Gray or Black Bin (Trash)
All garbage should fit inside the container with the lid completely closed. Overpacked bins will not be serviced. Plastic bags of any kind must be placed in this bin.
Accepted Items
- ✓Standard household garbage
- ✓Plastic bags (including compostable bags)
- ✓Yucca, bamboo, and palm fronds
- ✓Ice plant
- ✓Styrofoam
- ✓Diapers and pet waste
Blue Bin (Recycling)
Items must be clean, dry, and placed loosely in the bin. Never bag your recyclables, as plastic bags ruin the sorting machinery.
Accepted Items
- ✓Clean cardboard and newspaper
- ✓Junk mail and magazines
- ✓Glass bottles and jars
- ✓Rigid plastic bottles
- ✓Metal cans
- ✓Aluminum foil
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic bags or film of any kind
- ✕Styrofoam
- ✕Food waste or liquids
- ✕Hazardous materials
- ✕Tanglers (cords, hoses)
Yard Waste Bin
Must be completely loose. No bags of any kind are permitted, not even compostable bags. Do not include yucca, bamboo, palm fronds, or ice plant.
Accepted Items
- ✓Branches, leaves, and shrubs
- ✓Yard trimmings and weeds
- ✓Food scraps (including meat and bones)
- ✓Food-soiled paper
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
No curbside pickup available (1 free landfill pass per year)
Placement
Residents must transport bulky items themselves directly to the Santa Maria Recycling Park / Regional Landfill at 2065 East Main Street.
Accepted
- ✓ Mattresses (up to 5 per resident)
- ✓ Appliances (stoves, washers, refrigerators)
- ✓ Unupholstered furniture
- ✓ Scrap metal and whole tires
- ✓ Untreated wood and concrete (no rebar)
- ✓ Electronic waste
Not Accepted
- ✕ Hazardous waste mixed with general bulk
- ✕ Commercial construction waste
- ✕ Liquid paints or motor oil (without utilizing the HHW facility)
The annual Landfill Pass allows for one free drop-off per year. Any additional drop-offs or unapproved hard-to-handle items may be subject to posted landfill gate fees.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
When an observed holiday occurs on a weekday, residential collection service is delayed by one day for the remainder of that week.
Yard Waste Exception
Organics collection follows the exact same one-day delay schedule as trash and recycling during holiday weeks.
If a holiday falls on a weekend, your collection day will not be affected. Carts should always be placed at the curb by 6:00 a.m. on your designated service day.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Keep All Bags Out of Organics
Even if a bag says '100% compostable,' the City of Santa Maria strictly forbids it in the green yard waste bin. All food scraps and yard debris must go in completely loose.
Palm Fronds Go in the Trash
Tough, stringy desert plants like palm fronds, yucca, and bamboo cannot be composted locally. Throw these directly into your regular trash cart to avoid contaminating the green waste stream.
Give Your Carts Breathing Room
The automated collection trucks require at least five feet of clearance between carts and any surrounding obstacles like parked cars or mailboxes to safely grab and lift the bins.
Seasonal Information
Summer
JulyThe free annual Landfill Pass for eligible residential trash customers resets every July. Make sure to claim and use your pass for any major summer cleanouts or furniture disposal.
Winter
December - JanuaryWith the potential for high winds during winter storms, ensure your cart lids are pressed down completely flat. Bins with propped-open lids create massive neighborhood litter problems and may not be serviced.
About Santa Maria Waste Management
Santa Maria's Unique Policy on Bulky Item Disposal
Unlike most California municipalities that offer on-demand curbside bulk trash collection, the City of Santa Maria handles large household waste quite differently. The city strictly does not provide curbside pickup for bulky items like mattresses, old sofas, or broken appliances. Instead, residential trash customers are granted a free annual Landfill Pass, which resets every July. This pass empowers residents to transport their own oversized waste directly to the Santa Maria Regional Landfill without paying the standard gate fees, keeping local streets completely clear of discarded furniture.
SB 1383 Organics and the Strict No-Bag Rule
To comply with state organic waste mandates, Santa Maria's Utilities Department allows residents to mix food scraps—including meat, bones, and food-soiled paper—alongside traditional yard trimmings in the green organics bin. However, there is a critical rule that catches many residents off guard: absolutely no bags of any kind are permitted. Even if a bag is marketed as '100% compostable' or biodegradable, it must be thrown into the regular trash. All kitchen scraps and green waste must be placed completely loose inside the organics cart.
Managing Fibrous Plants and Desert Landscaping
The beautiful Central Coast climate supports a wide variety of drought-tolerant and tropical vegetation, but not all of it is suitable for commercial composting. If your landscaping includes fibrous or heavily water-laden plants such as yucca, bamboo, palm fronds, or ice plant, you cannot place these in your green waste bin. Their tough fibers easily jam the grinding equipment at the composting facility. Residents must ensure these specific plant materials go directly into the standard trash cart to avoid contamination penalties.
Mastering the Santa Maria Recycling Park
Before you pay to dump materials at the active landfill face, you can save money and the environment by utilizing the Santa Maria Recycling Park located on East Main Street. State law requires that recyclables be separated from trash before arriving. To make your trip highly efficient, the city advises loading your truck or trailer in a specific order—placing scrap metal, appliances, and mattresses closest to the cab, followed by tires, e-waste, and organics. This reverse-loading strategy allows you to easily drop off free recyclables on your way in.
Cart Placement and Wind Management
Santa Maria is famous for its breezy afternoons, making proper cart placement a necessity to prevent neighborhood litter. Carts must be placed at the curb no later than 6:00 a.m. on your designated collection day. The city's automated trucks require a generous five feet of clearance between each bin, as well as distance from parked cars and mailboxes. Most importantly, do not overpack your containers; lids must be securely closed flat to keep lightweight trash and paper from blowing out during service.
Drop-off Facilities
Santa Maria Regional Landfill & Recycling Park
2065 East Main Street, Santa Maria, CA 93454
Materials Accepted
Santa Maria Household Hazardous Waste Facility
2065 East Main Street, Santa Maria, CA 93454
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the City of Santa Maria offer curbside bulky item pickup?
No. Unlike many neighboring cities, Santa Maria does not offer curbside pickup for large items. Instead, eligible residential customers receive a free annual Landfill Pass (valid from July through June) to haul bulky items like furniture and appliances to the Santa Maria Regional Landfill themselves.
Can I use compostable bags for my kitchen food waste?
No. The Utilities Department strictly prohibits bags of any kind in the green organics container. Even certified compostable bags must be thrown in the regular trash. All food scraps and yard waste must be placed completely loose inside the bin.
How should I dispose of palm fronds and yucca?
Due to their tough and fibrous nature, palm fronds, yucca, bamboo, and ice plant cannot be processed in the city's organics program. You must place these specific plant types in your regular black/gray trash container.
What are the rules for placing my trash carts on the street?
Residents must set out their containers by 6:00 a.m. on their scheduled collection day. The automated trucks require you to place the carts at least five feet apart from each other and away from parked vehicles. All cart lids must be fully closed to prevent spills and neighborhood litter.