Trash & Recycling in San Jose, CA (2026)
10 verified trash & recycling rules for San Jose, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
San Jose collects garbage, recycling, and yard trimmings weekly on the same day. Find your day with the city's Residential Services Lookup. Only Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day push collection one day later.
San Jose Trash Pickup Schedule & Rules
Light RestrictionsCalifornia SB1383 (2015-2016 Session)
39730.6. (a) Consistent with Section 39730.5, methane emissions reduction goals shall include the following targets to reduce the landfill disposal of organics: (1) A 50-percent reduction in the level of the statewide disposal of organic waste from the 2014 level by 2020. (2) A 75-percent reduction in the level of the statewide disposal of organic waste from the 2014 level by 2025. (b) Except a...
Bin Placement Rules
San Jose limits how early garbage and recycling carts can hit the curb and requires them stored out of sight the rest of the week.
San Jose Trash Cart Set-Out Window
Some RestrictionsSan Jose Municipal Code § 9.10.1100
No person shall keep any Garbage container, nor permit any Garbage container to remain, in the street or upon the public parkway except during the period from noon on the day preceding the scheduled collection day to noon on the day immediately following collection.... Except when the containers are set out for collection, the Solid Waste Generator shall keep and maintain all Solid Waste contai...
Bulk Item Disposal
San Jose residents can set bulky goods, old furniture, appliances, tires, yard debris, on the public parkway only within the scheduled pickup window, for collection by the city's authorized residential hauler under Municipal Code § 9.10.1080.
San Jose Bulky Item Curbside Pickup Rules
Some RestrictionsSan Jose Municipal Code § 9.10.1080(C)
The Owner of a Residential Premises or the Generator of Bulky Goods generated at such Premises may set out Bulky Goods for collection by the City's authorized Residential Solid Waste Collector by placing the Bulky Goods on the public parkway in front of the Premises where the Bulky Goods were generated.D.The Owner of a Residential Premises or the Generator of waste corrugated cardboard generate...
Recycling Requirements
San Jose requires every residential property to subscribe to weekly recycling, organic materials, and solid waste collection, and bars owners from blocking those pickups, whether or not the home is occupied or waste is set out.
San Jose Mandatory Curbside Recycling Service
Heavy RestrictionsSan Jose Municipal Code § 9.10.1010
Each Residential Premises in the City shall be provided Solid Waste, Recyclable Materials, and Organic Materials collection services at least once per week regardless of whether the Premises are occupied and regardless of whether Solid Wastes are set out for collection.B.No Owner of a Residential Premises shall prohibit or prevent the provision of weekly Solid Waste collection services, includi...
Holiday Pickup Schedule
City holidays interrupt San Jose's normal 7-day collection cycle, so trash, recycling, and organics pickup can be postponed to the next working day of your hauler.
San Jose Holiday Pickup Schedule Shifts
Light RestrictionsSan Jose Municipal Code § 9.10.520(B)(3)
Official holidays interrupt the normal seven (7)-day collection cycle, in which case collections may be postponed to the next working day of the Solid Waste Collector.C.The requirement for weekly removal of Solid Waste applies to all material types under the City's collection program, including Recyclable Materials, Organic Materials, Garbage and other Solid Waste. (Ords. 24315, 24718, 30684.)
Illegal Dumping
Dumping solid waste or hazardous materials on public or private property is banned citywide; violators face criminal, civil, or administrative penalties and must pay for cleanup, and hiring someone else to dump makes both parties liable.
Illegal Dumping Penalties in San Jose
Heavy RestrictionsSan Jose Municipal Code § 9.10.545
A. No person shall dispose of solid waste or hazardous materials by illegal dumping on any public or private property within the city. ... D. Each act of illegal dumping on a separate area of a single location is a separate violation even if each occurs on the same general time and day. E. Any person who disposes of solid waste or hazardous materials through illegal dumping shall be responsible...
Yard Waste Collection
San Jose caps curbside yard waste piles at five feet in any dimension and requires them set at least one foot from the curb, or bagged/binned where in-street placement isn't allowed.
San Jose Yard Waste Setout Rules
Some RestrictionsSan Jose Municipal Code § 9.10.1080(A)
Except as provided in subsection B., the Owner of a Residential Premises or the Generator of Yard Waste at such Premises may set out Yard Waste for collection by the City's authorized Yard Waste collector by placing the Yard Waste or the Yard Waste container in the street in front of the Residential Premises where the Yard Waste were generated or, if the Residential Premises is on a corner lot,...
Dumpster Rules
San Jose bans keeping a commercial dumpster or rolloff box in the public furnishing zone except from 12 hours before scheduled pickup through 6 hours after, and bars them from sidewalks, curbs, gutters, alleys, and streets entirely.
San Jose Dumpster Placement Time Limits
Some RestrictionsSan Jose Municipal Code § 9.10.1410
No Commercial Solid Waste Container or Rubbish container shall be kept or permitted to remain upon the public Furnishing Zone/Parkstrip, as defined in Section 11.04.110, except during the twelve (12) hours immediately preceding the scheduled time of collection by the Solid Waste Collector and during the six (6) hours immediately following collection. No Commercial Solid Waste or Rubbish contain...
Collection Schedule
Every residential property in San Jose must have weekly solid waste, recycling, and organic materials collection whether or not the home is occupied or waste is set out, and regular pickup never happens on Saturday or Sunday.
San Jose Weekly Trash Collection Mandate & Hours
Some RestrictionsSan Jose Municipal Code § 9.10.1010
Each Residential Premises in the City shall be provided Solid Waste, Recyclable Materials, and Organic Materials collection services at least once per week regardless of whether the Premises are occupied and regardless of whether Solid Wastes are set out for collection.
Recycling Rules
Recyclables set out for pickup become the authorized collector's property under city code, and only that collector may take them. Anyone else who removes recyclables from a curb, bin, or alley collection point commits a separate offense each time it happens.
San Jose Curbside Recycling Ownership Rules
Some RestrictionsSan Jose Municipal Code §§ 9.10.700, 9.10.740
Upon the placement of Recyclable Material in a Designated Collection Location for collection by an Authorized Recycling Collector, the Recyclable Material shall become the property of the Authorized Recycling Collector. ... No person, other than an Authorized Recycling Collector or Authorized Organic Material Collector, shall remove Recyclable Material or Organic Materials which have been place...
Looking for Santa Clara County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement San Jose city rules.
Trash & Recycling in Santa Clara County →