Blue (with gray body, 32/64/96-gallon options by service tier) Bin (Trash)
Place carts at curbside no later than 7:00 AM on your scheduled service day, lid opening toward the street, spaced 12–18 inches apart with 3 feet of clearance from parked cars or obstacles.
Accepted Items
- ✓Foam cups and containers
- ✓Garden hose
- ✓Plastic bags and film
- ✓Diapers
- ✓Clothing and textiles
- ✓Broken ceramic dishes and pots
- ✓Pet waste
Recycle cart (96-gallon standard across all service tiers) Bin (Recycling)
Additional recycling carts are provided at no charge; all recyclables should go in loose (not bagged) in the 96-gallon cart.
Accepted Items
- ✓Newspaper, mixed and white paper
- ✓Cardboard
- ✓Junk mail, magazines, paper bags
- ✓Cereal and food boxes
- ✓Egg cartons and shoe boxes
- ✓Hot and cold beverage cups
- ✓Aluminum, steel, and tin cans
- ✓Empty aerosol cans and pie tins
- ✓#1 (PET/PETE), #2 (HDPE), and #5 (PP) plastics
- ✓Glass containers with lids removed
Do NOT Include
- ✕Food waste
- ✕Yard waste
- ✕Paper towels, napkins, tissue
- ✕Waxed paper
- ✕Diapers
- ✕E-waste
- ✕Household hazardous waste
- ✕CFL bulbs
- ✕Dirt, cement, or rock
- ✕Animal waste and cat litter
- ✕Window glass, mirrors, ceramics
- ✕Plastic bags and film
- ✕Wood
- ✕Liquids
- ✕Tires
Yard Waste Bin
Yard trimmings go loose directly into the green organics cart (no plastic bags); food waste must be contained in a plastic or paper bag placed alongside the yard trimmings, per California's SB 1383 mandatory organics law. Free food waste pails are available by calling WM at 800-675-1171.
Accepted Items
- ✓Grass clippings
- ✓Branches, leaves, garden trimmings
- ✓Shrubs
- ✓Food waste (meat, dairy, produce, grains) bagged separately alongside yard trimmings
- ✓Food-soiled paper, coffee filters, tea bags
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
3 free pickups per year per household
Placement
Schedule pickups through your My WM online profile or by calling WM at (800) 675-1171 at least the required advance notice period before your intended pickup date.
Accepted
- ✓ Furniture (sofas, tables, desks)
- ✓ Mattresses and box springs
- ✓ Appliances
- ✓ Bagged trash from larger cleanups
Not Accepted
- ✕ Construction/demolition debris
- ✕ Automobile parts and tires
- ✕ Household hazardous waste (paint, oil, cleaners)
- ✕ Medical waste
- ✕ Electronic waste (handled via separate e-waste program)
The first three annual bulky pickups are included in standard residential service under the city's franchise agreement; a per-pickup fee applies beyond that limit.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
If your regular service day falls on or after one of these observed holidays, collection is delayed by one day for the remainder of that week only.
Yard Waste Exception
No separate exception is published for yard trimmings/organics; the one-day delay rule applies uniformly to trash, recycling, and organics carts together.
Unlike some cities, Calabasas/WM's list does not include Martin Luther King Jr. Day or Veterans Day, so those weeks run on the normal schedule.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Coffee Cups Split Between Two Different Carts
An empty paper or plastic beverage cup goes in the blue recycling cart, but if it's got sodden coffee grounds or wet food residue still inside, it belongs in the green organics cart instead. Sorting it dry versus sorting it wet is what determines which cart it goes in.
Flowerpots and Garden Debris Aren't Interchangeable
Grass clippings and shrub trimmings are welcome in the organics cart, but plastic flowerpots, cut flowers, and potted house plants are explicitly excluded — the plastic and root-bound soil contaminate the compost stream. Dispose of the pot separately and only add the actual plant trimmings to organics.
Empty Aerosol Cans Are Recyclable, Full Ones Are Hazardous
A completely empty aerosol can (hairspray, cooking spray) can go in the blue recycling cart, but any can that still has pressurized product inside needs to go through the At Your Door hazardous waste program instead, since residual propellant contaminates recycling loads.
Seasonal Information
Fire Season and Brush Clearance
May–NovemberCalabasas sits in a designated Fire Hazard Severity Zone within the Santa Monica Mountains foothills, and residents doing seasonal brush clearance often generate more yard waste than a single 96-gallon organics cart can hold. The city's At Your Door and bi-monthly hazardous waste programs, along with WM's bulky pickup allowance, give households an outlet for this seasonal surge without illegally dumping cleared brush.
