In the unincorporated Service Area, County Code Chapter 4.04 establishes mandatory minimum residential collection — garbage, recycling, and organics carts picked up once a week. Recology San Mateo County serves franchised areas including County Service Area 8 (North Fair Oaks); other unincorporated pockets are served by GreenWaste, Republic Services, South San Francisco Scavenger, or Kunz Valley Trash under non-exclusive franchises.
San Mateo County Code Chapter 4.04 (Solid Waste Collection, Transport, Storage, and Disposal) governs collection in the unincorporated area. Section 4.04.200 makes minimum curbside service mandatory for residential properties in the Service Area, with the County paying the authorized hauler for the minimum service levels in Section 4.04.220 and recovering the cost through the property tax (per Section 4.04.250). The base residential service is one garbage cart, one recycling cart, and one organics cart, each collected weekly; service beyond the minimum is contracted directly with the hauler at Board-set rates. The franchised hauler differs by location: Recology San Mateo County holds the franchise for County franchised areas including County Service Area 8 (North Fair Oaks), while non-exclusive franchise areas are served by haulers such as Greenwaste Recovery, Republic Services, South San Francisco Scavenger Company, and Kunz Valley Trash. Residents in some unincorporated communities coordinate with adjacent city programs. For Recology customers, the company empties carts on a fixed weekly service day; residents find their service day through Recology's website or by calling the hauler. The County requires that solid waste and recyclable materials be properly contained in transit (Section 4.04.100). Self-hauling of waste is permitted in limited circumstances but does not relieve a residential parcel of the minimum-service obligation in the Service Area.
Skipping mandatory minimum service in the Service Area is not permitted, since charges are billed through the property tax. Setting out unbagged loose refuse, missing the weekly service day, or improperly contained materials in transit can lead to non-collection or, where refuse accumulates, a property-maintenance nuisance referral.
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