drop off without pay. Just lay the stuff on the floor & dip. 10/10 for donate experience but I can't speak for the transaction aspect.

Quick and fast! The workers are good at what they do. Just make sure you do your part by sorting…read moreall your recycling for a fast and speedy process. They also offer drop off and get paid online. You have to sign up for an account through them. They provide business cards with QR codes to sign up. Pretty simple procedure if you're in a hurry.

The office staff is very helpful and informative. The guys who came to pick up the recycled items…read moreare friendly and courteous. I am extremely pleased with their service.

I had never been to/first experience with Green Citizen, and their Burlingame facility. As I drove…read morein, I was immediately greeted by Marcus, a very nice, well versed man who shared a lot of information about the company and their services. He helped take the large TV from my car, and then took me inside where I filled out a basic form to verify I was a CA resident. The entire process was quick and efficient. Zero problems dropping off. Highly recommended. Hats off to Marcus.

We went here to drop off some items for recycling. You can take a lot of stuff here like scrap…read moremetal (pots and pans!), old paint, medicine, electronics etc. You can just drive up and drop off the items in their respective bins.

This place has great upsides and some annoying downsides. For instance; the recycling part up front…read moreis fantastic...as long as the material you bring is one they accept you can bring as much as you want and be rid of it without needing to have Recology come pick it up. The staff out there are friendly too! The back end, where the trash goes, is where I draw issue. I may have a small amount of material that wouldn't go in a trash bag (de-constructed office chair, and a cat tree, let's say) so maybe 10-15 lbs. Well, the lowest price to get rid of those items is $65.00, which is wild to me...but there's literally no other way to get rid of stuff without breaking the law (dumping). So, consider smaller item dumps!

They're efficient and friendly. What more could you ask for? Just be sure to sort all before your…read morevisit so everyone can get in and out and keep the train rolling..

The staff is personable, respectful, proficient and cordial. The most important thing is they DO…read morereturn your rightful deposits legitimately per California state laws; what a refreshing drastic different experience comparing to the other place in San Mateo. Their measuring scale is placed out in public view and does provide accurate measurements. Only wish they would have set the scale to zero with the empty weighing bin on so no subtraction and uncertainty of the actual weight of the bin needed. The place is dirty with sticky ground as expected in recycling centers. One star is purposely removed because it did take such extra time to wait in line (even on weekdays) also because they do completely shut down their FULL operation for lunch from 1 to 130PM and we, thus, the customers all had to stand around and patiently wait for their normal returns:( Nevertheless, we will come back again because they're HONEST!!

This is a good place to get rid of your your old junky electronics. Got some cash for some of my…read morejunk and cleaned out my home . I arrived and they helped me unload my items, weighed everything up and sent me to the cashier window. Was in and out in about 15 mins and walked away with some extra cash.

I had a terrible experience at CalWest Recycling. The owner was incredibly rude and unprofessional…read morefrom start to finish. Not only was he cursing at me, but he also called me a "dick," which is completely unacceptable behavior for someone running a business. To make matters worse, I was instructed to unload and move my own pallet of batteries for recycling. After I had already done the work, I was suddenly told I couldn't continue because I was wearing Birkenstocks. If that was actually a safety policy, one of the employees could have easily told me before I started unloading instead of waiting until I was finished. When I was told I had to wait in my car, I simply walked over to my vehicle, and the owner continued insulting me by calling me a "dick" as I left. Customer service and basic professionalism were completely absent. There are plenty of other recycling businesses that treat their customers with respect. I would definitely recommend taking your business elsewhere.

