Gray Bin (Trash)
Do not place heavy items like concrete, dirt, or rocks in the gray cart. All lids must fully close, and items larger than 4 feet are prohibited.
Accepted Items
- ✓Diapers and sanitary products
- ✓Animal and pet waste
- ✓Ceramics, mirrors, and window glass
- ✓Styrofoam packaging and cups
- ✓Soiled foil and wrappers
- ✓Non-recyclable plastics and rubber
Blue Bin (Recycling)
All recyclable materials must be empty, clean, and dry. Flatten all cardboard boxes before placing them inside the blue cart to maximize space.
Accepted Items
- ✓Clean mixed paper and mail
- ✓Cardboard and shoe boxes
- ✓Plastics #1, #2, and #5
- ✓Aluminum, tin, and empty aerosol cans
- ✓Glass food and beverage jars/bottles
Do NOT Include
- ✕Foam plastic (Styrofoam)
- ✕Food-soiled paper
- ✕Plastic bags and film wrap
- ✕Ceramics and window glass
- ✕Hazardous waste
- ✕Diapers
Yard Waste Bin
Place food waste loosely, wrapped in newspaper, or in paper bags inside the cart. Do NOT use plastic bags. Cart weight must not exceed 300 pounds.
Accepted Items
- ✓Grass clippings, leaves, and weeds
- ✓Yard trimmings and branches (under 3ft long & 6in diameter)
- ✓Food scraps (meat, bones, dairy, produce)
- ✓Coffee grounds and filters
- ✓Food-soiled paper products (pizza boxes, napkins)
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Once per year during the Annual Citywide Curbside Cleanup (typically late February through March).
Placement
Place items in front of your residence up to 3 days before your scheduled zone's cleanup date. Keep the pile at least 6 inches from the curb to prevent blocking sewer vents, storm drains, and fire hydrants.
Accepted
- ✓ Appliances and electronics (e-waste)
- ✓ Mattresses and box springs
- ✓ Furniture and bulky household junk
- ✓ Green waste (must be bundled or bagged)
- ✓ General debris (must be bagged or boxed)
Not Accepted
- ✕ Auto parts and tires
- ✕ Construction or demolition materials
- ✕ Light bulbs and fluorescent tubes
- ✕ Flammable liquids and hazardous waste
- ✕ Dirt, rock, sod, and asphalt
The annual curbside cleanup is a free service included for single-family residential customers. Ineligible items left at the curb will not be collected and must be removed by the resident within 24 hours to avoid a citation.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
Depending on when an observed holiday falls during the week, garbage pick-up days for the remainder of the week are delayed by one day, with Friday collections occurring on Saturday.
Yard Waste Exception
The one-day holiday delay applies equally to the gray trash, blue recycling, and green organics carts.
Check the City of Madera or Mid Valley Disposal websites for exact holiday schedule adjustments as major holidays approach.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Freeze Scraps to Fight Odors
To keep your green organics cart from smelling during the hot Madera summers, collect your food scraps in a plastic bag or container in the freezer. Empty the frozen block of scraps directly into your green cart the night before collection—just be sure to throw the plastic bag into the gray trash cart, not the green one!
Keep Plastic Bags Out of the Blue Cart
Flimsy plastic film, grocery bags, and bubble wrap frequently tangle up the gears at the Mid Valley Materials Recovery Facility. Always throw these plastic wraps into your gray garbage cart or return clean grocery bags to local retail drop-offs.
Separate Your E-Waste from the Trash
Never throw dead batteries, old cell phones, or fluorescent bulbs into any of your three curbside carts. These items contain toxic heavy metals and are considered Household Hazardous Waste, which must be taken to the Fairmead Landfill for safe disposal.
Seasonal Information
Spring
February and MarchThe Annual Citywide Curbside Cleanup event takes place during late winter and early spring. The city is split into two collection zones. Single-family residents can place up to one truckload of bulky waste at the curb during their zone's designated weeks.
Year-Round
January through DecemberThe Fairmead Landfill in nearby Chowchilla hosts a Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) drop-off every Saturday morning from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Madera County residents can safely dispose of paints, chemicals, and auto fluids here for free.
About Madera Waste Management
Madera's Partnership with Mid Valley Disposal
The City of Madera contracts directly with Mid Valley Disposal to handle all residential solid waste services. With local material recovery facilities throughout the Central Valley, Mid Valley provides residents with a streamlined three-cart system—gray for household garbage, blue for single-stream recycling, and green for yard and food organics. This standardized program is essential to helping the city meet California’s aggressive landfill diversion goals while keeping neighborhood streets clean and sustainable.
Strict Compliance with Organics Recycling (SB-1383)
Madera has fully implemented state-mandated organic waste recycling, meaning food scraps and soiled paper must never enter your gray trash cart. Residents are instructed to place all fruit and vegetable scraps, meat, bones, and soiled pizza boxes directly into the green organics cart. To help mitigate pests and odors in the summer heat, the city recommends bagging food scraps in a paper bag, wrapping them in newspaper, or freezing them in a reusable container before tossing them into the green bin on collection day.
Proper Cart Spacing and Set-Out Rules
For the automated Mid Valley Disposal trucks to service your property safely, carts must be placed at the curb or alleyway the night before your scheduled collection. Each cart needs at least three feet of clearance from other bins and at least six feet from obstacles like parked cars, mailboxes, or fences. Furthermore, the city’s Municipal Code mandates that residents must retrieve and store their containers out of public view within 12 hours of being emptied.
Navigating the Annual Citywide Curbside Cleanup
Instead of individual on-demand bulky waste pickups, the City of Madera hosts a highly structured Annual Citywide Curbside Cleanup every spring for single-family residences. Divided into specific geographic collection zones, this program allows residents to place up to a 5' x 5' x 10' pile of household junk, furniture, and e-waste at the curb for free removal. Always check your spring utility bill for the exact dates when your neighborhood's designated zone will be serviced.
Drop-off Facilities
Fairmead Landfill / Mammoth Recycling Facility
21739 Road 19, Chowchilla, CA 93610
Materials Accepted
Mid Valley Disposal Kerman MRF & Transfer Station
15300 W. Jensen Ave, Kerman, CA 93630
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put dirty pizza boxes in my recycling cart in Madera?
No, heavily greased or food-soiled cardboard cannot be recycled in the blue cart. However, because Madera complies with state organics laws, you should place greasy pizza boxes directly into your green compost cart along with your food scraps!
What do I do if my Mid Valley Disposal cart breaks or goes missing?
If any part of your cart is cracked, missing a lid, or has a broken wheel, you can request a free repair or replacement by calling Mid Valley Disposal directly at 1-559-237-9425 or 1-800-706-5779.
How do I get rid of an old mattress in Madera?
You can dispose of old mattresses for free by placing them out during your zone's Annual Citywide Curbside Cleanup event in the spring. If you miss the event, you will need to haul it to a designated drop-off facility like the Fairmead Landfill in Chowchilla.
Am I allowed to use plastic bags for my food waste in the green cart?
No. Plastic bags severely contaminate the compost. If you want to line your kitchen pail or bag your food scraps before throwing them in the green cart, you must use paper bags or wrap the food tightly in newspaper.