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

California Waste Solutions plans curbside household battery collection for San José in 2027, alongside a new five-year Teamsters agreement and continued investment in employees and the community.

SAN JOSE, Calif., Sept. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- 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.

Both developments reflect the same operating priority for CWS: experienced employees, clear communication with residents and systems designed around safe, reliable service.

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," Michael Duong said. "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

San José employees represented by Teamsters Local 350 ratified a new five-year agreement that includes improvements in pay, benefits and vacation provisions. The agreement provides greater long-term stability for employees and the company as CWS 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 investment in 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 CWS, the agreement supports a basic service goal: retain experienced employees, provide the tools and training crews need, and maintain safe, dependable operations for the communities they serve.

Household battery collection coming to San José

Beginning in early 2027, CWS 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. CWS 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 since we began in business more than three decades ago, and that is 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 require separate collection and specialized downstream handling rather than moving through the regular commingled recycling stream. Keeping them separate also reduces the chance that a damaged battery will create a safety problem inside a collection vehicle or processing facility.

CWS says the planned program is designed to keep collected batteries separate from the regular recycling stream from collection through downstream handling. Some battery types and larger rechargeable devices may require different handling, and residents will receive city-consistent guidance before the service begins.

"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

CWS 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 CWS 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.

David Duong and a family business built around service

David Duong founded California Waste Solutions in Oakland in 1992 with eight used collection trucks. The company's roots reach back to the Duong family's resettlement in the United States after leaving Vietnam. Drawing on experience in the recycling trade, the family built CoGiDo Recycling before David Duong established CWS.

What began as a family recycling business grew into a municipal recycling and resource-recovery company serving Oakland, San José and other Northern California customers. CWS now operates six Bay Area facilities, including three recycling processing facilities, and its work spans collection, processing, material recovery, customer service and public education.

David Duong remains founder and chief executive officer. Michael Duong serves as president, Johnny Duong as chief operating officer, Kristina Duong as chief financial officer and Victor Duong as executive vice president of public affairs. The second generation of the Duong family now holds leadership roles across operations, finance, public affairs and company strategy.

David Duong's journey from refugee resettlement to building recycling and environmental-services businesses in the United States and Vietnam is also documented in The King of Trash, a feature-length documentary that traces the Duong family's history, entrepreneurship and multigenerational role in recycling and environmental infrastructure.

CWS also operates internationally through its wholly owned subsidiary, Vietnam Waste Solutions, extending the family's environmental infrastructure work to Vietnam.

CWS has built its operations around dependable service, employee safety, environmental responsibility, continuous improvement and long-term community partnerships. Those priorities extend beyond day-to-day collection and processing.

Long-term community partnerships

In San José, CWS 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, CWS 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 operates six Bay Area facilities, including three recycling processing facilities, and also operates internationally through its wholly owned subsidiary, Vietnam Waste Solutions.

Media Contact

Wendy Nguyen
California Waste Solutions
[email protected]
www.calwaste.com

SOURCE California Waste Solutions