Watch an 80 Second Video on How to FoodCycle in Sunnyvale
Watch a 2 Minute Video on How Our Split Cart Works in Sunnyvale
Tell us what size FoodCycle cart you need and we’ll provide a small, medium, large split cart. Set it out on the curb by 7:00 am on your garbage pick-up day. Make sure the cart’s arrow is pointing toward the street. Cart wheels should be touching the curb.
trash products
- Paper towels
- To-go containers
- Cups
- Foil
- Pizza boxes
- Styrofoam containers
- Plastic utensils
- Compostable foodware
for foodcycle
- Vegetables
- Fruit
- Grains
- Dairy
- Meat, fish, bones
- Shells
- Tea bags, coffee filters, and coffee grounds
- Bacon grease
- Cooking oil
Each single-family household receives a split cart for food scraps and garbage collection, a countertop food scraps pail to make separation more convenient, and outreach materials to explain the program. You can reuse produce, bread or other plastic bags (as long as they are clear) or even wrap the food scraps in newspaper and place them into the cart.
Watch videos with Sunnyvale residents on the benefits of FoodCycle and how to make it a habit.
Complete the Zero Waste Cycle | Visit Page
- Fruits and vegetables trimmings including peels, pits and cores
- Dairy products
- Eggs and shells
- Meat, bones, shellfish and shells
- Tea bags, coffee filters and coffee grounds
- Uneaten food scraps and leftovers
- Spoiled food
- Frozen and freezer-burned food (without the packaging)
Items you should place in the garbage side of the cart (black side) include:
- Paper products including plates, cups and containers
- Compostable paperware
- To-go containers
- Pizza boxes
- Paper towels
- Tissues
- Sanitary wipes
See the reasons below. If pickup isn’t possible, we’ll leave a tag on your cart explaining why not. To understand more, call (408) 565-9900.
- Cart overfilled, lid won’t close.
- There wasn’t a prepaid tag on the extra bag.
- The cart wasn’t at the curb by 7 am.
- Items in wrong side of cart.
- Driver could still be out on route (6pm).
- Garbage was spilled on the ground.
- Cart too heavy.
- It contained prohibited materials (auto parts, tires, hazardous or e-waste.) Visit How to Get Rid of Anything.
You can:
- Buy an extra garbage tag for $6 and attach the sticker around the neck of a 35 gallon plastic bag.
- Schedule an on-call curbside collection for up to 2 yards of extra garbage and 2 bulky items. (2 per year)
At select supermarkets, City Hall and SMaRT Station. Click here for a list of available locations.
See list below for items we cannot pickup in your cart. If you need to dispose of any of the prohibited materials below, refer to HHW or call at (408) 299-7300.
- Computer monitors and televisions (cathode ray tubes)
- Fluorescent light bulbs or tubes
- Oils (other than used motor oil)
- Hazardous materials or products
- Caustic, corrosive or toxic chemicals
- Paints and other liquids
- Tires
- Auto parts
- Dirt or sod
- Needles or Syringes (“Sharps”)
Place home-generated, used sharps in an approved sharps container. You may purchase a biohazard sharps container at a pharmacy or ask a doctor if they offer a container. If you buy sharps online, request a mail-back kit for used sharps.
