Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Fallbrook
Trash Day
Varies by neighborhood zone
Recycling
Varies by neighborhood zone
Yard Waste
Varies by neighborhood zone
Set Out Time
By 6:00 AM on collection day
Utility Billing & Payments
Manage your local solid waste services
Trash and recycling in Fallbrook are serviced directly through EDCO. Enter your street address into the EDCO Service Schedules tool to verify your specific collection weekday.
Billing Cycle
Bi-Monthly
Accepted Methods
Online, Auto-Pay, Phone, Mail
Gray Bin (Trash)
All residential refuse must fit completely loose inside the gray cart with the lid flat. Extra bags or loose trash stacked next to the automated cart will not be tipped.
Accepted Items
- ✓Unrecyclable snack bags and chip packaging
- ✓Flimsy plastic shopping sacks and wrap film
- ✓Diapers, sanitary wipes, and bagged pet waste
- ✓Broken home glass, mirrors, and ceramics
- ✓Vacuum cleaner bags and worn-out household rags
- ✓Rubber garden hoses and wire fragments
Blue Bin (Recycling)
Items must be placed into the blue container completely loose and unbagged. Shredded paper fragments should be placed inside a paper bag to contain the shreds during mechanical truck dumping.
Accepted Items
- ✓Clean aluminum cans, steel tin cans, and aluminum foil
- ✓Glass bottles and jars (clear or tinted formats)
- ✓Rigid plastic containers, jugs, and tubs labeled #1 through #7
- ✓Flattened dry cardboard boxes and clean paperboard boxes
- ✓Newspapers, junk mail, catalogs, magazines, and office paper
Do NOT Include
- ✕Loose plastic grocery bags or film packaging
- ✕Polystyrene (Styrofoam) packing peanuts or blocks
- ✕Soiled disposable paper plates or paper towels
- ✕Fluorescent light bulbs and consumer batteries
- ✕Electronic waste parts or household chemicals
Yard Waste Bin
Organics and kitchen remnants should be placed loose inside the green barrel. To control mess, residents can wrap kitchen scraps in clean, non-wax paper or paper grocery sacks before throwing them into the cart.
Accepted Items
- ✓Fresh lawn clippings, weeds, and organic thatch
- ✓Dry garden leaves, shrub prunings, and flowers
- ✓Tree branches under 4 inches in diameter and under 4 feet long
- ✓Household food scraps, fruit peelings, and vegetable cores
- ✓Meat leftovers, bones, dairy scraps, and bread crusts
- ✓Food-soiled pizza boxes, paper napkins, and paper towels
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
On-Call Service Tiers Available
Placement
Items must be positioned neatly at the street curb edge by 6:00 AM on the morning of your approved collection appointment. Do not block active traffic lanes, sidewalks, or standard carts.
Accepted
- ✓ Large furniture items (sofas, mattresses, tables, chairs)
- ✓ Major household appliances (refrigerators with doors removed for safety)
- ✓ Consumer electronics (television sets, computers, monitors)
- ✓ Oversized boxed or bundled items under weight limits
Not Accepted
- ✕ Liquid chemicals, solvents, and oil-based paints
- ✕ Loose construction demolition debris (concrete, bricks, dirt clods)
- ✕ Automotive passenger tires and heavy vehicle components
- ✕ General loose trash bags left uncontained
Standard accounts should verify their exact annual free bulk allowances and current per-item fees for extra loads directly with EDCO customer service.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
When an observed holiday falls on a scheduled weekday, residential collection routes for the holiday and all remaining service days for that week shift back exactly one business day. Normal Friday service is completed on Saturday.
Yard Waste Exception
Green organic waste collections mirror the identical holiday delay structure implemented for regular trash and recycling.
If a major calendar holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, regular Monday through Friday neighborhood collection routes remain completely unaffected. Service continues as normal on minor holidays like Martin Luther King Jr. Day or Veterans Day.
Observed Holidays
Seasonal Information
Summer Heat Organic Odor Management
June to SeptemberHigh North County summer heat speeds up food scrap decomposition, causing heavy odors. Layer kitchen scraps beneath dry yard trimmings, store the cart in a shaded spot, and keep the lid shut tightly to prevent pests.
