Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Concord
Trash Day
Varies by neighborhood zone
Recycling
Weekly on your scheduled collection day
Yard Waste
Weekly on your scheduled collection day
Set Out Time
By 5:00 AM on collection day
Utility Billing & Payments
Manage your local solid waste services
Solid waste and recycling services in Concord are billed directly by Mt. Diablo Resource Recovery (MDRR) on a monthly basis in advance.
Billing Cycle
Monthly
Accepted Methods
Online, Auto-Pay, Phone, Mail, In-Person
Pro Tip / Discount
A Low-Income Senior discount is available for residents 65 and older who meet HUD Very Low-Income guidelines for Contra Costa County.
Brown or Black Bin (Trash)
Place your cart at the curb by 5:00 a.m. on your collection day or the night before. Keep it at least 3 feet away from other carts, cars, and trees.
Accepted Items
- ✓Plastic film and plastic bags
- ✓Foam products and Styrofoam
- ✓Cold ashes (must be tightly bagged)
- ✓Pet waste
- ✓Diapers
- ✓Broken ceramics and glass
- ✓General non-hazardous household garbage
Blue Bin (Recycling)
All recyclables must be placed loosely into the blue cart. Ensure all containers are completely empty, clean, and dry before disposal.
Accepted Items
- ✓Clean, flattened cardboard
- ✓Paper, junk mail, and magazines
- ✓Plastic containers #1 PET and #2 HDPE
- ✓Aluminum and tin cans
- ✓Glass bottles and jars
Do NOT Include
- ✕Food-contaminated containers
- ✕Plastic bags and film
- ✕Textiles and clothing
- ✕E-waste
- ✕Batteries
- ✕Hazardous materials
Yard Waste Bin
Do not use plastic bags, bioplastics, or compostable plastics. All organic material must go directly into the green cart.
Accepted Items
- ✓Food scraps (meat, fish, poultry, bones, vegetables)
- ✓Plate scrapings and food-soiled paper
- ✓Grass clippings and weeds
- ✓Leaves
- ✓Plant and garden trimmings
- ✓Branches and twigs (no more than 3-inch diameter and 3 feet long)
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
3 free 'On-Call Pickups' per year for extra bagged trash/yard waste. Large furniture and appliances require a fee-based Special Pickup.
Placement
Schedule your pickup at least a week in advance by calling MDRR. Place your extra bags or bundles at the curb by 5:00 a.m. on your regular collection day.
Accepted
- ✓ Extra household garbage in bags
- ✓ Excess yard waste in bags
- ✓ Bundled tree branches
Not Accepted
- ✕ Furniture
- ✕ Appliances
- ✕ Carpets
- ✕ E-waste
- ✕ Lumber or logs
- ✕ Building and construction materials
The 12-bag cleanups are free. Any actual bulky items (e-waste, couches, white goods) require you to call (925) 682-9113 for a paid Special Pickup quote.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
MDRR conducts collections on almost all holidays (including Thanksgiving and Independence Day). However, if your regular service day falls on or after Christmas Day or New Year's Day, your pickup will be pushed back by one day for the remainder of that week.
Yard Waste Exception
Organics and recycling follow the exact same holiday shift as regular garbage.
Always check your monthly billing statement for specific holiday reminders, as Concord's schedule is much less interruptive than surrounding cities.
Observed Holidays
Seasonal Information
Winter
December to JanuaryMDRR offers Holiday Tree Recycling. Bare, uncut trees (with all lights, tinsel, and ornaments removed) are collected curbside on your regularly scheduled service day. Alternatively, residents can drop off one free tree at the Pittsburg Transfer Station.
Winter
Late DecemberMDRR is one of the few haulers that works on almost all holidays, including Thanksgiving. The only exceptions are Christmas Day and New Year's Day. If your collection day falls on or after these two holidays, your pickup will be delayed by one day.
Fall
October to NovemberDuring heavy leaf drops, remember that branches in your green cart cannot exceed 3 inches in diameter and 3 feet in length. For larger branches, schedule one of your three free annual On-Call Pickups.
