Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Cathedral City
Trash Day
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday (varies by street route)
Recycling
Same day as trash collection (weekly)
Yard Waste
Same day as trash collection (weekly organics/yard waste)
Set Out Time
By 6:00 AM on collection day
Utility Billing & Payments
Manage your local solid waste services
Residential waste and recycling services provided by Burrtec are typically billed annually through your Riverside County property tax statement.
Billing Cycle
Included in Property Taxes
Accepted Methods
Property Tax Bill, Online, Mail, Phone
Pro Tip / Discount
Free cart roll-out/physical assistance service is available for qualified disabled residents; no income-based rate discounts listed.
Black Cart Bin (Trash)
All regular household trash must be securely bagged to prevent spills and odor. Carts must not be stored in front or side yards visible to the public.
Accepted Items
- ✓General household refuse
- ✓Diapers and pet waste
- ✓Treated or painted wood
- ✓Styrofoam packing materials
- ✓Non-recyclable plastics and wrappers
Blue Cart Bin (Recycling)
Do not bag recyclables; place all items loosely in the blue cart. Ensure all containers are completely empty and dry.
Accepted Items
- ✓Plastics #1-#7 (empty and clean)
- ✓Glass bottles and jars
- ✓Aluminum and tin cans
- ✓Cardboard and cereal boxes
- ✓Clean white and mixed paper
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic bags or plastic film
- ✕Food waste or liquid
- ✕Tanglers (cords, hoses, wires)
- ✕Styrofoam
- ✕Waxed paper or pet-soiled paper
Yard Waste Bin
Never use plastic bags for organic waste. Keep materials loose. Hot ashes, dirt, and pet waste are strictly prohibited in the green cart.
Accepted Items
- ✓Grass clippings and weeds
- ✓Leaves and small garden trimmings
- ✓Tree limbs and wood chips
- ✓Fruit and vegetable scraps
- ✓Coffee grounds
- ✓Meat and dairy scraps
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Residents can schedule pickups as needed by contacting Burrtec.
Placement
Items must only be placed on the curb on the morning of your scheduled pickup to avoid violating Cathedral City's municipal codes regarding visual blight.
Accepted
- ✓ Couches and mattresses
- ✓ Large household appliances (refrigerators, washers)
- ✓ Televisions and computer monitors
- ✓ Bundled tree limbs
- ✓ Large pieces of furniture
Not Accepted
- ✕ Household hazardous waste (chemicals, paint)
- ✕ Construction and demolition debris
- ✕ Dirt, rocks, and concrete
- ✕ Tires and auto parts
- ✕ Any single item weighing more than 150 pounds
Check with Burrtec customer service (760-340-2113) regarding your specific property's annual free pickup allowance and any overage fees.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
If an observed holiday falls on a weekday, service for that day and the remainder of the week will be delayed by one day. Saturday collections will occur for Friday routes.
Yard Waste Exception
Organics and recycling are collected concurrently with trash and follow the exact same holiday shift schedule.
If the holiday falls on a weekend, there are no changes to the regular Monday-Friday residential collection schedule.
Observed Holidays
Seasonal Information
Summer
June - SeptemberTriple-digit temperatures in the Coachella Valley will cause organics in your green cart to decompose rapidly, creating intense odors. Try freezing meat and dairy scraps in a container until collection day, and regularly hose out your carts.
Winter/Spring
January - AprilDuring high wind advisories common in the early months of the year, take extra care not to overfill your recycling cart. Wind easily catches loose cardboard and plastics if the lid is slightly open.
Local Tips & Community Info
Sanitation Services in the Coachella Valley
Waste management for the vibrant community of Cathedral City is administered through an exclusive franchise agreement with Burrtec Waste Industries. Because the Coachella Valley is famous for its fierce seasonal winds, local sanitation guidelines place a heavy emphasis on securing your refuse. Homeowners are required to have their designated bins wheeled to the curb no later than 6:00 a.m. on their scheduled route day. To prevent neighborhood litter, it is absolutely essential that all container lids are fully closed; overflowing bins are highly susceptible to wind gusts and may be bypassed by the collection drivers.