Winter Rain and Runoff
December–MarchDuring the Pacific storm season, carts left with lids open or overfilled can spill and wash debris into Calabasas's hillside storm drains. The city's rule that lids must close tightly year-round becomes especially relevant in winter, since overflow material left outside a closed lid can be denied collection or contribute to street runoff.
Holiday Week Adjustments
Late November & Late DecemberCollection shifts around Thanksgiving and Christmas, both observed WM holidays, pushing routes back by one day through the rest of that particular week — a detail worth noting since Calabasas's holiday slate is shorter than some nearby cities, with no delay at all for New Year's week itself.
About Calabasas Waste Management
Calabasas Runs a Tiered Cart-Size System, Not a Flat Rate
Unlike cities where every household gets the same trash cart, Calabasas residents choose from three service levels — Super Recycler, Basic Service, and Basic Plus — that scale the trash cart from 32 up to 96 gallons while keeping the recycling and yard trimmings carts at a fixed 96 gallons regardless of tier. Downsizing your trash cart to the smallest 32-gallon Super Recycler option is the city's built-in incentive for residents who divert more waste into recycling and organics, and it typically comes with a lower monthly rate through WM.
Precision Curb Placement in a Hillside Community
Calabasas's hilly terrain and narrow residential streets are reflected in unusually specific setout rules: carts must sit side-by-side with 12 to 18 inches between them, lids facing the street, and a full 3 feet of clearance from parked cars or any fixed object in every direction. This isn't boilerplate — it's designed so WM's automated collection arms can operate safely on streets that are often narrower or more sloped than typical suburban grids, and residents who bunch carts too tightly risk a skipped pickup.
Three Free Bulky Pickups a Year, Scheduled Through My WM
Calabasas households get three complimentary bulky item pickups annually before any additional fee kicks in, a smaller allotment than some neighboring Los Angeles County cities. Rather than calling a hotline, most residents now schedule these visits — plus missed-pickup reports and container repairs — directly through the My WM online portal or account, reflecting the city's shift toward self-service digital tools over phone-based requests.
A Detailed Recycle-vs-Trash Line for Everyday Kitchen Items
The city's own guidance draws finer distinctions than most municipal pages, separating look-alike items that people commonly misplace: hot and cold beverage cups belong in the blue recycling cart, but foam cups and containers go in trash; egg cartons are recyclable, but food-soiled paper goes in the green organics cart instead. This level of item-by-item detail exists because Calabasas's contamination issues have historically centered on paper products and food packaging rather than bulk mis-sorting.
Household Hazardous Waste Comes to You, No Trip Required
Calabasas supplements the standard bi-monthly hazardous waste collection events with an At Your Door program that lets residents schedule a home pickup of items like old paint, batteries, and light bulbs without loading up a car and driving to a drop-off site. A collection kit is mailed ahead of time, and residents simply set the sealed materials near their front door on the scheduled date — a convenience aimed at the city's more spread-out, hillside neighborhoods where a trip to a fixed collection site isn't always practical.
Drop-off Facilities
At Your Door Household Hazardous & E-Waste Collection (Calabasas)
Scheduled home pickup — no fixed address; arranged through the City of Calabasas program
Materials Accepted
Calabasas Bi-Monthly Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event
Civic Center area, Calabasas, CA 91302 (check current event page for exact lot)
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I choose a smaller trash cart to lower my Calabasas WM bill?
Yes. Calabasas offers three service tiers — Super Recycler (32-gallon trash cart), Basic Service (64-gallon), and Basic Plus (96-gallon) — while the recycling and yard trimmings carts stay at 96 gallons regardless of tier, so downsizing your trash cart is the main way to reduce your monthly rate.
How many free bulky item pickups does a Calabasas household get each year?
Three per year at no charge. Pickups can be scheduled online through your My WM profile or by calling WM at (800) 675-1171; any pickups beyond the third carry an additional fee.
Does Calabasas offer hazardous waste pickup without leaving the house?
Yes, through the At Your Door program. The city mails a collection kit with instructions, and residents leave sealed, labeled containers (5 gallons or less) near their front door on the scheduled collection date.
What happens to my Calabasas trash pickup during Thanksgiving or Christmas week?
Service is delayed by one day for the rest of that week if your regular day falls on or after the holiday. Calabasas/WM observes six holidays total — New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day — with no delays around other holidays like MLK Day.