Grass Valley, CA Trash & Recycling: Pickup Rules & Schedules (2026)

Solid waste collection in the unincorporated areas of Nevada County is governed by Nevada County Code Article 8 (Solid Waste) and the county's franchise system, administered by the Public Works and Health Departments. If you have curbside service in the unincorporated county, you are included in the mandatory program: residents and businesses are required to subscribe with the franchised collector(s) for garbage, recycling, and organics container collection and to pay for that collection and disposal. The western unincorporated county is served by Waste Management (WM), which also operates the three western transfer stations (McCourtney Road, North San Juan, and Washington). The eastern unincorporated county, from roughly Yuba Pass to the California/Nevada border, is served by Tahoe Truckee Sierra Disposal (TTSD); TTSD states residential service is mandatory and that base service of one 32-gallon can is included on the property tax bill per parcel. Article 8, Sec. G-IV 8.3, requires that garbage and other similar putrescible wastes be removed for disposal from any premise at least once every seven days, except for remote isolated areas. For western-county WM customers, carts must be placed at the curb by 6 a.m. on the collection day, removed the same day, and bagged so the lid closes (overflow is not collected). WM provides 96-, 64-, or 35-gallon carts for weekly trash. Self-hauling to a county-approved disposal site is permitted as an alternative where allowed, but Article 8 makes the waste generator responsible for ensuring waste is collected by a contractor or legally self-hauled.