Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Foster City
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 trash, recycling, and compost collection is serviced by Recology San Mateo County, while municipal water and wastewater services are billed separately by Foster City.
Billing Cycle
Quarterly
Accepted Methods
Online, Auto-Pay, Phone, Mail, In-Person
Pro Tip / Discount
Foster City and the Estero Municipal Improvement District provide a Water and Wastewater Rate Assistance Program (W/WRAP) discount for qualifying low-income households.
Black Bin (Trash)
Carts must be rolled out to the curb by 6:00 AM on scheduled collection mornings. Ensure the container lid is fully closed to prevent wind scattering and local pests.
Accepted Items
- ✓Pet waste and cat litter (must be bagged)
- ✓Styrofoam packaging blocks and peanuts
- ✓Diapers and sanitary wipes
- ✓Single-use plastic wrap, chip bags, and candy wrappers
- ✓Black plastic packaging and dirty plastic cutlery
- ✓Broken window glass and home ceramics
Blue Bin (Recycling)
Do not bag your recyclables. All items must be placed completely loose, rinsed clean, and dry inside the blue recycling cart.
Accepted Items
- ✓Clean, dry paper and junk mail
- ✓Cardboard and paperboard boxes (flattened)
- ✓Aluminum and steel beverage or food cans
- ✓Glass bottles and food jars
- ✓Rigid plastic containers marked #1 through #7
Do NOT Include
- ✕Single-use plastic grocery bags or plastic films
- ✕Styrofoam packaging
- ✕Garden hoses, extension cords, or ropes
- ✕Soiled food containers or liquid residue
- ✕Electronics and batteries (place batteries on the black lid instead)
Yard Waste Bin
Keep plastic bags completely out of the green cart. Do not place dirt, rocks, concrete, animal feces, treated lumber, or palm fronds inside.
Accepted Items
- ✓Grass clippings, yard trimmings, leaves, and weeds
- ✓Untreated, unpainted wood scraps and small branches
- ✓Food leftovers, meat, dairy, bones, fruit, and vegetable scraps
- ✓Food-soiled paper products (pizza boxes, napkins, paper towels)
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
2 Free curbside appointments per calendar year
Placement
Schedule your pickup slot via Recology's customer portal, then set items out at your roadside edge. Affix a visible sign reading 'RECOLOGY' to the bulk pile. Do not block pedestrian paths or sidewalks.
Accepted
- ✓ Sofas, mattresses, box springs, and residential furniture
- ✓ Major home appliances (fridges, washers, dryers)
- ✓ Electronics and E-waste (computers, TVs, monitors)
- ✓ Up to 4 passenger vehicle tires (without rims)
- ✓ Up to 12 garbage bags or boxes of extra waste (up to 2 cubic yards)
Not Accepted
- ✕ Household hazardous materials (paint, solvents, fuels)
- ✕ Dirt, sand, sod, gravel, stone, or concrete
- ✕ Treated wood waste (such as pressure-treated deck or fencing wood)
- ✕ Construction and home demolition debris
- ✕ Automotive parts and car tires with rims
- ✕ Any individual item exceeding 200 lbs or 5 feet in length
The two annual bulk pickups are completely free. If you exhaust your free credits, additional pickup requests can be arranged through Recology for a municipal fee.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
Curbside waste collection runs as scheduled on almost all federal holidays throughout the year. The only two exceptions are Christmas Day and New Year's Day. If these holidays land on a weekday, service routes for the holiday and the remainder of the week are delayed by exactly one day.
Yard Waste Exception
Organic waste and recyclables align perfectly with the delayed holiday trash schedule.
If Christmas Day or New Year's Day falls on a Saturday or Sunday, collections run normally with zero delays.
Observed Holidays
Seasonal Information
Holiday Tree Composting
JanuaryBetween January 2nd and January 31st, natural, unflocked Christmas trees are collected curbside on your regular service day. Strip all tinsel, lights, stands, and decorations first. Cut trees over 8 feet in length in half and place them directly next to your green organics bin.
Storm Water Guarding & Runoff
November - MarchDuring rainy winter months, never sweep organic leaves, yard trimmings, or yard debris into gutters or road lanes. Doing so causes immediate blockages in Foster City's storm sewers, leading to urban street flooding and environmental lagoon contamination.
Local Tips & Community Info
Collaborative Waste Solutions with Recology and RethinkWaste
In Foster City, comprehensive solid waste and recycling collection is administered through a regional partnership with the South Bayside Waste Management Authority (RethinkWaste) and serviced by Recology San Mateo County. Residents are expected to roll their carts to the curb prior to 6:00 a.m. on their specific neighborhood collection day. Because Foster City is known for its strong bay breezes, it is incredibly important that all cart lids are pressed tightly closed. This prevents loose debris from blowing into the streets and ultimately contaminating the city's delicate lagoon system. Always leave a two-foot gap between bins to allow the mechanical arms of the trucks to operate efficiently.
Diverting Organics to Protect the Environment
To meet the ambitious targets of California’s SB 1383, proper sorting of organic material is strictly enforced across the community. Your green compost cart is the mandatory destination for all yard trimmings, leaves, and daily food scraps. Acceptable kitchen waste includes spoiled dairy, meat bones, coffee filters, and greasy cardboard such as pizza boxes. Standard plastic bags are strictly prohibited from entering the green bin because they do not break down in commercial composting facilities. If you prefer to contain your kitchen scraps, you may only use paper bags or BPI-certified compostable liners.
Optimizing Your Blue Recycling Cart
Keeping Foster City’s recycling stream clean requires diligent household sorting. The blue cart is designed exclusively for unbagged, clean recyclables like flattened cardboard boxes, glass bottles, aluminum cans, and hard plastic jugs. Before tossing any container into the blue bin, quickly rinse out any lingering food residue or liquids. A major problem facing the local materials recovery facility is the presence of flexible film plastics—like grocery bags and bubble wrap—as well as tanglers such as garden hoses and electrical cords. These items cause severe mechanical failures at the sorting plant and must be placed in the black garbage cart instead.
On-Call Cleanups for Oversized Items
Foster City single-family households enjoy a highly convenient benefit known as the On-Call Cleanup program. Twice every calendar year, residents can schedule a free curbside collection for large, bulky items that do not fit in the standard carts. This service is perfect for disposing of old mattresses, broken couches, large appliances, and bundled yard waste. To reserve one of your allotted cleanup days, you must contact Recology San Mateo County directly. Keep in mind that hazardous materials and heavy construction debris like concrete or dirt are excluded from this program and require alternative disposal methods.
Drop-off Facilities
Shoreway Environmental Center (RethinkWaste Transfer Station)
333 Shoreway Road (Gate 1), San Carlos, CA 94070
Materials Accepted
San Mateo County Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Program
Varying County Drop-Off Sites (Drop-off is free; appointments required)
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens to my pickup schedule during a holiday week?
Recology San Mateo County alters its collection routes for only three major holidays: Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. If your regular trash day falls on or after one of these dates, your service will shift forward by one day.
Where can I safely dispose of toxic household chemicals and old paint?
Toxic substances, including motor oil, pesticides, paint, and lithium batteries, must never be placed in any curbside cart. Residents should utilize the San Mateo County Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) drop-off program by making an appointment online.
How do I request a replacement if my trash cart is stolen or broken?
If your bin is damaged by a collection truck or goes missing, simply contact Recology San Mateo County's customer service line. They will repair the wheels and lids or deliver a replacement cart to your property at no extra charge.