Black Bin (Trash)
All regular household waste, pet waste, and exceptionally tough yard materials (like cacti and large branches) must be placed in this container. Heavy construction debris like dirt, rocks, and concrete are strictly prohibited.
Accepted Items
- ✓Standard household garbage
- ✓Branches larger than 6 inches in diameter
- ✓Cactus and succulents
- ✓Dog and cat waste
- ✓Non-recyclable plastics and wrappers
- ✓Styrofoam
Blue Bin (Recycling)
Place clean and dry recyclables loosely into the blue cart. Do not bag your recyclables in plastic trash bags, as the film tangles the recycling facility's sorting equipment.
Accepted Items
- ✓Glass bottles and jars
- ✓Clean paper, envelopes, and junk mail
- ✓Newspapers, magazines, and phone books
- ✓Plastic containers and milk jugs
- ✓Tin and aluminum cans
- ✓Flattened cardboard and paper tubes
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic grocery bags
- ✕Food waste or liquids
- ✕Tanglers (cords, wires, hoses)
- ✕Styrofoam
- ✕Hazardous waste containers
Yard Waste Bin
While yard trimmings and palm fronds can go in loose, Rialto specifically requires all food waste to be bagged before it is placed in the green waste container.
Accepted Items
- ✓Bagged food waste
- ✓Grass clippings and weeds
- ✓Leaves and horse manure
- ✓Palm fronds
- ✓Prunings and twigs (under 6 inches in diameter)
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
2 free pickups per calendar year
Placement
Do not place items on the street prior to scheduling. Once confirmed, place approved bulky items at the curb no later than 6:00 a.m. on your scheduled service day.
Accepted
- ✓ Furniture (couches, desks, chairs)
- ✓ Mattresses and box springs
- ✓ Large household appliances
- ✓ Up to 2 rimless tires per pickup
- ✓ Electronic waste
Not Accepted
- ✕ Vehicle parts
- ✕ Construction and demolition materials
- ✕ Hazardous waste (paint, oil, chemicals)
- ✕ Rocks, dirt, and concrete
The first two pickups per calendar year are completely free for single-family homes. Additional pickups, or collections for multi-family units, are available for an extra fee.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
If an observed holiday falls on a weekday, trash and recycling collection services for the remainder of that week will be delayed by exactly one day.
Yard Waste Exception
Organics and yard waste collection follow the identical one-day holiday delay schedule as standard trash and recycling bins.
If a holiday falls on a weekend (Saturday or Sunday), your regular curbside collection schedule will not be interrupted or delayed.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Bag Your Food Waste, Not Your Recyclables
In Rialto, the rules for bagging are specific: food waste must be bagged before going into the green organics bin, but recyclables in the blue bin must always remain loose and unbagged.
Keep Cacti Out of the Green Bin
Unlike standard yard trimmings, spiky cacti cannot be processed by the local organics composting facilities. You must toss all cactus trimmings directly into your black trash container.
No Rocks or Dirt at the Curb
Curbside carts cannot handle extreme weight. Never put rocks, concrete, dirt, or asphalt into any of your three bins, as they will break the automated mechanical arms on Burrtec collection trucks.
Seasonal Information
Winter
December 26 to January 7Burrtec provides an annual Christmas tree recycling program. Place your bare tree at the curb by 6:00 a.m. on your regular collection day. Trees over six feet tall must be cut in half, and all tinsel, stands, and ornaments must be removed.
Year-Round
January, April, July, OctoberThe City of Rialto hosts Quarterly Community Clean-up days, offering residents additional opportunities to properly dispose of special wastes and bulky items outside of their standard curbside allowances.
About Rialto Waste Management
Navigating Rialto's Burrtec Curbside Collection
In the City of Rialto, residential trash and recycling services are managed exclusively through a contract with Burrtec Waste Industries. To ensure clean neighborhoods and seamless service, residents are expected to wheel their designated carts to the curb early on their scheduled pickup day. To avoid missing a collection day or getting a street sweeping ticket, the city highly recommends downloading the 'Rialto Trash and Sweeping Days' smartphone app, which provides customized text, email, or phone reminders for your specific address.
Meeting SB 1383 Standards: Bagging Food Waste
Rialto's approach to California's mandatory organic waste recycling law (SB 1383) comes with a very specific, unique rule: while food waste must be placed in the green yard waste container, it must be bagged first. This differs from many neighboring cities that require food scraps to be thrown in loose. You can include standard kitchen scraps alongside regular yard trimmings, palm fronds, and even horse manure, ensuring everything fits neatly within the green bin with the lid completely closed.
Dealing with Cacti, Large Branches, and Heavy Debris
Due to the local desert landscape, Rialto residents often deal with tough, spiky yard waste. The city strictly mandates that cacti and thick tree branches (larger than six inches in diameter) must go into the black trash container, not the green organics bin. Furthermore, exceptionally heavy materials like rocks, concrete, dirt, and asphalt are completely prohibited from all three curbside carts. Residents looking to haul away excess heavy debris must directly contact the San Bernardino County Solid Waste Management Division.
Twice-a-Month Household Hazardous Waste Disposal
Chemicals, wet paint, and lithium-ion batteries are major fire risks when tossed into regular trash or recycling carts. Fortunately, the City of Rialto hosts a convenient Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) drop-off facility located at the Maintenance and Facilities Yard on South Willow Avenue. Open twice a month, this site safely accepts dangerous household materials. Per transportation guidelines, residents are legally limited to transporting no more than 15 gallons or 125 pounds of hazardous waste per trip, and individual containers cannot exceed five gallons in size.
Free Bulky Item and Tire Collection Services
To combat illegal dumping and keep Rialto's streets beautiful, single-family residential customers are provided with up to two free bulky item pickups every calendar year. This highly requested service, coordinated directly through Burrtec, accepts standard large items like broken furniture, mattresses, and appliances. Uniquely, the program also allows residents to dispose of up to two rimless tires per pickup at no additional charge. Vehicle parts, construction materials, and hazardous liquids are strictly excluded from this bulky waste program.
Drop-off Facilities
Rialto Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Site
City of Rialto Maintenance and Facilities Yard, 246 S. Willow Avenue (South Driveway), Rialto, CA 92376
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I properly dispose of food waste in Rialto?
Effective under SB 1383, food waste in Rialto must be placed in your green yard waste container. However, you must place the food scraps into a bag before throwing it into the green bin, unlike regular yard clippings which can remain loose.
Where should I throw away cactus and thick tree branches?
Cactus and tree branches larger than six inches in diameter cannot be processed in the green organics bin. You must place these tough materials directly into your black trash container.
Can I throw old tires away with my bulky item pickup?
Yes! The City of Rialto allows single-family residential customers to dispose of up to two rimless tires per pickup at no additional charge during a scheduled bulky item collection with Burrtec.
Where can I drop off hazardous waste like batteries or old paint?
Hazardous materials cannot go in your curbside bins. Rialto operates an HHW collection site twice a month at the Maintenance and Facilities Yard located at 246 S. Willow Avenue. You can drop off up to 15 gallons or 125 pounds of approved hazardous materials per visit.