Complying with the State Organics Mandate
In accordance with California’s SB 1383 environmental legislation, Cathedral City mandates a strict three-cart sorting protocol for all single-family residences. Your green cart is the destination for all organic matter. This includes yard trimmings, grass, and food waste. To minimize pests in the desert heat, residents are encouraged to wrap kitchen scraps in newspaper or a brown paper bag before depositing them into the organics bin. If you place food directly into the traditional black trash bin, you risk contaminating the landfill stream and failing municipal compliance checks.
Blue Bin Rules for Clean Recycling
The blue container serves as the primary vessel for your household recyclables. Acceptable items include clean cardboard, aluminum cans, glass bottles, and rigid plastics. One of the most common mistakes residents make is bagging their recyclables in plastic grocery bags. Plastic film gets violently tangled in the sorting facility's gears, bringing the entire recycling plant to a halt. Always toss your recyclables into the blue bin loosely, and ensure that greasy pizza boxes or liquid-filled bottles are diverted to the standard black garbage cart.
Curbside Placement and Clearances
Automated garbage trucks rely on robotic arms to lift heavy loads, meaning precise cart placement is a requirement, not a suggestion. When setting your bins in the gutter, face the handles toward your home and the lid hinges toward the street. You must leave at least three feet of horizontal clearance between each cart, as well as ample space away from parked cars, fire hydrants, and mailboxes. Once Burrtec has serviced your neighborhood, local ordinances dictate that empty containers must be pulled back onto your private property by the end of the day.
Scheduling Free Bulky Item Removals
Moving or renovating often generates waste that simply will not fit into a standard 96-gallon cart. Fortunately, Cathedral City residents benefit from complimentary bulky item pickups provided by Burrtec. By calling the customer service center at least 48 hours before your regular trash day, you can schedule the removal of large appliances, mattresses, and heavy furniture. There is typically an annual limit on how many free pickups a single household can request, so it is wise to consolidate your unwanted items into a single scheduled collection whenever possible.
How Holidays Alter Your Trash Day
The collection calendar shifts slightly during major recognized holidays to give sanitation workers time off. Burrtec’s holiday schedule includes New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. If one of these specific holidays lands on a weekday, all subsequent residential pickups for that week will be delayed by exactly 24 hours. For example, a Tuesday pickup will be serviced on Wednesday. Routes return to their standard Monday-through-Friday cadence at the beginning of the next week.
Drop-off Facilities
Edom Hill Transfer Station & Burrtec Recycle Center
70-100 Edom Hill Road, Cathedral City, CA 92235
Materials Accepted
Riverside County HHW Collection Facility (Palm Springs)
1100 Vella Road, Palm Springs, CA 92264
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I leave my trash bins on the street after Burrtec empties them?
No. Cathedral City municipal code requires that all trash carts be removed from public view and put away within 12 hours after they are serviced by Burrtec.
How do I get rid of an old refrigerator or couch in Cathedral City?
You can dispose of large appliances or furniture by calling Burrtec at (760) 340-2113 to schedule a bulky item pickup. You are allowed up to 4 scheduled items per pickup request.
What am I supposed to do with food scraps under the new SB 1383 rules?
All organic waste, including food scraps like fruit peels, vegetable clippings, meat, and dairy, must be placed directly into your green organics cart along with your regular yard trimmings. Do not place food scraps in plastic bags.
Where can I drop off hazardous chemicals like old paint or motor oil?
Household hazardous waste is not accepted in Burrtec carts. You can take these materials to a Riverside County HHW collection site, such as the seasonal location in neighboring Palm Springs at 1100 Vella Road, which operates on Saturdays from October through May.