Dark Gray with Black Lid Bin (Trash)
All household landfill trash must be placed inside secure trash bags to prevent wind-blown litter. The lid must close completely. Place your carts curbside by 6:00 AM on Tuesdays.
Accepted Items
- ✓Single-use plastic bags and wrap
- ✓Styrofoam plates, cups, and block packing
- ✓Disposable diapers and sanitary wipes
- ✓Bagged pet waste and kitty litter
- ✓Chip bags, candy wrappers, and shiny food packaging
- ✓Broken ceramics and home drinking glasses
Dark Gray with Blue Lid Bin (Recycling)
Do not bag your recyclables; they must be placed loosely in the blue-lidded bin. Clean, empty, and dry all items to avoid contaminating clean paper goods.
Accepted Items
- ✓Cardboard and paperboard boxes (flattened)
- ✓Clean, dry paper, junk mail, and catalogs
- ✓Aluminum, steel, and tin food or beverage cans
- ✓Glass bottles and food jars
- ✓Paper and plastic to-go cups
- ✓Rigid plastic bottles, jugs, and containers
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic bags, bubble wrap, or film liners
- ✕Styrofoam materials of any kind
- ✕Food waste, liquids, or grease-stained boxes
- ✕Garden hoses, wires, electrical cords, or rope
- ✕Needles, medical sharps, or hazardous items
Yard Waste Bin
Place organic materials completely loose into the cart. Do not use plastic bags, and keep soil, rocks, concrete, pet waste, palm fronds, or animal manure out of this cart.
Accepted Items
- ✓Vegetables, fruits, eggshells, and food scraps
- ✓Meats, fish, bones, and dairy leftovers
- ✓Food-soiled paper products, napkins, and greasy pizza boxes
- ✓Grass clippings, tree leaves, weeds, and plant trimmings
- ✓Small branches and prunings under 4 inches in diameter
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
6 free curbside pickups per calendar year
Placement
Call Waste Management at 800-266-7551 at least 48 hours in advance of your regular Tuesday collection. Place items curbside clear of parked vehicles, mailboxes, and overhead obstacles.
Accepted
- ✓ Sofas, chairs, tables, rugs, and wood furniture
- ✓ Mattresses and box springs (must be wrapped in plastic)
- ✓ Large household appliances (washers, dryers, stoves)
- ✓ Water heaters and drained toilets
- ✓ Lumber (must be cut into 4-foot lengths and bundled)
- ✓ Electronic waste (televisions, monitors, computers)
Not Accepted
- ✕ Automotive parts, engines, or car bodies
- ✕ Tires
- ✕ Household hazardous waste (liquid paints, chemicals, motor oil)
- ✕ Standard construction and demolition debris exceeding 1 cubic yard
The six annual collections are free. Additional bulky pickups can be requested throughout the year for a standard fee.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
If your scheduled weekly pickup falls on or after an observed weekday holiday, collection service will be delayed by exactly one day for the remainder of that week.
Yard Waste Exception
Organics and recycling services align perfectly with the holiday delay schedule.
If an observed holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, there is absolutely no delay to your regular Tuesday collection.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Keep Plastic Bags Out of the Blue Lid
Never bag your recyclables or place soft plastic film, grocery bags, or wrap inside your blue cart. These items tangle in the sorting machinery at the Azusa processing center, halting municipal sorting operations.
No Palm Fronds or Cactus in Organics
Do not place palm fronds, cactus, yucca, rocks, or dirt into your green organics bin. These fibrous or heavy materials do not compost properly during rapid municipal processing and can damage regional mulching equipment.
To-Go Cups are Now Welcome
Thanks to recent WM infrastructure upgrades, clean plastic and paper to-go drink cups are officially accepted in your blue recycling bin. Ensure they are empty and dry before tossing them in loose.
Seasonal Information
Fall Leaf Collection Program
October - DecemberTo handle high volumes of autumn leaf fall from deciduous trees, Waste Management will pick up three (3) extra bags of organic yard waste/leaves per week at no extra charge. Simply bag your extra leaves in paper bags and call customer service to request the seasonal curbside pickup.
Post-Holiday Christmas Tree Recycling
JanuaryDuring the first two weeks of January, real Christmas trees are collected curbside on your normal service day. You must remove all ornaments, lights, stands, and tinsel. Trees taller than 6 feet must be cut in half before placement.
About San Dimas Waste Management
San Dimas's Foothill Solid Waste Partnership
In the scenic foothill community of San Dimas, waste collection, recycling, and organic programs are provided under an exclusive franchise agreement with Waste Management (WM). Supervised by the City's Public Works Department, the residential service structure focuses on environmental sustainability, compliant municipal recycling, and preserving the natural beauty of the San Gabriel Valley.
Leading on SB 1383 Organic Recycling & Food Scraps
In compliance with California’s environmental mandate SB 1383, San Dimas has transformed its municipal organics recycling program. Under these statewide rules, all residential households must divert organic waste—including yard trimmings and kitchen food waste—away from traditional landfills. Organic wastes collected in the green lids are taken to regional composting facilities where they are converted into clean commercial-grade compost.
Weekly Single-Day Curbside Routing
To maintain quiet streets and reduce environmental wear and tear on local roadways, residential waste pickup in San Dimas is universally organized on a single-day routing system. Curbside collections for residential accounts—including landfill trash, mixed recycling, and organic waste—take place every Tuesday.
Statewide Standard Color-Coded Carts
In accordance with uniform California container standards, Waste Management has phased in a standardized color scheme for residential carts in San Dimas. Carts feature a uniform dark gray body but are distinguished by their bright, color-coded lids: black for landfill garbage, blue for clean recycling, and green for combined organics and food waste.
Drop-off Facilities
WM Azusa Transfer Station and Recycling Center
1501 W Gladstone St, Azusa, CA 91702
Materials Accepted
Valley Vista Services Transfer Station (Pomona Valley)
1371 E Ninth St, Pomona, CA 91766
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I safely dispose of needles and other medical sharps in San Dimas?
San Dimas residents are eligible for one free Sharps medical disposal container per calendar year. Call Waste Management at 800-266-7551 to request your container. It comes with a prepaid, mail-back box to safely return your filled container through the postal service.
Where can I drop off household batteries in San Dimas?
You can drop off household batteries directly at the Public Works counter inside City Hall, or at the battery recycling kiosk at the Senior Center (both located at 245 East Bonita Avenue). Larger batteries must be brought to Los Angeles County's household hazardous waste roundup events.
What is the Senior Citizen Discount and how do I apply?
San Dimas residential utility customers aged 65 and older are eligible for a discount on their weekly waste collection bill. To apply, complete the WM Senior Discount Application online or contact Waste Management Customer Service at 800-266-7551.
What happens if Waste Management finds the wrong items in my trash or recycle bins?
Under the city's SB 1383 program, Waste Management trucks utilize cameras to inspect carts. On your first two contamination incidents, your bin will be serviced, and a warning letter with photographic proof will be mailed to you. Subsequent incidents may result in a contamination fee or a refusal to pick up the bin.