Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Davis
Collections in California municipal routes run weekly (Mon-Fri). Your specific collection day is determined by your local neighborhood route.
State Mandate
Follow SB 1383 guidelines for food waste.
Utility Billing & Payments
Manage your local solid waste services
Curbside collection provided by Recology Davis is billed directly on your monthly City of Davis City Services utility statement alongside water and sewer.
Billing Cycle
Monthly
Accepted Methods
Online, Auto-Pay, Mail, Phone, In Person
Pro Tip / Discount
Income-eligible homeowners participating in PG&E's CARE program can qualify for the City's utility rate assistance program.
Gray or Black Bin (Trash)
All trash must fit inside the cart with the lid completely closed. No hazardous waste, e-waste, or liquid paints are allowed in the landfill cart.
Accepted Items
- ✓Cat litter and animal feces (bagged)
- ✓Ceramics and broken glassware
- ✓Mylar bags (potato chips, wrappers)
- ✓Styrofoam and polystyrene foam
- ✓Juice boxes and shelf-stable cartons
- ✓Diapers and sanitary products
Blue Split-Cart (Black Lid & Blue Lid) Bin (Recycling)
Materials must be separated into their respective sides. Empty all packing materials. Flatten large cardboard boxes and stack them neatly on the ground next to the cart for free collection.
Accepted Items
- ✓Clean paper, mail, and small cardboard (Black Lid side)
- ✓Plastics #1-#7 (Blue Lid side)
- ✓Aluminum and tin/steel cans (Blue Lid side)
- ✓Glass bottles and jars (Blue Lid side)
- ✓Clean foil and foil pie plates (Blue Lid side)
Do NOT Include
- ✕Food-soiled paper and greasy pizza boxes
- ✕Plastic bags and film wrap
- ✕Styrofoam
- ✕Waxed cardboard
- ✕Ceramics or mirrors
Green or Brown-Topped Bin (Yard Waste)
Organics must be loose, in paper bags, or in certified BPI compostable bags. Cart weight must not exceed the specified limit (e.g., 300 lbs for a 95-gallon cart).
Accepted Items
- ✓Food scraps (meat, bones, dairy, produce)
- ✓Food-soiled paper (greasy pizza boxes, napkins, paper plates)
- ✓Yard trimmings, leaves, and weeds
- ✓BPI-certified compostable plastics (must have green/brown stripe)
- ✓Coffee grounds and filters
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
One free Landfill Voucher per household per year. Curbside pickups are on-demand for a fee.
Placement
For voucher use, transport items directly to the landfill. If you pay Recology for a special curbside pickup, place items at the curb no more than 24 hours in advance and ensure Davis' extensive bike lanes remain completely unobstructed.
Accepted
- ✓ Furniture and mattresses
- ✓ Appliances
- ✓ Electronic waste (TVs, computers)
- ✓ Up to 9 tires
- ✓ Scrap metal
- ✓ Asphalt, bricks, and concrete (voucher drops only)
Not Accepted
- ✕ Hazardous waste (paint, pesticides)
- ✕ Pressure-treated wood
- ✕ Commercial construction debris
- ✕ Business waste
Loads exceeding the voucher size limit at the landfill will incur standard gate fees. Scheduling a curbside collection with Recology without an Assisted Service waiver also requires paying a special service fee.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
Recology Davis works on almost every holiday (including Thanksgiving and the 4th of July). Collection is ONLY delayed by one day if your service falls on or after Christmas Day or New Year's Day during those specific weeks.
Yard Waste Exception
Organics carts follow the standard 1-day delay. On-street yard material piles are collected based on a predefined neighborhood schedule.
If a holiday is not Christmas or New Year's Day, place your carts at the curb on your normal scheduled day.
Observed Holidays
Seasonal Information
Autumn/Winter
Mid-October through Mid-DecemberDuring Leaf Drop Season, the City significantly increases the frequency of the 'Loose in the Street' yard material pile collections. Check your neighborhood schedule to see when the Claw will visit.
Spring
MayA special Spring Collection Service for on-street yard material piles takes place during the first full week of May to assist residents with their heavy spring pruning and landscaping clear-outs.
Biannual
May and OctoberRecology Davis hosts two free shredding events for residential customers at the Davis Recycling Center (2727 2nd Street). Residents can securely drop off confidential papers for destruction until the trucks fill up.