Autumn Harvest and Pruning Care
October to NovemberDuring Fallbrook's primary orchard pruning months, make sure tree limbs do not extend past the cart rim. If your organic volume regularly overflows, contact EDCO to request up to two additional green carts at no added monthly cost.
Post-Holiday Christmas Tree Collection
December to JanuaryEDCO provides curbside collection for natural Christmas trees for the first two weeks of January. Residents must strip away all tinsel, stands, lights, and ornaments. Large trees exceeding 6 feet should be cut in half.
Local Tips & Community Info
EDCO Refuse Operations in the Friendly Village
Known affectionately as the Friendly Village, the unincorporated community of Fallbrook relies on EDCO for comprehensive residential solid waste and recycling hauling. Because many of the local roads are winding and rural, proper cart placement is essential for the automated collection trucks to operate safely. Homeowners must position their bins at the edge of the street by 6:00 a.m. on their designated collection day. It is mandatory to leave at least two feet of clearance between each container. Furthermore, ensure the carts are kept completely clear of low-hanging oak trees, rural mailboxes, and parked cars, with the lid hinges facing your property.
Mandatory Sorting: Landfill, Recyclables, and Organics
To stay compliant with California's aggressive climate goals, Fallbrook residents are required to utilize a three-cart separation system. The gray or black container is meant solely for traditional household garbage, such as treated wood, styrofoam, pet waste, and non-recyclable packaging. Your blue bin is your recycling hub; fill it with loose, unbagged items like flattened cardboard boxes, glass jars, aluminum cans, and rigid plastics. The green cart is dedicated to organics. Given Fallbrook's lush landscape, this bin is perfect for yard clippings, leaves, and pruned branches, alongside all indoor kitchen food scraps. Putting the wrong materials in the blue or green carts ruins the diversion process and can trigger a non-collection tag.
Scheduling Removals for Large Household Items
Whether you are doing a deep spring cleaning or replacing heavy appliances, oversized junk should never be abandoned on rural roadsides. Illegal dumping is strictly penalized by San Diego County code enforcement. Instead, EDCO provides Fallbrook residents with the opportunity to request specialized bulky item pickups. By contacting EDCO's regional customer care center, you can schedule a truck to come directly to your driveway to haul away broken couches, old mattresses, and large electronics. These pickups coincide with your regular trash day, but you must reserve your spot in advance.
Agricultural and Household Hazardous Waste (HHW)
Because Fallbrook has deep agricultural roots, residents often find themselves needing to dispose of harsh fertilizers, pesticides, and weed killers, in addition to standard household hazards like motor oil and lithium-ion batteries. None of these toxic substances are permitted in standard curbside bins. To protect the local groundwater and soil, you must transport these materials to a certified facility. The closest permanent drop-off locations are the EDCO hazardous waste centers located in nearby Vista or San Marcos, where trained technicians will safely unload and neutralize the chemicals.
Impact of National Holidays on Service Days
The regular weekly collection rhythm will occasionally pause to observe major holidays. EDCO's local operations halt for New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Whenever a recognized holiday lands on a weekday, all scheduled pickups for the remainder of that week shift forward by exactly 24 hours. For example, if the holiday is on a Tuesday, Tuesday customers will be serviced on Wednesday, and Friday customers will be serviced on Saturday.
Drop-off Facilities
Fallbrook Recycling and Transfer Station (EDCO)
550 W Aviation Rd, Fallbrook, CA 92028
Materials Accepted
San Diego County HHW Program (North County Services)
Varies by Appointment (Regional Sites in Vista/Escondido)
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
Which waste management company services Fallbrook?
EDCO is the contracted franchised hauler responsible for residential garbage, recycling, and organic waste collection in the unincorporated area of Fallbrook.
Can I place avocado tree trimmings in my green cart?
Yes, standard yard trimmings, including leaves and small branches from avocado or citrus trees, belong in your green organics cart alongside your household food scraps.
Where do I take my leftover paint and pesticides?
Hazardous materials like paint and agricultural chemicals must be taken to a certified Household Hazardous Waste facility, such as the EDCO stations in Vista or San Marcos.