Greetings to all, this is not my first time to this recycling center; let's see how it went today:…read more Parking is street side only and everyone in the same line. We're all dumping goods into the empty bins and waiting in the same long lines, service is ok. The value of what we present is completely at the mercy of the scale master; it must be challenging to look and get weights correctly at all times. Thanks to Zarc for being the only recycling center in our area

Here's a stronger version that remains focused on your experience and avoids making claims that…read morecan't be verified. If I could give this place zero stars, I would. I had a very disappointing experience at Zara Recycling in South San Francisco. From the moment I arrived, I felt like I was being treated unfairly. When I handed the employee my ID, he wouldn't even take it from my hand. He immediately started complaining about the water bottles I brought in and carefully inspected them because they had a small amount of water residue left inside. What frustrated me most was that I saw other customers with bottles in similar condition, and nothing was said to them. This isn't the first time I've felt singled out at this location. My dad has also had negative experiences here and has been treated unfairly as well. I tried to calmly explain my side of the situation, but instead of listening, the manager/owner was extremely rude and wouldn't let me speak. When I told them I would be leaving a review about my experience, the situation only got worse. Another woman came outside yelling at me, and I was ultimately banned from the recycling center. I understand that every business has rules, and I have no problem following them. What I do have a problem with is being treated disrespectfully and differently from other customers. Everyone deserves to be treated with fairness and professionalism. I almost believe they were being racist against my dad! Not to mention the lady from the office came in and started pointing her fingers at my dad and started yelling at me! Wouldn't even comprehend anything I was trying to explain to her! Based on my experience, I would not recommend this recycling center. I hope management takes a serious look at how customers are treated because no one should have to go through an experience like this. Worst company ever would not go back!

UPDATE. They don't take any recyclables anymore. The owner recommended a new place to drop off…read morerecycling: Caraustar San Jose Recycling 388 E Alma Ave San Jose I came here two different times. First they said they don't take any electronic or wood recycles, only boxes. Today, they said they no longer take boxes. So this should be taken down.

Note: They have moved! They are on S. 10th St. near Tully, at the back of the Suddath property. I…read moredropped off an old printer and a box of small miscellaneous electronics. The charge was $5 for the printer only. Quick and easy. CALL before you go to make sure someone will be there!

This is a friendly and easy location to drop off recycling. They take aluminum can, all types of…read moreplastics but not glass. The staff will give you easy to load containers and give detailed receipt. As of June 2026 I earned $1.60 per pound of aluminum. They paid me in cash on the spot.

Quick and tentative. Employees were more than willing to help and prices are fair. One of the best…read moreplaces to trade in your bags.

Overall, my experience here has been generally positive, and this location provides an essential…read moreservice. However, I advise approaching with tempered expectations, as some staff members can be somewhat inattentive or lack clear communication and courtesy. Unfortunately, this is the only nearby option, so I'll continue visiting, but it's best to be aware that guidance or instructions may not always be clearly provided--and mistakes are not always met with understanding.

California's largest operator of recycling, Ontario-based RePlanet, has closed all 284 of its…read morecenters redemption centers and laid off 750 employees. It's left all of us recyclers scratching our heads with umpteen questions. The most common begs: are there still buyback programs to get back our $0.05 deposits? Look no further. HERE! This is the place. Sure it's not as conveniently located as your not-so-friendly recycling center that no longer exists in the grocery store back lot. But it's a buyback program nonetheless. Massive facility beyond Oyster Point. My only gripe is their limited buyback business hours that end at 2pm. I finally had a day off during the workweek. I productively used this time to drop off our plethora of 50-gallon yardwaste bags filled with single-use plastic bottles/aluminum cans/glass bottles et al that we amass from every family party/sports event. Once you make your way onsite, follow the signs directing you to the recycle area. Pass the guard gate, proceed driving CAUTIOUSLY to Door 1 (be weary of garbage trucks and all kinds of industrial vehicles and machinery). At the stop sign in front of Door 1, a friendly attendant will bring out blue bins for you to fill up to your eco-friendly heart's content. Present an ID for their records and once you're done filling the bins and getting weighed out, take your paper receipt to the Admin Office (drive behind the the blue bldg and look for the '500' address on the left hand corner office). They'll give you cash up to $100. Anything over that amount will have to be mailed to you as a check. Today we barely made the cash max, as our two-carloads racked up $93.

Response time quick. Quote very competitive no additional fees. Service requested provided detail…read moreof materials accepted.

These guys are great. Came in a large truck and shredded several boxes for $135 out the door. They…read morehave different rates for different quantities. I will call them again. Make sure you have a reasonable place for them to park or at least double park if it's a quick transaction. Thank you!