Gray Bin (Trash)
Trash must fit completely inside the cart so that the lid closes flat. Extra garbage outside the cart will not be collected unless it is properly contained in a 32-gallon bag featuring a prepaid 'Extra Garbage Service' tag.
Accepted Items
- ✓Regular household garbage
- ✓Diapers and personal hygiene products
- ✓Styrofoam and packing peanuts
- ✓Treated, painted, or stained wood
- ✓Broken ceramics, mirrors, and window glass
- ✓Bagged pet feces
- ✓Non-recyclable plastics (utensils, wrappers)
Blue Bin (Recycling)
All recyclables must be empty, clean, and dry. Do not bag your recyclables (except for the 'bag-in-bag' exception for plastic film). Keep items loose in the cart.
Accepted Items
- ✓Clean office paper, magazines, and phone books
- ✓Flattened cardboard and paper boxes
- ✓Cartons (milk, juice, soup, broth)
- ✓Glass bottles and jars (all colors)
- ✓Aluminum and tin cans
- ✓Rigid plastics labeled #1-#7
- ✓Clean plastic film (ONLY if multiple bags are stuffed into one tied bag)
Do NOT Include
- ✕Loose plastic grocery bags
- ✕Food waste and liquids
- ✕Hazardous chemicals
- ✕Styrofoam
- ✕Drinking glasses and Pyrex
- ✕Electronics and batteries
Yard Waste Bin
If you choose to bag your organics or food scraps, you must use paper bags, certified compostable bags, or completely clear plastic bags. Black and white plastic bags are strictly forbidden.
Accepted Items
- ✓Fruit and vegetable scraps (including peels and pits)
- ✓Meat, bones, and dairy products
- ✓Coffee grounds and tea leaves
- ✓Food-soiled paper (pizza boxes, napkins, paper takeout containers)
- ✓Grass clippings, leaves, and weeds
- ✓Small branches (under 6 inches thick and 3 feet long)
- ✓Clean dimensional lumber (unpainted and untreated)
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Three scheduled 'Neighborhood Clean-Up Days' per year
Placement
Place all items within 3 feet of the curb by 5:30 a.m. on your designated clean-up day. Do not set items out more than 24 hours in advance, and explicitly label any items intended for donation as 'REUSE'.
Accepted
- ✓ Large appliances and e-waste (doors removed)
- ✓ Couches, mattresses, and household furniture
- ✓ Up to four automobile tires (separated from rims)
- ✓ Bagged or boxed loose trash
- ✓ Bundled yard trimmings and clean wood
- ✓ Reusable items (books, dishware, clothing)
Not Accepted
- ✕ Single items exceeding 200 pounds
- ✕ Hazardous waste and wet paint
- ✕ Construction and demolition debris
- ✕ Dirt, concrete, bricks, or rocks
- ✕ Abandoned automobiles or large auto parts
The three scheduled collections are included in your standard service. Exceeding the 3 cubic yard limit, setting out more than two bulky items, or requesting an off-schedule pickup will result in additional charges.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
If your scheduled service day falls on or after an observed weekday holiday, your collection will be pushed back by one day for the remainder of that week (e.g., Thursday customers will be serviced on Friday).
Yard Waste Exception
Green organics and blue recycling carts follow the exact same holiday delay schedule as the gray garbage cart.
If an observed holiday falls on a weekend, your weekday collection schedule is unaffected. Furthermore, ACI works a normal schedule on minor holidays like Memorial Day and Labor Day.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
The 'Bag-in-Bag' Rule for Plastic Film
Unlike many municipalities that completely ban plastic film in curbside recycling, ACI allows it in the blue cart only under strict conditions. You must stuff multiple plastic grocery bags or film wrappers into a single plastic bag and tie it off securely. Loose plastic bags will tangle in the recycling facility's gears.
Shredded Paper Belongs in the Green Cart
While shredded office paper is technically made of recyclable fiber, ACI highly recommends placing it in your green organics cart. The tiny strips can contaminate glass and plastic bales at the recycling center, but in the green cart, they safely break down in the compost and help absorb wet food odors.
Batteries Must Go On Top
Tossing standard household batteries (AA, AAA, C, D, 9-volt) inside your carts is a severe fire hazard. Instead, San Ramon residents can safely recycle these by sealing them in a clear Ziploc bag and placing the bag directly on TOP of the blue recycling cart lid on collection day.
