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
!Contamination Tips
Respect the Split Cart
Never mix your paper products with your glass and plastic containers. The black-lidded side is exclusively for dry paper and small cardboard, while the blue-lidded side is for rinsed containers. Mixing them ruins the sorting process.
Strict Bio-Plastic Rules
Do not throw regular plastics or generic 'biodegradable' items into the organics cart. Only bio-plastics labeled 'compostable' that display a distinct green or brown stripe are accepted at the local composting facility.
Stack Excess Cardboard Correctly
Do not jam massive cardboard boxes into the paper side of your recycling cart. Instead, break them down flat, remove all packing peanuts and tape, and stack the flattened boxes right beside your recycling cart for free manual collection.
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.
About Davis Waste Management
Navigating the Split-Cart Recycling System in Davis
Davis employs a highly specialized split-cart recycling system for its single-family residents to maximize diversion rates. Instead of a single bin for all recyclables, residents receive a 64-gallon cart divided down the middle. The black-lidded side is strictly for clean paper and small cardboard pieces, while the blue-lidded side is reserved for plastic, aluminum, and glass containers. The Recology collection trucks feature dual compartments to keep these streams completely separate from curb to sorting facility.
The Unique On-Street Yard Material Pile Collection
Unlike most municipalities that strictly require containerized yard waste, Davis retains a localized 'Loose in the Street' yard material pile program. During designated weeks—and at increased frequencies during the autumn leaf drop season—residents can place unbagged leaves, branches, and brush directly on the street 18 inches from the gutter. Specialized heavy equipment, affectionately known as 'The Claw', sweeps through neighborhoods to scoop up these piles for mass composting.
The Annual Bulky Waste Landfill Voucher
Davis does not offer a traditional free curbside bulky item pickup day. Instead, the city mails out a 'One-Time Bulky Waste Landfill Voucher' to every household each April. Valid from May through October, this ticket allows residents to drive one free load of large furniture, mattresses, or appliances directly to the Yolo County Central Landfill. Residents unable to transport their items must pay Recology for a special curbside pickup or qualify for Assisted Service.
24/7 Access to the Davis Recycling Center
For over-sized cardboard, excess recyclables, or motor oil that won't fit in weekly curbside carts, Recology Davis operates a centralized Recycling Center at 2727 2nd Street. Amazingly, the general drop-off bins for paper, plastics, scrap metal, and glass are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. During staffed buyback hours, residents can also safely dispose of used sharps in biohazard containers and redeem their CRV bottles and cans for cash.
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.