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
!Contamination Tips
Keep Plastic Film Out of the Blue Barrel
Flimsy grocery sacks and stretch wraps twist around the spinning mechanical sorting screens at EDCO’s processing line. Place all recyclables into the blue cart loose and put plastic films into the gray trash bin.
Dry and Empty Recyclables protect Cardboard
Liquid residue left inside aluminum soda cans or glass sauce jars can ruin dry paper and cardboard packed inside the collection truck. Scrape or wipe food containers clean before discarding them.
Filter Heavy Landscaping Blocks out of Green Bins
Never place rocks, sod, heavy dirt clods, or massive tree stumps into the green organics container. These items break processing shredders and exceed truck weight limits, leaving your cart uncollected.
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.
About Fallbrook Waste Management
San Diego County Franchise Oversight in Fallbrook
Because Fallbrook is an unincorporated community in northern San Diego County, its curbside rubbish collection and landfill diversion systems are governed by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors' strict non-exclusive franchise agreements. Services are directly executed by Fallbrook Waste & Recycling Services, a branch of the locally operated, family-owned EDCO disposal system. This regulatory structure guarantees that the agricultural valley complies completely with mandatory California source-separation codes.
Standard Three-Cart Curbside Routing Limits
Residents are issued heavy-duty automated rolling containers by EDCO to manage their domestic waste streams. A standard setup features a gray cart for solid waste, a blue container for commingled recycling, and a green organics barrel. Carts are available in 35-, 64-, or 96-gallon sizes. Unlike alternating rural schedules, EDCO operates uniform weekly automated routes across Fallbrook, emptying all three collection barrels on the same designated service morning.
California SB 1383 Organic Composting Mandates
In strict compliance with California State Senate Bill 1383, organic waste recycling is fully integrated into Fallbrook's curbside collection loop. The green cart is designated to capture blended organic matter rather than raw landscape foliage alone. Homeowners are instructed to route kitchen plate leftovers, meat bones, cheese, and vegetable skins directly into this cart alongside grass clippings, preventing methane-heavy organics from decaying inside county landfills.
Self-Haul Options at the Aviation Road Facility
For domestic cleanup jobs or ranch projects that generate material volumes too vast for standard curbside automated carts, local account holders can access the Fallbrook Recycling and Transfer station located on West Aviation Road. This centralized facility provides a nearby option for disposing of general domestic solid waste, certified recycling drops, and heavy bulk waste, which prevents illegal dumping in Fallbrook's avocado orchards and open canyons.
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
Who provides residential trash pickup services in Fallbrook?
Because Fallbrook is an unincorporated area within San Diego County, waste management is administered by the county franchise system. Curbside services are executed by Fallbrook Waste & Recycling Services, a division of EDCO.
Where can Fallbrook residents safely discard motor oil, paint, and chemicals?
Used motor oil, household batteries, and properly sealed medical sharps can be dropped off at the Fallbrook Recycling and Transfer station on West Aviation Road. For household hazardous waste items like paints or pesticides, residents can schedule a free drop-off through the San Diego County HHW program.
Can I request additional recycling or green waste carts for my property?
Yes, absolutely. Fallbrook residents can request additional blue recycling carts at no extra cost. Under organic recycling guidelines, households can also request up to two additional green organics carts at no added monthly charge.
What is the proper way to dispose of medical sharps and needles in Fallbrook?
Sharps and medical lancets must never be tossed into standard trash or recycling bins. Fallbrook residents who are active EDCO customers can pick up a free container or bring home-generated sharps sealed inside rigid, puncture-resistant containers directly to the Aviation Road facility.