Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for San Francisco
Collections in California municipal routes run weekly (Mon-Fri). Your specific collection day is determined by your local neighborhood route.
State Mandate
Follow SB 1383 guidelines for food waste.
Utility Billing & Payments
Manage your local solid waste services
Refuse service is mandatory in San Francisco and billed directly by Recology. Single-family homes and small residential buildings are billed quarterly, and standard rates include a built-in landfill diversion discount for sorting compost and recyclables.
Billing Cycle
Quarterly
Accepted Methods
Online, Auto-Pay, Phone, Mail
Pro Tip / Discount
Qualifying low-income households (earning 200% or less of the federal poverty level) can receive a 25% discount. Additionally, distance and elevation secondary fees can be waived for eligible residents with disabilities.
Black Bin (Trash)
Please bag your trash to prevent litter on the streets. Do not use the black bin as a default receptacle; it is strictly meant for materials that cannot be recycled or composted.
Accepted Items
- ✓Potato chip bags and candy wrappers
- ✓Juice boxes and soy milk cartons (Tetra Paks)
- ✓Diapers and pet waste
- ✓Latex gloves and sponges
- ✓Broken ceramics and non-recyclable glass
Blue Bin (Recycling)
Items should be empty, clean, and loose. Never place your recyclables inside plastic garbage bags. Flatten all cardboard boxes; oversized cardboard can be cut into 2'x3' bundles, tied, and leaned against the bin.
Accepted Items
- ✓Clean paper, magazines, and mail
- ✓Flattened cardboard
- ✓Glass bottles and jars
- ✓Aluminum and tin cans
- ✓Hard plastics (bottles, cups, molded packaging)
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic bags and soft film plastics
- ✕Food-soiled cardboard (pizza boxes)
- ✕Tanglers (cords, wires, hoses)
- ✕Textiles and clothing
Yard Waste Bin
San Francisco's green bin program is comprehensive. Bones and shells are encouraged as they add essential calcium to the compost. Keep items loose or use paper bags; do not use plastic bags.
Accepted Items
- ✓Vegetable peelings, fruits, and food scraps
- ✓Cooked meat, poultry, and bones
- ✓Crab, oyster, and egg shells
- ✓Food-soiled paper (napkins, coffee filters, pizza boxes)
- ✓Plant trimmings, leaves, and weeds
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Two free collections per year for single-family homes; one free collection for apartment tenants.
Placement
Place approved bulky items at the curb directly in front of your service address the night before or early morning of your confirmed appointment. Setting items out without an appointment is considered illegal dumping.
Accepted
- ✓ Sofas, chairs, and household furniture
- ✓ Mattresses and box springs
- ✓ Large household appliances
- ✓ Electronic waste (TVs, monitors)
- ✓ Bagged textiles
Not Accepted
- ✕ Construction and demolition debris
- ✕ Dirt, concrete, rock, and sand
- ✕ Household hazardous waste (chemicals, wet paint)
- ✕ Automotive parts and tires
Additional pickups beyond the free yearly allotment, or dropping off excessive loads at the Recology Transfer Station, will incur standard disposal fees.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
Collection is only delayed if your scheduled pickup day falls on or after Christmas Day (Dec 25) or New Year's Day (Jan 1). During those two weeks, service is pushed back by one day for the remainder of the week.
Yard Waste Exception
Compost (green) and recycling (blue) collections follow the exact same holiday delay schedule as the black trash bins.
Recology crews work all other holidays. You will have regular collection on Thanksgiving Day, July 4th, Labor Day, and Memorial Day. Do not delay your bins on these dates.
Observed Holidays
Seasonal Information
Winter
December - JanuaryRecology collects clean, un-flocked Christmas trees curbside during the first two weeks of January. Trees must have all lights, tinsel, and stands removed. If your tree is taller than 6 feet, it must be cut in half before being placed next to your bins.
