San Diego, CA Trash & Recycling: Pickup Rules & Schedules (2026)
Key Facts
- Frequency
- Trash weekly; recycling biweekly
- Organic Waste
- Green bin for food scraps/yard waste (SB 1383)
- Set-Out Time
- By 6 AM on collection day
- Retrieval
- By 6 PM on collection day per §66.0105
- Service
- City-provided for all single-family homes
Summary
San Diego provides weekly residential solid waste collection per SDMC §66.0127 and the Waste Management Regulations. The City collects trash weekly and recyclables biweekly. The new organic waste program under SB 1383 compliance requires food scraps and yard waste in the green bin. Containers must be placed at the curb by 6:00 AM on collection day and retrieved by 6:00 PM. The City transitioned all single-family homes to city-provided trash service.
The state board is also required to complete a comprehensive strategy to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants, as defined, in the state. This bill would require the state board, no later than January 1, 2018, to approve and begin implementing that comprehensive strategy to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants to achieve a reduction in methane by 40%, hydrofluorocarbon gases by 40%, and anthropogenic black carbon by 50% below 2013 levels by 2030, as specified. The bill also would establish specified targets for reducing organic waste in landfills.
Full Breakdown
San Diego contracts with waste haulers or operates municipal trash collection on a weekly schedule. Residents receive assigned pickup days. Holiday delays shift pickup one day. Contaminated recycling bins may be skipped. Oversized or overweight bins will not be collected. Contact San Diego public works for schedule changes or missed pickup reports.
Frequently Asked Questions
What goes in each bin?
When should I put my bins out?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Diego
California rules heatmap·Compare San Diego to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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Pickup Rules & Schedules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Diego County handle pickup rules & schedules.