Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Eureka
Trash Day
Varies by neighborhood zone
Recycling
Varies by neighborhood zone (collected weekly)
Yard Waste
Varies by neighborhood zone (optional weekly service)
Set Out Time
By 6:00 AM on collection day
Utility Billing & Payments
Manage your local solid waste services
Curbside trash and recycling service is mandatory for occupied properties in Eureka and is billed directly through Recology Humboldt County.
Billing Cycle
Monthly
Accepted Methods
Online, Auto-Pay, Phone, Mail, In-Person
Grey or Black Bin (Trash)
Garbage collection is mandatory with a minimum requirement of a 20-gallon can. Never overfill your tote; lids must close completely.
Accepted Items
- ✓Thin plastics (bags, saran wrap)
- ✓Cat litter
- ✓Ceramics
- ✓Broken glass
- ✓Tetrapaks
- ✓Organic food scraps and kitchen trimmings
Blue Bin (Recycling)
Recycling collection is weekly. All accepted materials must be placed loose in the 96-gallon mixed recycling tote, never in plastic bags.
Accepted Items
- ✓Clean paper
- ✓Plastic bottles
- ✓Cardboard
- ✓Aluminum and tin cans
- ✓Rigid plastics
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic bags
- ✕Styrofoam
- ✕Food waste
- ✕Hazardous materials
- ✕Tanglers (hoses, cords)
Yard Waste Bin
Optional weekly service. Food waste is strictly prohibited in the green yard waste cart.
Accepted Items
- ✓Plants
- ✓Weeds
- ✓Leaves
- ✓Branches
- ✓Grass clippings
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Two free curbside bulky item pickups per year
Placement
Small loose items must be boxed or bagged. Place accepted bulky items neatly at the curb prior to your scheduled pickup time.
Accepted
- ✓ Appliances
- ✓ Electronics
- ✓ Mattresses
- ✓ Furniture
- ✓ Metal items and scrap metal
- ✓ Textiles
- ✓ Carpet and padding
- ✓ Up to 9 tires
Not Accepted
- ✕ Concrete
- ✕ Soil
- ✕ Batteries
- ✕ Paint
- ✕ Insecticides
- ✕ Fluorescent tubes
- ✕ Oil filters
- ✕ Hazardous waste
If you exceed your two free annual pickups, you can still request additional bulky item collections for a supplementary fee.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
Recology collection services operate on normal schedules for most holidays (including Thanksgiving and July 4th). Service is only interrupted on Christmas Day and New Year's Day. If your collection day falls on or after these two holidays, your service will be delayed by one day for the remainder of that week.
Yard Waste Exception
If subscribed to optional green waste, it will follow the exact same holiday delay schedule as your regular garbage and recycling collection.
Holidays like Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving do not cause any delays in residential curbside collection in Eureka.
Observed Holidays
Seasonal Information
Winter
December to JanuaryFollowing the holidays, you can dispose of natural Christmas trees at the green waste collection facility at the Eureka Transfer Station. Ensure all flocking, tinsel, lights, and ornaments are completely removed prior to drop-off.
Spring
March to MaySpring cleaning often uncovers old paint, solvents, and cleaning chemicals in the garage. Do not put these in your curbside bins; take them to the Household Hazardous Waste collection facility on West Hawthorne Street.
Fall
October to NovemberDuring Eureka's rainy fall and winter seasons, ensure your cart lids are tightly closed to keep water out. Wet garbage is significantly heavier and wet paper products in your blue cart cannot be properly recycled.
Local Tips & Community Info
Refuse and Recycling Services on the North Coast
Living among the redwoods in Eureka means preserving our pristine natural environment is a community-wide responsibility. Recology Humboldt County serves as the primary solid waste and recycling hauler for all residential neighborhoods within the city limits. Under this system, households utilize a standardized set of colored carts collected on a weekly schedule. This structured approach helps divert thousands of tons of reusable material from local landfills while keeping neighborhood streets clean and sanitary.
Mastering the Three-Cart Sorting Rules
Eureka strictly follows California's SB 1383 organics mandates, making accurate sorting a legal requirement. Your blue recycling cart is meant for unsoiled cardboard, #1-7 plastic bottles, glass jars, and aluminum cans. The green organics cart must be used for all yard trimmings, grass clippings, and kitchen food scraps, with zero plastic bags allowed inside. Any remaining household garbage, such as foam packaging, broken dishware, treated wood, and pet waste, must be thrown into the grey or black landfill container.
Instructions for Curbside Cart Placement
To guarantee that the automated Recology trucks can efficiently lift your bins, you must roll them out to the street by 4:00 a.m. on your designated collection day, or simply place them out the night before. Position the containers so they are flat against the curb with the arrows on the lid pointing toward the street. Leave a minimum of three feet of space between each cart, and keep them far away from parked vehicles, utility poles, and low-hanging tree branches. Once serviced, bins should be pulled back onto your property to prevent sidewalk obstructions.
Free Bulky Item Collection for Residents
Getting rid of large, unwieldy household goods is completely hassle-free. Recology Humboldt County offers Eureka residential customers two complimentary curbside bulky item pickups per calendar year. Eligible items include old mattresses, scrap metal, large appliances, and bulky furniture. Since special flatbed trucks are required to haul these heavy loads, you must call the Recology dispatch office well in advance of your normal pickup day to secure an appointment.
Proper Disposal of Hazardous Materials
Standard refuse carts and bulky item pickups cannot be used to dispose of dangerous or toxic materials. Items such as old paint, motor oil, fluorescent light tubes, household batteries, and pesticides pose severe fire and environmental risks. To safely discard these dangerous goods, Eureka residents must transport them directly to the Humboldt Waste Management Authority (HWMA) hazardous waste facility, which is specifically equipped to process and neutralize these chemicals.
Drop-off Facilities
Eureka Transfer Station & Humboldt Waste Management Authority (HWMA)
1059 W Hawthorne St, Eureka, CA 95501
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
Who provides garbage and recycling pickup in Eureka?
Recology Humboldt County is the contracted franchise hauler that manages all residential and commercial solid waste collection within the City of Eureka.
How many times can I request a bulky item pickup for free?
Eureka residential customers are permitted to schedule up to two complimentary bulky item collections per calendar year for oversized household goods.
Can I put my household batteries in the blue recycling bin?
No. Batteries, paint, motor oil, and other hazardous wastes are strictly prohibited in all curbside carts. They must be taken to the Humboldt Waste Management Authority (HWMA) for proper disposal.