Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Carson
Trash Day
Varies by neighborhood zone
Recycling
Same day as trash pickup (weekly)
Yard Waste
Same day as trash pickup (weekly)
Set Out Time
By 7:00 AM on collection day
Utility Billing & Payments
Manage your local solid waste services
Standard residential waste and recycling services are billed annually through the Los Angeles County property tax bill rather than as a separate utility invoice.
Billing Cycle
Included in Property Taxes
Accepted Methods
Included in Property Taxes
Pro Tip / Discount
A senior discount is available for qualifying low-income senior residents through an annual application process.
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
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.
Local Tips & Community Info
Waste Resources: Carson's Exclusive Refuse Partner
For residents living in the City of Carson, weekly curbside sanitation is managed entirely by Waste Resources. As the locally contracted hauler, this company is responsible for emptying all residential carts, handling neighborhood cleanups, and processing local recyclables. If you are newly relocated to the South Bay area and need to order your first set of bins, or if you need to report a cracked lid, you can contact Waste Resources customer service directly at 888-467-7600.
Curbside Instructions and Street Sweeping
A successful weekly pickup requires careful timing and placement. Carson residents are instructed to push their bins out to the street edge by 6:00 a.m. on the designated collection day. Because Carson also has active street sweeping routes, you must ensure your carts are placed neatly against the curb and do not block the sweepers or neighborhood traffic. Always leave a two-foot gap between each cart so the automated truck claws can safely lift them without knocking over adjacent containers.
Sorting Food Scraps and Recyclables
California's stringent SB 1383 environmental laws require every household to actively participate in organics recycling. In Carson, your dark gray or black cart is strictly for landfill-bound trash like wrappers and styrofoam. The blue cart is meant for loose, unbagged recyclables such as flattened boxes, clean glass, and plastic jugs. Most importantly, your green organics cart must be used to discard lawn trimmings alongside all kitchen food waste, including fruit peels, coffee filters, and meat bones, which helps reduce methane gas generation.
Disposing of Large Furniture and Appliances
When it is time to clear out your garage or replace old living room furniture, Waste Resources provides free bulky item pickups for Carson residents. Single-family homes are eligible to schedule these special collections throughout the year to get rid of items like mattresses, couches, and non-freon appliances. You cannot simply drag these massive items to the sidewalk; you must call the hauler at least 24 hours in advance of your regular trash day to get your address added to the bulky pickup route.
Keeping Hazardous Waste Out of the Trucks
Flammable and toxic products must never end up in your standard residential bins. Items such as old car batteries, fluorescent light tubes, wet house paint, and used motor oil pose massive environmental and safety hazards. To safely dispose of these volatile chemicals, Carson residents should take advantage of the Los Angeles County S.A.F.E. Collection Centers or attend local weekend HHW (Household Hazardous Waste) round-up events hosted periodically throughout the South Bay region.
Holiday Route Interruptions
The collection trucks take a break for six major national holidays: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Whenever one of these recognized dates falls on a standard Monday through Friday, all subsequent neighborhood pickups will be pushed back by exactly 24 hours. Normal operating schedules will resume at the start of the following week.
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.