Grey Cart with Black Lid Bin (Trash)
All trash should be bagged to prevent litter. Do not overfill your container—the lid must close tightly. Food scraps are strictly prohibited due to SB 1383.
Accepted Items
- ✓Chip bags and wrappers
- ✓Plastic bags and film
- ✓Textiles (if not suitable for donation)
- ✓Diapers and pet waste
- ✓Standard household garbage
Blue Bin (Recycling)
All containers must be empty, clean, and dry. Place recyclables loosely directly into the cart. Never bag your recyclables in plastic.
Accepted Items
- ✓Clean cardboard and mixed paper
- ✓Aluminum and tin cans
- ✓Glass bottles and jars
- ✓Rigid plastic bottles, jugs, and tubs
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic bags or shrink wrap
- ✕Food-soiled paper or pizza boxes
- ✕Tanglers like hoses or cords
- ✕Styrofoam
- ✕Liquids and food waste
Yard Waste Bin
Do not place any regular trash, plastic bags, or hazardous waste in the organics cart. Keep materials loose or wrap food scraps in paper bags.
Accepted Items
- ✓Food scraps (meat, bones, dairy, bread, fruit)
- ✓Food-soiled paper (napkins, paper towels, pizza boxes)
- ✓Grass clippings and leaves
- ✓Tree branches and weeds
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Four (4) free pickups per household, per calendar year (up to 5 items each).
Placement
Call WM Customer Service at (310) 366-7600 by noon the day before your regular collection day to schedule. Place items at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on the day of pickup.
Accepted
- ✓ Furniture (chairs, sofas)
- ✓ Bagged mattresses
- ✓ Large appliances (dishwashers, microwaves)
- ✓ E-waste (TVs, computers, monitors)
- ✓ Yard waste bundles (tree branches, scrap wood)
Not Accepted
- ✕ Household hazardous waste (paint, oil, cleaners)
- ✕ Loose household trash
- ✕ Auto parts and tires
- ✕ Spas and camper shells
- ✕ Construction and demolition debris
Your four annual pickups (up to 5 items each) are completely free. Additional pickups or extra items beyond the limit can be scheduled for a small fee.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
When an observed holiday falls on a weekday, collection will be delayed for one day for the remainder of that week. For example, Thursday service moves to Friday, and Friday moves to Saturday.
Yard Waste Exception
Organics and recycling collections follow the exact same holiday delay schedule as regular trash.
If a holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, there will be no delay in service. Normal collection occurs on non-observed holidays like Veterans Day or MLK Jr. Day.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Keep Plastic Bags Out of Recycling
Plastic bags and film shrink wrap can easily jam the sorting machinery at the local Material Recovery Facility. Never bag your recyclables. If you have plastic grocery bags, return them to local retail drop-off locations or throw them in the grey trash cart.
Food Scraps Belong in the Green Cart
In accordance with state law SB 1383, food scraps—including meat, bones, and dairy—can no longer go in the grey trash cart. They must be tossed in the green organics cart to be properly processed into nutrient-rich compost.
Avoid Overfilling Your Carts
Automated collection trucks require the cart lid to be completely closed to safely lift and dump the contents. Overflowing carts may not be serviced or could be subject to an extra charge. If you regularly have overflow, utilize the free Extra Bag Collection service.
Seasonal Information
Winter
Late December to JanuaryFollowing the holidays, WM typically offers curbside Christmas tree recycling. Trees should be stripped of all decorations, tinsel, stands, and lights. Excessively tall trees must be cut in half so they can fit inside the collection trucks or the green organics cart.
Fall
Exact Date Varies (Clean Environment Week)The City of Carson occasionally hosts an E-Waste Recycling and Paper Shredding Event. Residents can drop off up to four e-waste items and two boxes of paper for secure shredding. Proof of Carson residency is required, and commercial waste is strictly prohibited.
Year-Round
January to DecemberResidents who frequently generate excess yard waste during the heavy growing seasons can request additional green organics carts from Waste Management at no extra charge to ensure proper diversion of organic materials.
About Carson Waste Management
California's SB 1383 Organics Mandate in Carson
Waste Management (WM) provides fully compliant organics recycling services to Carson residents to meet California's SB 1383 mandate. This crucial state law requires everyone to separate food scraps, food-soiled paper, and yard trimmings from regular trash to reduce landfill methane emissions. By placing items like coffee grounds, meat bones, and greasy pizza boxes strictly in your green organics cart, you are actively contributing to a more sustainable local environment.
Four Free Bulky Item Collections Every Year
Disposing of large, unwanted items is stress-free in the City of Carson. Every residential household is entitled to four free bulky item and electronic waste (e-waste) pickups per calendar year, at absolutely no additional charge. For each scheduled pickup, residents can safely discard up to five large items such as couches, refrigerators, computers, and bagged mattresses. Simply call WM Customer Service by noon the day before your regular collection day to secure your spot.
Free Extra Bag Collection for Overflow Waste
Sometimes, standard carts just aren't enough—especially after a deep spring cleaning or a weekend gathering. Carson residents can take advantage of the unique Extra Bag Collection program, which allows for the pickup of up to three extra 30-gallon bags of trash, recyclables, or green waste on your regular service day. This service is completely free, provided you schedule it at least eight days in advance through WM Customer Service.
Tax Roll Billed Services in Carson
Unlike many municipalities that issue separate monthly or quarterly utility bills for waste management, Carson streamlines the process for single-family residences (1-4 units). The standard suite of services—which includes one 96-gallon trash cart, one recycling cart, and one organics cart—is conveniently billed directly through the property owner's Los Angeles County Property Tax Bill. Additional carts or specialized extra services are billed separately through WM.
Proper Container Setout Guidelines
To ensure that automated WM collection trucks can efficiently and safely service your neighborhood, carts must be properly spaced. Carts must be placed at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on collection day with the wheels resting directly against the curb and the handles facing your home. Keep each cart at least three feet apart from other carts, parked vehicles, mailboxes, and low-hanging branches.
Drop-off Facilities
WM Carson Transfer Station
321 Francisco Street, Carson, CA 90745
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I pay my trash bill in Carson?
For most single-family residences (1-4 units), standard trash service is billed through the Los Angeles County Property Tax Bill. If you are billed directly by WM for extra services, you can pay online at wm.com/mywm, by mail, by phone at (310) 366-7600, or in person via check or money order at the WM Carson Transfer Station on Francisco Street.
Can I get an extra recycling or green waste cart if I run out of space?
Yes. Waste Management provides additional 96-gallon recycling or organics carts to Carson residents at no additional charge. However, if you need an additional grey trash cart, an extra monthly fee will apply.
What do I do if my garbage wasn't picked up?
If your cart was at the curb by 7:00 a.m., free of obstructions, and was missed, you can report a missed pickup online via your My WM dashboard or by calling customer service. Missed pickups must be reported within 5 days of your scheduled service.
How do I properly dispose of a mattress in Carson?
Carson residents can utilize one of their four free annual bulky item pickups to dispose of a mattress. Note that Waste Management requires mattresses to be completely sealed in a plastic mattress bag before being placed at the curb to protect workers from potential bedbugs or contamination.