Black Bin (Trash)
Use the Black Cart exclusively for non-recyclable refuse. Do not place any green waste, standard food waste, or clean recyclables in this bin.
Accepted Items
- ✓Grocery bags
- ✓Plastic cereal liners
- ✓Snack and chip bags
- ✓Broken dishes and glass
- ✓Foam packing material
- ✓Diapers
- ✓Pet waste
- ✓Hoses, wires, and cords
- ✓Raw meats and bones
Blue Bin (Recycling)
Items must be clean, dry, and placed loosely in the Blue Cart. Never bag your recyclables in plastic bags. Break down cardboard boxes to maximize space.
Accepted Items
- ✓Water and soda bottles
- ✓Laundry detergent jugs
- ✓Clean aluminum trays and foil
- ✓Cardboard and shipping boxes
- ✓Glass bottles and jars
- ✓Milk and juice cartons
- ✓Newspaper and junk mail
- ✓Empty aerosol cans
Do NOT Include
- ✕Food waste
- ✕Plastic grocery bags
- ✕Clothing or textiles
- ✕Disposable diapers
- ✕Light bulbs and mirrors
- ✕Rubber garden hoses
- ✕Needles or medical waste
- ✕Ceramics or pottery
Yard Waste Bin
Food waste must be placed in the Green Cart along with your yard trimmings. Do not place dirt, rocks, tree limbs over 6 inches in diameter, or plastic bags in this container. Contaminated carts will be given a green tag and left uncollected.
Accepted Items
- ✓Branches, leaves, and sticks
- ✓Grass clippings and weeds
- ✓Flowers
- ✓Food scraps and leftovers (except raw meat/bones)
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Two free pickups per calendar year for single-family residences.
Placement
Items must be scheduled in advance and placed freely accessible at the curb on the designated day. Crews will not enter a home or gated area to retrieve items.
Accepted
- ✓ Furniture
- ✓ Large appliances
- ✓ Mattresses
- ✓ Large bulky items that do not fit in the automated cart
Not Accepted
- ✕ Hazardous waste
- ✕ Construction debris
- ✕ Dirt and rocks
- ✕ Tires
- ✕ E-waste (requires HHW drop-off)
If you are not one of the first 30 callers or require additional pickups, a 'Special Haul' can be requested for a fee, starting at $56.65 for the first item and $28.32 for each additional item.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
If an observed holiday falls on a weekday, all collection services for the remainder of that week will be delayed by one day. There is no delay if the holiday falls on a weekend.
Yard Waste Exception
Organics and recycling follow the exact same holiday delay schedule as regular refuse.
Minor holidays such as Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Cesar Chavez Day, Juneteenth, Columbus Day, and Veterans Day do not cause service interruptions.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Keep the Blue Cart Bag-Free
Never put your recyclables in plastic garbage bags. Plastic bags wrap around and jam the spinning gears at the recycling sorting facility. Keep all your paper, glass, and plastic loose in the Blue Cart.
Separate Raw Meats from the Organics Cart
While Redlands mandates that food scraps go into your Green Cart, there is an exception: raw meat and bones must still be placed in the Black trash cart to prevent extreme odors and pest issues.
Aerosol Cans Need to be Empty
You can recycle aerosol cans in your Blue Cart, but only if they are completely empty of all contents and propellants. If a can still contains hazardous materials, take it to the Saturday HHW drop-off instead.
Seasonal Information
Winter
December to JanuaryThe city offers an annual Christmas tree recycling program shortly after the holiday. Keep in mind that trash service is suspended on Christmas Day and New Year's Day, pushing collections back by one day for the rest of the week.
Summer
July to SeptemberInland Empire summer heat can cause organic waste in your Green Cart to smell quickly. Try freezing your food scraps in your kitchen compost pail during the week and dumping them into the Green Cart the night before collection.
About Redlands Waste Management
Mastering Your Automated Waste Collection in Redlands
The City of Redlands Solid Waste Division manages all residential trash and recycling services locally. Residents utilize a three-cart automated system: the Black Cart for regular household refuse, the Blue Cart for recyclables, and the Green Cart for yard trimmings and organic waste. To ensure a smooth pickup, position your carts curbside by 6:00 A.M. on your scheduled day, keeping them at least three feet away from parked vehicles and one foot apart from each other. Remember, carts must be pulled back from the street by 10:00 P.M. on collection day.
Navigating the Redlands Food Waste Mandate
In compliance with California’s environmental goals to reduce landfill methane, Redlands significantly shifted its organic waste rules. As of April 1, 2024, residents are required to place all food waste (except for raw meat and bones) into the Green Yard Waste cart rather than the trash. To ease this transition, the city offers free kitchen compost pails, available for pickup at specific times during the week at city offices. This essential eco-friendly measure helps transform local food scraps and yard clippings into valuable compost.
How to Score a Free Bulky Item Pickup
Dealing with an old mattress or broken sofa? Redlands single-family residential customers are entitled to two free bulky item pickups per calendar year, allowing up to three items per collection. However, there's a catch: you must call Customer Service on the very first business day of the month, and these free slots are strictly limited to the first 30 requests received. If you miss the cutoff, you can still schedule a 'Special Haul' for a fee, which starts at around $56.65 for the first item.
Disposing of Household Hazardous Waste (HHW)
San Bernardino County and Redlands residents can safely dispose of toxic chemicals, paint, used motor oil, and electronic waste at the Redlands City Yard HHW Collection Center on Kansas Street. The facility is open on Saturdays from 7:30 A.M. to 12:30 P.M., barring holiday weekends and rainy days. Residents are permitted to bring a maximum of 15 gallons or 125 pounds of hazardous materials per visit, and all liquids should be in containers no larger than 5 gallons.
Set Out/Set Back Assistance for the Physically Challenged
Redlands offers a highly beneficial, free 'Set Out/Set Back' service designed for elderly or physically challenged residents who lack an able-bodied person at home to help move heavy bins. Upon written request and approval by the City, sanitation drivers will retrieve the containers from your property, empty them, and return them, ensuring that everyone maintains safe and reliable waste disposal without physical strain.
Drop-off Facilities
Redlands City Yard HHW Collection Center
500 Kansas St. (Enter from Kansas St. north of Animal Control), Redlands, CA 92373
Materials Accepted
San Timoteo Sanitary Landfill
31 Refuse Rd, Redlands, CA 92373
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
When do I need to place my trash carts at the curb in Redlands?
All trash, recycling, and green waste carts must be placed curbside by 6:00 A.M. on your designated collection day. They must be removed from the street no later than 10:00 P.M. on the day of service.
Can I throw food scraps in my regular trash cart?
No. Under the city's organic waste mandate implemented in April 2024, all food waste (except for raw meat and bones) must go into your Green Yard Waste cart. Raw meats and bones are the only food items that still belong in the Black Cart.
How do I schedule a free bulky item pickup in Redlands?
Single-family residents get two free bulky pickups per year, but you must call the Solid Waste Division at (909) 798-7529 on the very first business day of the month. Keep in mind that free pickups are strictly limited to the first 30 callers.
What happens if I forget to call for the free bulky item pickup in time?
If you aren't among the first 30 callers, you can either wait until the first business day of the next month, or you can pay for a 'Special Haul'. Paid special hauls can usually be scheduled within a few days and cost approximately $56.65 for the first item.