Local Tips & Community Info
Recology Davis and the Zero Waste Initiative
Navigating waste management in this heavily bicycle-friendly, environmentally conscious university town is managed through an exclusive partnership with Recology Davis. The community is deeply committed to achieving ambitious zero-waste targets, meaning that proper sorting is strictly enforced. Every single-family household is equipped with dedicated containers for landfill garbage, mixed recyclables, and compostable organics. Because Davis is heavily populated with cyclists and features extensive bike lanes, keeping the right-of-way clear is highly prioritized by local code enforcement.
Morning Roll-Out and Bike Lane Clearance
To ensure efficient servicing by the automated trucks, residents are required to place their carts in the street no later than 6:00 a.m. on their scheduled neighborhood collection day. The wheels must be touching the curb, and the lid hinges need to face your house. A critical local rule in Davis is ensuring your bins do not obstruct the dedicated bicycle lanes. You must leave at least three feet of distance between each receptacle, keeping them clear of overhanging trees, mailboxes, and parked cars. Carts must be pulled back onto your private property within 24 hours after being emptied.
Organics Processing and Yard Trimmings
Aligned with California's SB 1383 mandate, the green compost cart is the centerpiece of Davis's waste diversion strategy. All food waste, including meat, bones, coffee grounds, and dairy, must be discarded here along with leaves, grass clippings, and small branches. While the city previously relied heavily on loose street-pile yard waste collection (the 'claw'), the transition to cart-based organics is heavily emphasized to reduce street pollution and storm drain clogging. No plastics, even those labeled 'biodegradable,' should ever be tossed into the organics bin.
Maximizing Your Blue Recycling Receptacle
Recycling in Davis requires diligent separation to prevent material contamination. Acceptable items include clean paper, flattened cardboard boxes, glass jars, aluminum cans, and rigid plastic jugs. All containers must be completely emptied and lightly rinsed to remove food residue. Film plastics, grocery bags, styrofoam, and hazardous electronic waste are strictly forbidden in the blue cart. If Recology drivers spot excessive contamination, your container will be tagged with a warning and left on the curb until the improper items are physically removed by the resident.
Scheduling Bulky Waste Retrievals
When it is time to discard massive items like broken couches, old mattresses, or obsolete household appliances, standard curbside bins simply won't suffice. Single-family homeowners in Davis can schedule one complimentary bulky item pickup per calendar year by calling Recology Davis directly. Alternatively, residents can utilize the Yolo County Central Landfill for dropping off large loads, e-waste, and household hazardous materials. Advance scheduling for the curbside pickup is mandatory, and items should not be dragged to the street until the night before the confirmed appointment.
Winter Holiday Routing Shifts
Recology Davis operates a highly consistent schedule, but the collection calendar is paused for exactly two major holidays annually: Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. If your standard collection day lands on one of these winter holidays, your service will be delayed by a single day, causing a cascading delay for the rest of that week. For all other national holidays, including Thanksgiving, Labor Day, and Memorial Day, the fleet operates on its normal routing schedule without any interruptions.
Drop-off Facilities
Davis Recycling Center
2727 2nd Street, Davis, CA 95618
Materials Accepted
Yolo County Central Landfill & HHW Drop-off
44090 County Road 28H, Woodland, CA 95776
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I use the split-recycling cart provided to Davis residents?
Davis utilizes a specialized split-recycling cart to keep materials clean. You must place clean paper, magazines, and small cardboard pieces into the side with the black lid. Plastics, aluminum foil, glass bottles, and tin cans go into the side with the blue lid. The Recology trucks have separate compartments to maintain this sorting.
What are the rules for placing loose yard material piles on the street?
Loose yard material piles can be placed in the street for 'The Claw' to collect during scheduled weeks only. Do not place piles out more than 7 days before your scheduled pick-up. Ensure piles are no larger than 5'x5'x5', sit 18 inches from the curb to allow water flow, and never block the city's bike lanes.
How does the Davis Bulky Waste Voucher program work?
Every April, the City mails a One-Time Bulky Waste Landfill Voucher to single-family residents, valid from May 1 to October 31. This voucher acts as your ticket to drop off one free load of bulky items (up to a full-size pickup truck bed) at the Yolo County Central Landfill. Curbside bulky pickup is not free and must be scheduled through Recology for an extra fee.
Does Recology Davis pick up trash on Thanksgiving or the 4th of July?
Yes! Recology Davis operates on all major holidays except for Christmas Day and New Year's Day. If your regular collection day falls on Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, Labor Day, or the 4th of July, you should leave your carts out at the curb as usual.