Pickup Rules & Schedules: San Jose vs Santa Clara
How do pickup rules & schedules rules compare between San Jose, CA and Santa Clara, CA?
San Jose and Santa Clara have similar restriction levels.
San Jose, CA
Santa Clara County
San Jose provides curbside collection of garbage, recycling, and organics through a contracted waste hauler. Collection occurs weekly on assigned days. Carts must be placed at the curb by 6:00 AM on collection day with handles facing the house. Carts should be set out no earlier than 5:00 PM the day before collection and retrieved by midnight on collection day. The City provides three carts: blue for recycling, green for organics/yard waste, and brown/gray for garbage.
View full San Jose rules →Santa Clara, CA
Santa Clara County
Santa Clara provides weekly curbside collection of garbage, recycling, and organics through Mission Trail Waste Systems. Carts must be placed curbside by 6 AM on collection day.
View full Santa Clara rules →Key Facts Comparison
| Fact | San Jose | Santa Clara |
|---|---|---|
| Collection | Weekly curbside pickup on assigned day | - |
| Set-Out | By 6:00 AM on collection day; no earlier than 5 PM prior day | - |
| Cart Colors | Blue (recycling), Green (organics), Gray (garbage) | - |
| Retrieval | By midnight on collection day | - |
| Goal | 90% landfill diversion by 2030 | - |
| Hauler | - | Mission Trail Waste Systems |
| Frequency | - | Weekly |
| Set-out time | - | By 6:00 AM |
| Cart sizes | - | 20, 32, 64, 96 gallon |
| Streams | - | Garbage, recycling, organics |
Highlighted rows indicate differences between cities.
San Jose FAQ
What day is my trash pickup in San Jose?
Collection days are assigned by address. Check the City's website at sanjoseca.gov/recycle or call 408-535-3500 to find your collection schedule.
What goes in each cart?
Blue cart: paper, cardboard, bottles, cans. Green cart: food scraps, yard waste, food-soiled paper. Gray cart: non-recyclable, non-compostable materials only.
Santa Clara FAQ
Who provides trash service in Santa Clara?
Mission Trail Waste Systems (MTWS) is the franchised hauler for residential customers.
What time must carts be out?
Carts must be placed curbside by 6:00 AM on your collection day and removed within 24 hours.
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