Black Bin (Trash)
All waste must fit comfortably inside the cart with the lid closed to block local animal pests and wind scattering.
Accepted Items
- ✓Single-use plastic bags and wrap
- ✓Styrofoam block packaging and cups
- ✓Disposable diapers and sanitary wipes
- ✓Incandescent and halogen light bulbs
- ✓Mylar candy wrappers and chip bags
- ✓Thermal paper register receipts
Blue Bin (Recycling)
Do not bag recyclables; place them loose, clean, and completely dry inside the blue recycling cart.
Accepted Items
- ✓Clean, flattened cardboard and paperboard
- ✓Empty aluminum foil baking pans and beverage cans
- ✓Glass bottles and jars (emptied and rinsed)
- ✓Rigid plastics marked with numbers 1 through 7
- ✓Steel, tin, and bi-metal food cans
Do NOT Include
- ✕Loose plastic bags, film wrap, or stretch liners
- ✕Styrofoam materials of any kind
- ✕Soiled cardboard or grease-stained pizza boxes
- ✕Garden hoses, extension cords, or wiring
- ✕Household batteries or electronics
Yard Waste Bin
Keep organic materials loose or inside certified compostable bags (e.g., BioBag). Do not include soil, rocks, concrete, palm fronds, pet feces, or chemically treated wood.
Accepted Items
- ✓All raw and cooked food leftovers (meat, fish, bones, dairy)
- ✓Fruits, vegetables, bread, and eggshells
- ✓Food-soiled paper napkins, towels, and greasy pizza boxes
- ✓Grass clippings, tree leaves, garden weeds, and plant trimmings
- ✓Certified compostable BPI paper or BioBags
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
2 free collection appointments per calendar year
Placement
Place all scheduled bulky items at your front curb line (taking care not to block sidewalks or pathways) and attach a clear, highly visible sign that reads 'RECOLOGY'.
Accepted
- ✓ Oversized furniture (sofas, tables, chairs, dressers)
- ✓ Mattresses and box springs
- ✓ Home appliances (refrigerators, stoves, washers, dryers)
- ✓ Electronic waste (TVs, computers, monitors, cell phones)
- ✓ Drained and packaged home toilets (secured in taped boxes)
Not Accepted
- ✕ Household hazardous waste (liquid paints, chemicals, pool fluids)
- ✕ Construction and home demolition debris
- ✕ Automobile parts and vehicle tires
The two annual curbside bulk pickups are free. Additional bulky collections can be scheduled through Recology for an extra fee.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
Recology San Mateo County operates normal collection schedules on all holidays except Christmas Day and New Year's Day. If your scheduled pickup day falls on or after one of these two holidays, your curbside pickup is delayed by exactly one day for the remainder of that week.
Yard Waste Exception
Organic waste and recycling follow the same one-day delay structure during holiday weeks.
Normal collections proceed on their regular schedule if Christmas Day or New Year's Day falls on a Saturday or Sunday.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Pizza Boxes Belong in the Green Cart
Many residents think pizza boxes belong in cardboard recycling, but grease and food oils ruin clean paper batches. Greasy pizza boxes must go directly into your green compost cart to be processed cleanly.
Rinse Cans and Jars First
A quick shake or rinse of soda cans, milk jugs, and peanut butter jars keeps sticky food residues from ruining paper and cardboard products riding in the same recycling truck.
Always Tape Battery Terminals
Before bagging household batteries and placing them on your black cart lid, cover the active contact terminals of lithium and rechargeable batteries with tape to prevent friction fires inside collection vehicles.
Seasonal Information
Post-Holiday Christmas Tree Recycling
JanuaryUndecorated, natural holiday trees up to 8 feet in length are collected curbside between January 2nd and January 31st. Residents must strip all ornaments, lights, tinsel, and metal stands, then place the tree directly adjacent to their green compost cart on their normal service day. Flocked trees are not accepted for composting.
Stormwater Runoff & Leaf Sweeping Safety
October - JanuaryHeavy autumn leaf drops must go into the green cart. Do not sweep leaves or lawn clippings into street gutters or roadside piles, as this clogs municipal storm drains, blocks street sweepers, and can cause local street flooding.
About Burlingame Waste Management
Burlingame's Unified Climate Action through Recology Partnership
In the beautiful bayfront community of Burlingame, residential waste collection is managed through a franchise agreement with Recology San Mateo County, working alongside RethinkWaste (the South Bayside Waste Management Authority). Aligning directly with the city’s proactive Climate Action Plan, this residential program is structured to streamline material diversion, optimize recycling efficiency, and preserve the local tree-lined streets and waterways from landfill-bound refuse.
Strict Adherence to California Organic Recycling (SB 1383)
To meet the rigorous greenhouse gas reduction mandates of California Senate Bill 1383, Burlingame residents utilize a weekly green-lidded compost cart to isolate organics. By dropping all leftover kitchen scraps—including dairy, bones, and meats—along with soiled food paper goods and lawn waste directly into the compost cart, residents feed regional commercial composting loops and keep methane-producing trash out of landfills.
At-Home Curbside Battery and Small Electronics Disposal
Burlingame operates a specialized curbside recovery program to keep hazardous items from polluting household waste collections. Residents do not need to make trips to a drop-off hub for simple consumer electronics; instead, alkaline, rechargeable, and button batteries (with ends taped to avoid spark hazards), alongside retired cell phones, can be sealed inside a clear zip-top bag and placed directly on top of the black landfill cart lid on service mornings.
Curbside Used Automotive Oil and Filter Recovery
To protect local Bay ecosystems from hazardous spills, Burlingame single-family homes have access to curbside used motor oil and filter recovery on their normal service day. Residents can set up to five gallons of motor oil in clear plastic jugs and up to five filters in sealed, zippered bags directly on the ground adjacent to their blue recycling bin for a free driver collection.
Drop-off Facilities
Shoreway Environmental Center (Transfer Station & Public Recycling)
333 Shoreway Road, San Carlos, CA 94070
Materials Accepted
San Mateo County Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Drop-off Facility
Varying County Drop-Off Sites (Free; appointments required)
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I safely dispose of used batteries and cell phones in Burlingame?
Single-family residents should tape the contact terminals of rechargeable and lithium batteries, seal them alongside any cell phones in a clear zip-top plastic bag, and place the bag directly on top of their closed black trash cart lid on regular collection mornings.
Where can I get free compost in Burlingame?
Burlingame residents can pick up free, high-quality organic compost year-round at the Shoreway Environmental Center in San Carlos. Shovels and bags are available on-site, though you are welcome to bring your own containers.
What should I do if my collection bin is missed or damaged?
Make sure your bins were at the curb by 6:00 AM. If a cart was missed, or if your container has a broken lid or missing wheels, contact Recology San Mateo County directly at 650-595-3900 to request a cart repair or a replacement collection.
Can I recycle greasy pizza boxes in the blue bin?
No. Due to food grease and residues, pizza boxes cannot go in the blue recycling bin. Place food-soiled cardboard boxes directly into your green compost/organics cart instead.