Del Norte County, CA Trash & Recycling: Pickup Rules & Schedules (2026)

Solid waste service in unincorporated Del Norte County is administered by the Del Norte Solid Waste Management Authority (DNSWMA), a joint powers authority formed by the County of Del Norte and the City of Crescent City in 1992 to manage all solid waste, recycling, composting, and household hazardous waste facilities and programs countywide. Recology Del Norte is the franchised hauler and provides weekly residential and commercial brush, recycling, and garbage collection. For collection, residents place carts curbside in the street by 6 a.m. on their weekly service day, with the wheels against the curb and the lid arrows pointed toward the street; on streets without a curb, carts go on the roadside, spaced 3 feet apart and facing the street. Each customer can look up their specific service day, holiday schedule, and reminders through Recology's tools. Residents who do not use curbside service can self-haul waste to the county transfer station operated through DNSWMA. A specific countywide ordinance requiring every unincorporated resident to subscribe to collection was not confirmed in this research, so residents should verify mandatory-subscription requirements with the Authority. Statewide recycling and organics laws (AB 341, AB 1826, and SB 1383) also apply, though Del Norte's rural status affects organics obligations.