Local Tips & Community Info
Mt. Diablo Resource Recovery Collection Basics
For neighborhoods across Concord, residential waste management is exclusively handled by Mt. Diablo Resource Recovery (MDRR). To guarantee a seamless pickup, residents are required to place their color-coded carts at the curb edge by 6:00 a.m. on their scheduled collection morning. MDRR trucks utilize automated mechanical arms, which means proper spacing is absolutely vital. You must maintain at least three feet of clearance between each container and keep them safely distanced from parked cars, street sweepers, and low-hanging tree branches. Additionally, the wheels of your bins should rest firmly against the curb, with the lid arrows pointing outward toward the street.
Green Bin: Organics and Food Scraps
In strict compliance with California's SB 1383 regulations, Concord places a heavy emphasis on keeping organic matter out of local landfills. Your green cart is the mandatory destination for all yard waste, including grass clippings, leaves, and small branches. More importantly, all kitchen food scraps—ranging from fruit peels and coffee grounds to meat, bones, and dairy—must also be deposited here. Food-soiled paper items like greasy pizza boxes or used paper napkins are perfectly acceptable as well. Layering your kitchen scraps between yard trimmings is an excellent local trick to keep odors at bay during the warm Contra Costa County summers.
Blue Bin: Recycling Best Practices
Concord's recycling stream relies on residents sorting clean, reusable materials into their blue carts. Acceptable items include dry paper, flattened corrugated cardboard, aluminum cans, and rigid plastic containers. The most critical rule to remember is that recyclables must remain loose. Bagging your recyclables in plastic grocery sacks is strictly prohibited, as the plastic film severely tangles and damages the sorting equipment at the MDRR processing facility. If an item is heavily contaminated with food residue that cannot be rinsed out, it belongs in the landfill bin, not the recycling cart.
Reserving a Bulky Item Clean-Up
Getting rid of large, unwieldy items like old couches, broken washing machines, or giant piles of yard debris is incredibly easy for Concord homeowners. MDRR provides residential customers with complimentary on-call bulky item clean-ups each calendar year. Instead of illegally dumping these oversized goods, you simply need to contact MDRR customer service at (925) 682-9113 to book a specific collection date. The sanitation provider can also haul away electronic waste, such as obsolete computer monitors and televisions, during these pre-arranged neighborhood visits.
Hazardous Waste Drop-Off for Concord Locals
It is completely illegal to throw away toxic materials in any of your three curbside carts. Items like leftover house paint, motor oil, swimming pool chemicals, and alkaline batteries present an extreme fire danger to waste collection fleets. Fortunately, Concord residents have free access to the Central Contra Costa Sanitary District (Central San) Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility, located just a short drive away in Martinez. Properly routing these dangerous chemicals to the Central San facility ensures the protection of the local watershed and sanitation workforce.
Holiday Interruptions and Schedule Shifts
The dedicated drivers at MDRR only observe a few major holidays throughout the year, which may briefly alter your neighborhood's standard routine. The primary non-service days are Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. If your normal garbage day lands on one of these exact dates, your service will be delayed by one full day. Consequently, all remaining pickups for that specific week will also slide forward, meaning a Thursday route will be serviced on a Friday, and a Friday route will conclude on Saturday.
Drop-off Facilities
MDRR Recycling Center and Transfer Station
1300 Loveridge Road, Pittsburg, CA 94565
Materials Accepted
Central San Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility
4797 Imhoff Place, Martinez, CA 94553
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get large furniture picked up for free in Concord?
No. While Concord residents receive three free 'On-Call Pickups' per year from MDRR, these are limited strictly to extra bagged household garbage, bagged yard waste, or small bundled branches. To dispose of large furniture, mattresses, or appliances, you must call (925) 682-9113 to arrange a fee-based Special Pickup.
Does MDRR pick up trash on Thanksgiving Day?
Yes, Mt. Diablo Resource Recovery operates on almost all holidays, including Thanksgiving. The only two holidays that cause a one-day delay in your curbside collection are Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
How do I safely recycle household batteries in Concord?
Concord offers a highly convenient curbside battery recycling program. Place your household batteries in a clear, sealed plastic bag, label the bag 'batteries', and place it on the ground right next to your black or brown garbage cart on your regular collection day. Never throw batteries inside the carts.
What is the proper way to place my carts at the curb?
All carts must be rolled out by 5:00 a.m. on your designated collection day. Ensure there is at least 3 feet of space between each cart and any obstacles like parked cars, basketball hoops, or trees to allow the automated truck arms to operate safely.