Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Wasco
Trash Day
Monday (Schedule A) or Tuesday (Schedule B), depending on your neighborhood zone
Recycling
Every Friday
Yard Waste
Wednesday (Schedule A) or Thursday (Schedule B), depending on your neighborhood zone
Set Out Time
By 5:00 AM on collection day
Utility Billing & Payments
Manage your local solid waste services
Trash, green waste, and recycling services are billed together with city water and sewer on your monthly Wasco utility statement.
Billing Cycle
Monthly
Accepted Methods
Online, Auto-Pay, Mail, Phone, In Person
Pro Tip / Discount
Eligible senior residents (60+ enrolled in PG&E CARE/FERA) can apply for a monthly senior water utility discount program.
Black Bin (Trash)
Place carts out by 5:00 a.m. on your collection day with handles facing the house, spaced 3-5 feet apart. Carts must be removed from the street or alley on non-service days.
Accepted Items
- ✓Normal household garbage
- ✓Diapers and sanitary items
- ✓Pet waste and animal bedding
- ✓Styrofoam (EPS)
- ✓Flocked Christmas trees (cut up)
- ✓Non-recyclable plastics
Blue Bin (Recycling)
Do not bag your recyclables; place them loosely in the blue cart. The only exception is shredded paper, which must be in a clear bag. All recycling carts are serviced on Fridays.
Accepted Items
- ✓Clean paper and flattened cardboard
- ✓Glass bottles and jars
- ✓Aluminum and tin cans
- ✓Plastic bottles and jugs
- ✓Shredded paper (in a clear plastic bag)
Do NOT Include
- ✕Food waste
- ✕Standard plastic grocery bags
- ✕Yard waste
- ✕Tanglers (hoses, cords, hangers)
- ✕Hazardous chemicals
Yard Waste Bin
All organic waste must go into the green cart. Do not use plastic bags for food scraps. Limbs longer than 4 feet, rocks, earth, and animal waste are strictly prohibited.
Accepted Items
- ✓Grass clippings and leaves
- ✓Tree limbs (under 4 feet in length)
- ✓Vegetation and weeds
- ✓Household food scraps
- ✓Natural, unflocked holiday trees
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Biannual Drop-Off Events (Spring and Fall)
Placement
Items must be safely transported and dropped off at the designated locations (such as Barker Park) during the official hours of the scheduled Spring and Fall cleanup events.
Accepted
- ✓ Mattresses and box springs
- ✓ Couches and large furniture
- ✓ Major home appliances
- ✓ Large outdoor toys and patio furniture
Not Accepted
- ✕ Household Hazardous Waste (paint, motor oil, chemicals)
- ✕ Tires
- ✕ Construction, demolition, or remodeling materials
- ✕ Commercial waste
Drop-off is completely free for Wasco residents during the specific community cleanup events. Otherwise, bulky items must be hauled to the landfill at the resident's expense.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
If an observed holiday falls on your scheduled service day, your trash and green waste collection will take place on the next business day.
Yard Waste Exception
Green waste collection follows the exact same holiday delay policy as the black trash cart.
American Refuse, which services the blue recycling carts every Friday, follows a similar schedule. If a holiday disrupts the week, Friday recycling pickups generally shift to Saturday.
Observed Holidays
Seasonal Information
Winter
December - JanuaryFor Christmas tree disposal, un-flocked (natural) trees can be cut down to fit inside the green organics cart. However, if your tree is flocked with artificial snow, it is considered contaminated and must be placed in the black trash cart.
Spring/Fall
April & OctoberTake advantage of Wasco's Biannual Community Cleanup Days. Since the City does not offer on-demand curbside bulky pickups, these drop-off events at Barker Park are your best opportunity to dispose of old mattresses, couches, and appliances for free.
Local Tips & Community Info
American Refuse Services in Wasco
To maintain a clean and sustainable community, the City of Wasco contracts exclusively with American Refuse to handle all residential garbage, recycling, and green waste collections. Every household is provided with three distinct municipal carts to properly sort their daily refuse. By utilizing this standardized three-container system, Wasco is able to meet Kern County's aggressive landfill diversion goals. American Refuse operates modern, automated collection vehicles that require specific curbside placement to ensure neighborhood routes are completed safely and without delay.
Proper Cart Positioning and Collection Times
On your designated collection morning, all three carts must be wheeled to the street edge by 6:00 a.m. sharp. Because automated mechanical arms are used to empty the bins, residents must leave a minimum of three feet of clearance around each cart. Keep them well away from fences, low-hanging tree branches, and parked cars. Additionally, the City of Wasco runs active street sweeping routes; it is crucial that residents pull their emptied bins back onto their property by the evening of their collection day so that street sweepers can clean the gutters unimpeded.
Meeting State Organic Diversion Goals
To meet the stringent environmental guidelines of California Senate Bill 1383, all Wasco households are mandated to separate organic materials from the general trash supply. Your green cart is specifically designated for all yard trimmings and kitchen food scraps. This means that meat, dairy, coffee grounds, eggshells, and food-soiled paper products must go into the green bin instead of the standard garbage cart. Clean, dry cardboard, paper, and rigid plastics should be placed in the blue recycling container. Only non-recoverable household refuse should ever enter the grey or black landfill cart.
Tackling Oversized Debris and Electronics
Over time, families accumulate oversized items that exceed the capacity of their standard municipal carts. Instead of attempting to force mattresses or broken couches into a curbside bin, Wasco residents can rely on American Refuse for bulky item disposal. Single-family homes can call the hauler directly to schedule a specialized curbside pickup for large furniture and appliances. It is important to note that hazardous chemicals, wet paint, and electronic waste (like old computers or TVs) require special handling and must be transported to a designated Kern County hazardous waste drop-off event.
Holiday Delays and Route Changes
While refuse crews operate diligently throughout the year, service schedules are occasionally modified to accommodate major federal holidays. American Refuse officially observes New Year's Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. If any of these recognized holidays falls on a standard Monday through Friday, all subsequent collections for that week will be delayed by exactly 24 hours. For example, a Wednesday pickup will be shifted to Thursday. Normal neighborhood routing always resumes at the beginning of the following week.
Drop-off Facilities
Shafter-Wasco Landfill
17621 Scofield Avenue, Shafter, CA 93263
Materials Accepted
American Refuse Wasco Office (Sharps Drop-Off)
1316 J Street, Wasco, CA 93280
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
Which company is responsible for picking up garbage in Wasco?
American Refuse is the exclusive franchised waste and recycling hauler for all residential properties within the City of Wasco.
What is the deadline to put my bins out on trash day?
All trash, recycling, and organic carts must be positioned at the curb by 6:00 a.m. on the morning of your scheduled pickup day.
Can I put greasy pizza boxes in my recycling bin?
No. Greasy pizza boxes and other food-soiled paper products cannot be recycled. Under SB 1383 rules, they must be placed in your green organics cart.