Cerocycling

Welcome to Cerocycling: Cero’s unique reuse & recycling program where we keep otherwise disposed of materials in circulation and help Tucsonans with difficult-to-recycle items. The items collected by Cero are redistributed at no cost back to community members and local organizations. 

Update: We recently scaled down what we are able to collect due to the size of our new location. Please re-familiarize yourself with the information on this page for what we do collect or where you can take your other items. 

Cerocycling is built around these three concepts: 

Reuse
Keeping items in use and in circulation before they need to be disposed of.

Freecycling
Mixing in mutual aid and providing no-cost items to the community.

Specialty Recycling
Making it easy and convenient to recycle specialty items.

General Guidelines:

  • Drop off at Cero only during open hours
  • Items must be clean, organized and separated by type
  • Small quantities only. For amounts larger than a grocery bag, please take directly to our partner organization. 
  • Place items into their designated bins inside the shop

Accepted Items:

If you have more than a small grocery bag of any of these items, please take directly to the receiving organization (except for Terracycle).

Clothing for the Clothing Swap

Surplus taken to Spreading Threads who provides clothing to children in foster care and their foster families. 

Empty Prescription Pill Bottles, with lids. Please remove labels. 

Taken to Primavera Foundation. Pima Animal Care Center can also use there.

Unused takeout utensils 

Taken to The Lot on 22nd Street who provides free meals. 

Sturdy takeout containers

Taken to Tucson Food Share, or The Lot on 22nd Street who both free food to the community. 

Razor blades and razor cartridges. 

We pack and ship these to Terracycle. 

 

Items we no longer accept, and where to take/list them: 

Please check with local organizations before bringing your donations to them in case anything has changed. 

We do not take: 

  • Styrofoam
  • Molded cardboard
  • Glass or plastic bottles
  • Batteries
  • Medications
  • Beauty Packaging
  • Household Items 
  • Craft Supplies

    For Everything Else, We Recommend: 

    • FreeCycle.org
    • Listing free to Facebook Marketplace, Craiglist, OfferUp
    • Posting to your local "Buy Nothing" Groups on Facebook


      Interested in being a Cerocycling Volunteer? Email hello@cerotucson.com to get involved.