Black Bin (Trash)
Place your Black Bin out by 6:00 a.m. on your collection day. Ensure it is 2 feet away from other bins and 3 feet away from vehicles. Food waste must go in this bin, not the green bin.
Accepted Items
- ✓Regular household garbage
- ✓Food waste
- ✓Food-soiled items
- ✓Non-recyclable plastics
- ✓Standard refuse
Blue Bin (Recycling)
Set out by 6:00 a.m. Do not bag your recyclables. All items should be loose, clean, and dry to avoid contaminating the recycling stream.
Accepted Items
- ✓Clean paper and envelopes
- ✓Cardboard and boxes
- ✓Aluminum and tin cans
- ✓Glass bottles and jars
- ✓Plastic containers
Do NOT Include
- ✕Food waste
- ✕Organic materials
- ✕Plastic bags
- ✕Regular garbage
- ✕Yard trimmings
Yard Waste Bin
Use the 90-gallon Green Bin strictly for yard waste and leaves. Do not place food scraps or tree limbs in this bin.
Accepted Items
- ✓Leaves
- ✓Grass clippings
- ✓Organic yard waste
- ✓Yard trimmings
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Fridays Only (By Appointment)
Placement
Place items curbside per the instructions given when booking. Do not block vehicle traffic, sidewalks, or your standard rollout carts.
Accepted
- ✓ Furniture
- ✓ Appliances
- ✓ Large household junk
Not Accepted
- ✕ Tree limbs inside leaf piles
- ✕ Hazardous waste
- ✕ Liquid waste
- ✕ Everyday household garbage
Scheduling is handled by the Finance Department at (209) 895-8040. Applicable fees will be discussed at the time of booking based on item types.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
All residential trash, recycling, and green waste services will be delayed by one day following Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day.
Yard Waste Exception
Yard waste (Green Bin) collection follows the exact same one-day delay as standard garbage and recycling.
If your scheduled collection day falls on one of these three holidays, please hold your carts until the make-up collection day.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Keep Food Out of the Green Bin
Unlike most California cities, Patterson requires all food scraps and food-soiled paper to be placed in the Black Garbage Bin. Placing food in the Green Organics Bin will contaminate the yard waste stream.
Space Carts for Automated Arms
Bertolotti Disposal uses automated mechanical lifters. If your carts are placed too close together or hidden behind a parked car, the mechanical arms cannot grab them. Always maintain a 2-foot gap between bins.
No Tree Limbs in Leaf Piles
When utilizing the curbside leaf pile option during the Leaf Pickup Program, ensure your pile consists only of loose leaves. Mixing in tree branches or limbs will result in your pile being bypassed.
Seasonal Information
Fall/Winter
November - JanuaryDuring the Leaf Pickup Program, always fill your 90-gallon Green Bin first before piling overflow leaves 5 feet from the curb. Move your vehicles the night before so sweepers and collection trucks can access the street.
Holidays
December - JanuaryBulky item collection appointments are paused after the first two weeks of December. Scheduling for Friday pickups will not resume until after New Year's Day, so plan your holiday cleanouts accordingly.
About Patterson Waste Management
Automated Collection with Bertolotti Disposal
The City of Patterson partners with Bertolotti Disposal Inc. to handle all residential garbage, recycling, and green waste services. Because Bertolotti utilizes advanced automated trucks equipped with mechanical arms, it is crucial that carts are placed with precision. Residents must wheel their Black, Blue, and Green carts to the curb with handles facing the house, ensuring they are at least two feet apart from one another and three feet away from vehicles or obstacles.
A Unique Approach to SB 1383 Compliance
While the vast majority of California cities now require residents to scrape food scraps into their green yard waste bins under SB 1383, Patterson operates differently. Because the city's residential waste stream already efficiently composts organics down the line, food and food-soiled items must still go directly into your Black Trash Bin. To maintain the system's integrity, do not put food waste into the Green Organics Bin or the Blue Recycling Bin.
Navigating the Leaf Pickup Program
During the autumn and winter, Patterson runs a specialized Leaf Pickup Program to keep neighborhood streets clear. Residents are instructed to first maximize their 90-gallon Green Bin for leaf disposal. If you have overflow, you can rake the remaining leaves into a pile placed exactly five feet from your curb. To ensure crews and street sweepers can do their jobs, always move vehicles off the street the night before collection and never mix tree limbs into leaf piles.
Friday-Only Bulky Item Pickups
If you have oversized items like old furniture or heavy appliances, you cannot simply leave them on the curb. Patterson residents must schedule a bulky item pickup exclusively through the city's Finance Department. These special collections only occur on Fridays. Furthermore, the city implements a seasonal freeze on this service: no appointments are scheduled after the first two weeks of December, with normal operations resuming after New Year's Day.
Drop-off Facilities
Stanislaus County Fink Road Sanitary Landfill
4000 Fink Rd, Crows Landing, CA 95313
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I schedule a bulky item pickup in Patterson?
Bulky item collections occur strictly on Fridays. To schedule your pickup, you must call the City of Patterson Finance Department at 209-895-8040. Keep in mind that appointments are not scheduled after the first two weeks of December and will resume after the New Year.
Where should I dispose of my food scraps under SB 1383?
Patterson has a unique compliance method for SB 1383. You must place all food waste and food-soiled paper into your regular Black Garbage Bin. Do not put food items into the Green Organics Bin, as Patterson's specific waste stream processes these organics efficiently via the black bin.
What is the proper way to place carts for Bertolotti Disposal?
Carts must be set out by 6:00 a.m. with the wheels against the curb and the handles facing your house. Leave at least 2 feet of space between each bin, and ensure they are 3 feet away from parked vehicles and other obstacles so the automated mechanical arms can safely grab them.
What should I do with extra leaves during the Fall and Winter?
First, fill your 90-gallon Green Bin. If you still have leaves left over, rake them into a pile placed five feet from your curb. Ensure there are no tree limbs mixed in, and always move your parked cars the night before your collection day to ensure crews can reach the pile.