Seasonal Information
Winter
December - JanuaryChristmas tree collection runs for four consecutive weeks beginning December 26th. Place your un-flocked tree at the curb on your regular collection day. All ornaments, lights, tinsel, and stands must be completely removed. Trees over 6 feet tall should be cut into manageable sections.
Year-Round
January - DecemberCheck the ACI 'Clean Up Schedule' on their website by entering your home address. Single-family residents automatically receive three neighborhood clean-up dates throughout the year, removing the need to manually schedule your free bulk waste allowances.
About San Ramon Waste Management
Comprehensive Collection Upgrades with ACI
Following the transition of its solid waste franchise to Alameda County Industries (ACI), San Ramon residents benefit from an enhanced three-cart collection framework that prioritizes maximum diversion from landfills. One of the standout features of this agreement is that the majority of single-family households can actively request to increase their recycling and organic waste capacity—allowing up to two 96-gallon blue carts and two 96-gallon green carts—without incurring any additional monthly charges.
Scheduled Neighborhood Clean-Up Days
Instead of forcing residents to individually coordinate bulk item removals, ACI simplifies the process by organizing three pre-scheduled 'Neighborhood Clean-Up Days' every calendar year, specific to each address zone. On your assigned dates, you can effortlessly set out up to three cubic yards of material, two large appliances or furniture pieces, and four automobile tires. What makes this program truly forward-thinking is its reuse component: ACI actively partners with local charities to salvage lightly used furniture, books, and clothing left at the curb, ensuring these goods benefit the community rather than occupying landfill space.
Exceptional Door-to-Door Hazardous Waste Removal
Safely disposing of volatile chemicals often means dedicating a Saturday to waiting in line at a regional facility. San Ramon circumvents this by offering an incredibly convenient Door-to-Door Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) program operated by Clean Harbors. Residents simply call to schedule an appointment and receive a specialized containment kit in the mail. From leftover latex paint and pool chemicals to motor oil and fluorescent tubes, residents pack their items according to the provided instructions, and a driver collects the secure bag straight from their driveway.
Managing Occasional Volume Overflows
If you've recently hosted an event or completed a deep clean, you might find your standard gray garbage cart overflowing. ACI strictly prohibits leaving loose trash next to the bin, but the city offers a practical solution. Residents can purchase 'Extra Garbage Service' tags at City Hall or order them by mail. By attaching this tag to any standard 32-gallon trash bag, the collection crew will automatically pick it up alongside your cart. A similar program exists for massive yard cleanups, utilizing special pre-paid compostable paper bags for excess trimmings.
Strict Bag Guidelines for the Organics Cart
To align with California’s aggressive SB 1383 organic waste mandates, San Ramon’s green cart program accepts everything from meat and dairy scraps to greasy pizza boxes. However, preventing contamination at the commercial composting facility is paramount. For this reason, standard black or white plastic garbage bags are entirely prohibited in the green organics cart. If you prefer to contain your messy food scraps before tossing them, you are required to use certified compostable plastic bags, simple paper bags, or totally clear plastic bags so drivers can visually verify the contents.
Drop-off Facilities
Clean Harbors Door-to-Door HHW Service
Direct to Resident Doorstep (San Ramon, CA)
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get rid of an old couch or mattress in San Ramon?
San Ramon single-family residents are automatically assigned three 'Neighborhood Clean-Up Days' per year. You can look up your dates on the ACI website and place up to two large bulky items (under 200 lbs each) at the curb for free. If you cannot wait for your assigned day, you can call ACI at (925) 380-9480 to schedule an immediate pickup for an extra fee.
What should I do if my gray garbage cart is completely full?
ACI will not collect loose trash or untagged bags sitting on the curb. If you occasionally exceed your cart's capacity, you must purchase an 'Extra Garbage Service' tag from City Hall (or by phone). Stick this tag onto a standard 32-gallon trash bag and place it next to your cart on collection day.
How can I safely dispose of paint and hazardous chemicals?
You do not need to drive to a county drop-off center. San Ramon offers a highly convenient, free door-to-door collection program through Clean Harbors. Call 1-800-433-5060 to set an appointment. They will mail you a plastic containment bag; you load your chemicals according to the instructions, and a driver will collect it from your driveway.
Are plastic bags allowed in the blue recycling cart?
Yes, but strictly under the 'bag-in-bag' rule. Loose plastic bags wrap around the gears at the sorting facility. If you want to recycle plastic grocery bags or film, you must stuff multiple bags tightly inside of one single bag, tie it in a knot, and then place it in the blue cart.