Fall/Winter
October - FebruaryTo help prevent localized flooding during the Bay Area's rainy season, residents are asked to keep storm drains clear of falling leaves. Sweep street leaves and place them directly into your green compost bin, never in plastic bags.
Local Tips & Community Info
Navigating Recology's Three-Cart Collection System
In San Francisco, waste management is proudly operated by Recology, which utilizes a mandatory three-cart system to help achieve the city's zero-waste goals. Every residential property must actively sort their refuse into the black bin for landfill garbage, the blue bin for mixed recyclables, and the green bin for compostable organic material. San Francisco was actually one of the first cities to make composting a legal requirement. You must have your bins at the curb by 6:00 a.m. on your designated collection morning. To ensure the automated collection trucks can efficiently lift the carts without issue, leave at least two feet of space between each container and three feet of clearance from parked cars, utility poles, or trees.
Scheduling Free Bulky Item Recycling
Getting rid of oversized items like broken furniture, old mattresses, or large electronics is incredibly convenient in San Francisco. Recology provides a free Bulky Item Recycling program for its residential customers. If you live in a single-family home or a building with five units or fewer, you are entitled to two complimentary curbside collections per year. Apartment dwellers in larger buildings get one free pickup annually per unit. You can schedule this service by calling 415-330-1300 or booking online. A crucial step often missed by residents is that you must attach a physical sign reading “RECOLOGY” to your items; otherwise, the collection crews will not know to take them. Keep in mind that individual items cannot exceed 100 pounds.
Holiday Service Schedule and Exceptions
Unlike many other municipal waste operations that pause for numerous federal holidays, Recology maintains a very robust year-round schedule. Collection drivers in San Francisco work on almost every major holiday, including Thanksgiving, Labor Day, and Memorial Day. There are only two days out of the entire year when residential service stops entirely: Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. If your regular trash day happens to fall on one of those two specific holidays, your pickup will be pushed back by one day for the rest of that week. If your bins are ever missed on a standard collection day, you should contact Recology customer service immediately to report the oversight and request a prompt recovery.
Dealing with Hazardous Materials and Household Chemicals
It is strictly illegal to dispose of toxic household chemicals, wet paint, motor oil, batteries, or fluorescent bulbs in your standard black, blue, or green carts. These hazardous materials pose a massive environmental threat if they end up in the standard landfill stream. San Francisco residents must safely dispose of these dangerous goods by taking them to the Recology Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility. Before loading up your vehicle, be sure to check the official SF Environment guidelines to verify drop-off hours, accepted materials, and transport limits. Properly handling these items protects sanitation workers and keeps the beautiful Bay Area environment clean and safe for everyone.
Drop-off Facilities
Recology Transfer Station & Household Hazardous Waste Facility
501 Tunnel Ave, San Francisco, CA 94134
Materials Accepted
Recycle Central at Pier 96
505 Amador St, San Francisco, CA 94124
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
Can apartment tenants schedule their own bulky item pickup in San Francisco?
Yes. Unlike many cities, San Francisco's waste program allows apartment renters to contact Recology directly to schedule one free bulky item collection per calendar year without needing approval from a landlord or property manager.
How do I dispose of old household batteries at the curb?
Residential customers can easily recycle expired household batteries by placing them in a clear, sealable plastic zip-lock bag and setting the bag directly on top of their black landfill bin on their regular collection day. The driver will place them in a special bucket.
Which holidays actually delay trash pickup in San Francisco?
Recology only delays service for Christmas Day (December 25) and New Year's Day (January 1). If your normal collection falls on or after those two holidays, it will be delayed by one day. For all other holidays, including Thanksgiving, your bins will be collected on their normal schedule.
Where should I throw away juice and soup boxes (Tetra Paks)?
Multi-material cartons, such as juice boxes, soup cartons, and soy milk boxes (Tetra Paks), cannot be processed in San Francisco's blue recycling bins. They must be thrown directly into your black landfill bin.