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

Section V-200-3.40 sets minimum collection frequencies for every premises in the City of Milpitas. Putrescible solid waste and organic materials, the kind that rots and attracts vermin, cannot accumulate for more than one week; the same weekly limit applies to non-putrescible waste kept in front-end loader bins. Non-putrescible solid waste or organic materials in compactors and drop boxes get a longer 30-day window, as do non-putrescible recyclable materials kept in front-end loader bins and drop boxes, while non-putrescible recyclables kept specifically in compactors may sit for up to 60 days before the code requires disposal.

For curbside customers, containers must be wheeled to the street with the wheels against the curb, two feet from parked cars and mailboxes, on the scheduled collection day, and the authorized contractor is not required to enter a private yard except for disabled residents or customers paying for backyard service. If a resident fails to return empty containers from the curb to their approved storage location in a timely manner after pickup, the code specifically authorizes the City to cite that generator. Non-curbside customers must locate containers so the driver does not have to dismount the truck, travel more than 25 feet, or use non-standard equipment, or they owe a backyard service rate.