California Waste Solutions Expands San José Recycling Service With New Household Battery Collection

CWS plans San José curbside battery collection in 2027, alongside a new five-year Teamsters agreement and continued community investment.

OAKLAND, CA, UNITED STATES, September 17, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- California Waste Solutions (CWS) is preparing to launch curbside household battery collection for single-family customers in San José in early 2027, extending a service model the company has operated for the City of Oakland since 2015.

The planned service is intended to complement San José’s Recycle Right guidance by keeping household batteries separate from the regular recycling stream. The expansion comes as CWS employees in San José represented by Teamsters Local 350 have ratified a new five-year labor agreement.

For California Waste Solutions, the two developments are connected by a practical operating principle: reliable municipal service depends on experienced employees, clear instructions for residents and systems designed to protect both workers and customers.

Michael Duong, president of California Waste Solutions, said the company sees employee investment and customer service as closely connected.
“California Waste Solutions is able to provide strong, reliable service because of the people behind it,” said Michael Duong, president of California Waste Solutions. “We are a family-owned company, and we believe our employees are part of that family. Their experience, commitment and daily work are what make it possible for us to expand services like household battery collection and continue improving how we serve our customers and communities.”

A FIVE-YEAR AGREEMENT WITH SAN JOSÉ EMPLOYEES
California Waste Solutions employees in San José represented by Teamsters Local 350 ratified a five-year agreement that includes improvements in pay, benefits and vacation provisions. The agreement gives employees and the company a longer planning horizon as California Waste Solutions prepares for additional service responsibilities in the city.

Sergio Arrañaga, a business agent for Teamsters Local 350 and chief negotiator for the bargaining unit, said the agreement reflects the company’s commitment to its workforce.

“With this strong contract, they have shown their commitment to raising the bar for workers across the entire waste industry,” Arrañaga said.
For California Waste Solutions, the agreement also supports a basic service goal: retain experienced employees, give crews the tools and training they need, and maintain safe, dependable operations for the communities they serve.

HOUSEHOLD BATTERY COLLECTION COMING TO SAN JOSÉ
Beginning in early 2027, California Waste Solutions plans to introduce curbside household battery collection for single-family homes in San José. Specific guidance on eligible batteries, preparation and setout procedures will be provided to residents before the program launches.

Certain batteries and devices may require household hazardous-waste or approved retail drop-off instead of curbside collection. California Waste Solutions will provide residents with program guidance consistent with City of San José requirements before launch.
 
David Duong, founder and chief executive officer of California Waste Solutions, said batteries remain a persistent recycling challenge because they are recyclable but require separate handling when placed at the curb.

“One thing hasn’t changed in recycling at all since we began in business over three decades ago, and that’s the importance of handling and recycling batteries properly,” David Duong said. “We have been collecting household batteries at the curb for the past decade in Oakland. We are glad San José residents will have that option too.”

Under the planned service, approved household batteries will be collected separately from the regular recycling stream, helping keep them out of compacted recycling loads and downstream sorting equipment.

“Everything about this program is designed to keep batteries separate from the regular recycling load,” Michael Duong said. “Clear instructions for residents and separate handling by our crews will be important to making the program work safely and effectively.”

WHY BATTERIES REQUIRE SEPARATE HANDLING
Household batteries do not move through a recycling system the same way as paper, glass, metal containers or many plastics. They must be kept separate, sorted by chemistry and sent to a permitted battery recycler. Keeping them out of the commingled stream also reduces the chance that a damaged battery will create a safety problem inside a collection vehicle or processing facility.

California Waste Solutions says collected battery bags will remain in a dedicated compartment on the truck, be consolidated separately at a company facility and then be sent to a permitted battery recycler rather than entering the regular mixed-recycling stream.

Some battery types and larger rechargeable packs require different handling. California Waste Solutions says it will support San José’s education efforts so residents can distinguish between batteries accepted through the curbside program and batteries that must go to household hazardous-waste or retail take-back locations.

“People do not picture a person when they drop a battery in a cart, and that is fair, because you cannot see us from your driveway,” David Duong said. “But someone rides behind that load, and someone stands over it on the sorting line. They are our employees and they are our family. A sealed bag on top of the cart protects them. So we invest in them.”

TECHNOLOGY HELPS AT THE PLANT, BUT SAFE SORTING BEGINS AT THE CART
California Waste Solutions has been investing in sorting technology at its Bay Area operations, including Pellenc optical sorting equipment and EverestLabs artificial-intelligence scanning technology. Those systems can help identify materials moving through a facility, but they cannot replace correct handling before batteries enter a collection vehicle.

“We have invested heavily in technology that improves how materials are identified and recovered at our facilities,” Michael Duong said. “But battery safety starts before material ever reaches the sorting line. Clear guidance and proper handling at the cart are just as important as the technology we use inside the plant.”

That is why California Waste Solutions says it uses city-specific recycling guidance, multilingual materials, community events, school outreach and work with property managers to help residents understand how each local program works.

A FAMILY BUSINESS BUILT AROUND SERVICE
David Duong founded California Waste Solutions in Oakland in 1992 with eight used collection trucks. More than three decades later, the company remains family owned and operates recycling collection, processing, material recovery and customer-service programs in Northern California, including Oakland and San José.

David Duong remains founder and chief executive officer. Michael Duong serves as president, and Johnny Duong serves as chief operating officer. The company says its operating priorities include dependable service, employee safety, environmental responsibility, continuous improvement and long-term community partnerships.

Those priorities extend beyond day-to-day collection. In San José, California Waste Solutions again served as a Diamond Sponsor of the 2026 San José Police Department Major Awards Ceremony, continuing a relationship with the San José Police Foundation that began in 2021. Michael Duong also serves on the foundation’s board of directors.

“This is one evening where the city says out loud what these officers and residents did during the year,” David Duong said. “We have been part of it since 2021. Showing up once is a gesture. Showing up every year is a relationship.”

The new labor agreement, household battery program and CWS community partnerships reflect the same long-term approach: invest in people, make services safe and accessible for residents, and build systems cities can rely on over time.

ABOUT CALIFORNIA WASTE SOLUTIONS
California Waste Solutions, Inc. is a family-owned and operated recycling and resource-recovery company headquartered in Oakland, California. Founded in 1992 by David Duong, California Waste Solutions provides recycling collection, processing, customer service and material-recovery services for residential, commercial and municipal customers in Northern California, including Oakland and San José. The company also operates internationally through its wholly owned subsidiary, Vietnam Waste Solutions.

Wendy Nguyen
California Waste Solutions
+12066045675 ext.
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