Gray or Black Bin (Trash)
All curbside landfill trash should be securely bagged before being placed inside the cart. Container lids must close tightly to prevent wind-blown litter and pests.
Accepted Items
- ✓Single-use plastic grocery bags and film wrap
- ✓Polystyrene and Styrofoam packaging blocks
- ✓Disposable baby diapers and sanitary wipes
- ✓Mylar snack wrappers, chip bags, and candy packaging
- ✓Broken ceramics, drinking glasses, and incandescent bulbs
- ✓Securely bagged pet feces and kitty litter
Blue Bin (Recycling)
Do not bag your recyclables; place all accepted items completely loose, empty, and dry inside the blue container.
Accepted Items
- ✓Flattened cardboard and paperboard packaging
- ✓Mixed office paper, catalogs, and junk mail
- ✓Glass bottles and food jars (rinsed and clean)
- ✓Aluminum beverage cans and clean foil baking trays
- ✓Steel, tin, and bi-metal soup or food cans
- ✓Rigid plastics and beverage containers marked #1 through #7
Do NOT Include
- ✕Loose plastic shopping bags or film wraps
- ✕Styrofoam blocks or food packaging
- ✕Garden hoses, extension cords, or wire hangers
- ✕Soiled cardboard or greasy pizza boxes
- ✕Alkaline or lithium batteries
- ✕Liquid container residue or food scraps
Yard Waste Bin
No plastic bags of any kind are permitted. Keep organic materials completely loose. Under local program rules, do not place palm fronds, cactus, yucca, manure, or food waste in this specific cart.
Accepted Items
- ✓Grass clippings and cut lawn debris
- ✓Dry leaves, weeds, and flowers
- ✓Shrubs, garden trimmings, and sawdust
- ✓Small prunings and tree branches (under 3 feet long)
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Event-Based Drop-off Programs Only
Placement
For the annual free cleanup event, residents must transport eligible items to the WM SLO County Transfer Station. If arranging a paid individual WM pickup, place items clear of your standard carts.
Accepted
- ✓ Oversized furniture (sofas, tables, chairs, dressers)
- ✓ Mattresses and box springs
- ✓ Washing machines, dryers, and non-Freon appliances
- ✓ Yard debris, loose rocks, and scrap metal (loose items must be bagged)
Not Accepted
- ✕ Appliances containing Freon (refrigerators, freezers, AC units)
- ✕ Commercial construction or remodeling debris
- ✕ Household hazardous waste (liquid paints, chemicals, motor oil)
- ✕ Automotive passenger tires
- ✕ Electronic waste
The weekly residential service does not include free curbside bulk collection. Paid curbside bulky pickups must be scheduled in advance with WM.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
Atascadero Waste Management observes six major holidays. If your regular collection day falls on or after an observed weekday holiday, your collection service will be delayed by exactly one day for the remainder of that holiday week.
Yard Waste Exception
All organic waste and recycling collection routes shift uniformly in accordance with the holiday delay schedule.
If an observed holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, collections proceed exactly as scheduled on normal weekdays with zero delay.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Keep Film Plastics in the Gray Trash Cart
Never place plastic shopping bags, grocery wrap, bubble wrap, or film wrap inside your blue recycling cart. These soft plastics wrap tightly around mechanical sorting rollers at processing facilities, halting lines and endangering workers.
Yard Waste Exclusions: No Cactus or Palms
Never mix palm fronds, cactus, yucca, or heavy branches into your green yard waste container. Their tough, fibrous structures resist commercial processing, damage chipping grinders, and belong strictly in your gray landfill bin.
Rinse Bottles and Cans First
Make sure all plastic, metal, and glass beverage containers are empty, rinsed, and dry. Sticky liquid residue ruins clean paper and cardboard products riding in the same collection truck.
Seasonal Information
Autumn Oak Leaf Fall
October - JanuaryAtascadero's dense oak canopy produces heavy leaf drops in late autumn. Sweep loose leaves directly into your green cart. Avoid blowing leaves into public street gutters, as they block storm sewers and cause neighborhood flooding.
Post-Holiday Christmas Tree Composting
JanuaryNatural, undecorated Christmas trees can be recycled after the holidays. Cut your tree into sections under 3 feet in length and place the pieces directly inside your green yard waste cart.
About Atascadero Waste Management
Atascadero's Foothill Trash and Resource Management
In the scenic, oak-studded community of Atascadero, California, curbside garbage, recycling, and organic programs are operated through an exclusive franchise agreement with Atascadero Waste Management, a localized division of Waste Management (WM). Working under the regional supervision of the San Luis Obispo County Integrated Waste Management Authority (IWMA), this service is designed to support high diversion rates while preserving the natural beauty of the Central Coast.
Meeting California Organic Mandates Under SB 1383
In strict compliance with California Senate Bill 1383, Atascadero residents are required by state law to isolate compostable organic waste from standard landfill trash. Residents use their green yard waste container to discard standard lawn debris, weeds, and small branches. Kitchen scraps, food waste, and food-soiled papers must be safely separated, keeping methane-producing material completely out of local landfill facilities.
Convenient Curbside Spent Motor Oil Recovery Program
To prevent hazardous fluids from contaminating regional soil and sensitive local watersheds, Atascadero offers a free curbside collection program for used automotive motor oil and filters. Residents can contact Atascadero Waste Management to request official, spill-proof oil collection jugs and filter bags. Once filled, setting these containers adjacent to your standard curbside bins ensures a safe driver collection.
Annual Residential Free Waste Drop-Off & Shredding Events
To keep neighborhoods clear of clutter, Atascadero Waste Management coordinates a specialized Spring Cleanup Event for single-family residential utility accounts. Typically hosted in late April at the WM SLO County Transfer Station, this free program allows local residents to drop off up to 1,000 pounds of household waste, mattresses, and scrap metal without paying disposal fees.
Drop-off Facilities
Chicago Grade Landfill & HHW Facility
2290 Homestead Road, Templeton, CA 93465
Materials Accepted
WM SLO County Transfer Station & Recycling Center
3360 La Cruz Way, Paso Robles, CA 94446
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Atascadero Waste Management offer free curbside bulk waste pickup?
No, Atascadero Waste Management does not provide free regular curbside bulk pickups. Residents can schedule a paid curbside haul by calling 805-466-3636, or take advantage of the free annual Spring Cleanup Event to self-haul up to 1,000 pounds of debris to the local transfer station.
How do I safely recycle household batteries and motor oil in Atascadero?
Used automotive motor oil can be recycled curbside by calling WM at 805-466-3636 to request a free oil jug and filter bag to leave next to your carts. Household batteries are not accepted curbside and must be taken to the Chicago Grade Landfill HHW drop-off on Saturdays.
Can I throw food waste into my green yard waste cart in Atascadero?
No. Unlike other regions, Atascadero's green yard waste container is only for clean garden debris, plant trimmings, leaves, and lawn clippings. Food waste is not accepted in the green cart and must be managed according to local SB 1383 guidelines.
What is the holiday trash collection schedule for Atascadero?
Atascadero Waste Management observes six major holidays. If an observed holiday falls on a weekday, curbside collections for that day and all remaining weekdays of that calendar week are delayed by exactly one day. Saturday and Sunday holidays cause no schedule changes.