Trash pickup in San Diego, CA

Who collects trash in San Diego, how trash day works, and which holidays move pickup. Checked against official city and hauler pages on Oct 15, 2026.

Next holiday change: Thanksgiving Day, Thu, Nov 26, 2026Slides a daySee every holiday

At a glance

Who collects
City crews and contractors
Haulers
6: City of San Diego Environmental Services Department, EDCO Disposal, Republic Services, Universal Waste Systems, Inc., Ware Disposal Inc., Waste Management
Recycling
Every other week
Holiday schedule
2026 posted, 2027 not posted yet
Last checked
Oct 15, 2026

The City of San Diego Environmental Services Department (ESD) collects trash (gray cart) and organics (green cart) weekly and recycling (blue cart) every other week for eligible homes citywide: up to four residences on one lot, on a public street or alley. Homes the City ruled ineligible under Measure B (private streets, gated communities, 5+ units on a lot and similar) had to sign up with a City-approved franchise hauler (EDCO, Republic, Universal Waste Systems, Ware Disposal or Waste Management) by Oct 15, 2025, and owners pick the hauler. City pickup runs Monday to Friday, with carts out by 6 a.m. On the five City holidays with no collection, pickups slide one day later for the rest of that week, so Friday moves to Saturday. City residents now pay a Solid Waste Management Fee on the property tax bill (FY2026: $43.60 a month for a 95-gallon cart). Reduced fees start July 1, 2027, and planned weekly recycling and bulky pickup are paused.

Who picks up trash in San Diego

City crews and contractors.

City of San Diego Environmental Services Department

City serviceTrashRecyclingOrganics
Area
Whole city (eligible homes only: up to 4 residences per lot on public streets or alleys)
Phone
858-694-7000

Gray cart trash and green cart organics (yard waste and food scraps) are collected weekly and light blue recycling every other week, Monday to Friday between 6 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. For eligibility or transition questions, call 619-533-4440 or email wasteservice@sandiego.gov. The Measure B Solid Waste Management Fee is billed on the County property tax roll: in FY2026, $523.20 a year at the 95-gallon level ($43.60 a month), paid in two installments of $261.60, and FY2027 fees are the same. The Council reduced fees starting July 1, 2027 (95-gallon $38.75 a month, 65-gallon $34.37, 35-gallon $28.52), then $39.91, $35.43 and $29.43 from July 1, 2028. Planned weekly recycling and bulky item pickup are paused or cancelled. New City-issued carts have rolled out, and old resident-owned black bins haven't been collected since July 1, 2026. Customers can't turn the service off.

EDCO Disposal

Private haulerTrashRecyclingOrganics
Area
Not assigned by area. Homes anywhere in the city that aren't eligible for City service (5+ units on a lot, private streets or gated communities, mixed-use, not enough cart storage and similar) choose any City-approved franchise hauler. The City doesn't assign haulers or set their rates, and 'not every hauler serves every area.'

City-approved franchise hauler for homes not eligible for City service. EDCO affiliates on the City's list: EDCO Waste & Recycling, Express Waste & Recycling, Webco and Sani-Tainer. Holiday schedule: edcodisposal.com/service-schedules.

Republic Services

Private haulerTrashRecyclingOrganics
Area
Not assigned by area. Homes anywhere in the city that aren't eligible for City service (5+ units on a lot, private streets or gated communities, mixed-use, not enough cart storage and similar) choose any City-approved franchise hauler. The City doesn't assign haulers or set their rates, and 'not every hauler serves every area.'

City-approved franchise hauler. Affiliate on the City's older list: Tayman Industries. The City's directory says Republic can provide carts in certain ZIP codes, and in others under certain HOA conditions.

Universal Waste Systems, Inc.

Private haulerTrashRecyclingOrganics
Area
Not assigned by area. Homes anywhere in the city that aren't eligible for City service (5+ units on a lot, private streets or gated communities, mixed-use, not enough cart storage and similar) choose any City-approved franchise hauler. The City doesn't assign haulers or set their rates, and 'not every hauler serves every area.'

City-approved franchise hauler.

Ware Disposal Inc.

Private haulerTrashRecyclingOrganics
Area
Not assigned by area. Homes anywhere in the city that aren't eligible for City service (5+ units on a lot, private streets or gated communities, mixed-use, not enough cart storage and similar) choose any City-approved franchise hauler. The City doesn't assign haulers or set their rates, and 'not every hauler serves every area.'

City-approved franchise hauler.

Waste Management

Private haulerTrashRecyclingOrganics
Area
Not assigned by area. Homes anywhere in the city that aren't eligible for City service (5+ units on a lot, private streets or gated communities, mixed-use, not enough cart storage and similar) choose any City-approved franchise hauler. The City doesn't assign haulers or set their rates, and 'not every hauler serves every area.'

City-approved franchise hauler. Affiliates on the City's older list: Moor Refuse, Emerald Waste & Recovery, Coast Waste Management, BDC, Reliable Waste and USA Waste.

Not covered

City service is only for eligible residential property: up to four residences on a single lot, collected at the curb of a City public street or public alley. Not covered: 5+ residences on a lot, mixed-use or commercial property, private streets or gated communities (or properties reached or serviced from a private street), properties without room to store City carts, and whole complexes where any unit is ineligible. These must use a City-approved franchise hauler.

How trash day works in San Diego

By address and route. Look up your collection day and recycling week with the City's Collection Map Lookup (Get It Done). The City also publishes 2026 Curbsider collection calendars.

Find a trash day on getitdone.sandiego.gov

Recycling: every other week. The City collects the light blue recycling cart every other week and the gray trash and green organics carts weekly. The planned switch to weekly recycling is paused or cancelled, along with the fee cut starting July 2027. Homes with franchise haulers must get at least weekly trash, every-other-week recycling and weekly organics.

Carts out: City service: bins at the curb or alley by 6 a.m. on collection day. Collection runs 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday to Friday. The City doesn't publish a time to bring bins back in. Source

Franchise haulers set their own pickup days; contact your hauler.

San Diego trash pickup holiday schedule

Upcoming holidays in San Diego and what each does to pickup. The 2026 holiday schedule is posted; 2027’s isn’t out yet.

The City's 2026 list has five holidays with no collection: New Year's, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. The City hasn't posted its 2027 list yet. EDCO's schedule includes New Year's Day, Jan 1, 2027. For other franchise haulers, check holiday changes with the hauler.

2026

  1. Veterans Day, Wed, Nov 11, 2026

    Normal pickup

    EDCO residential customers

    EDCO lists Veterans Day among holidays that don't change service: San Diego customers set containers out on the regular day.

    Source: edcodisposal.com

  2. Thanksgiving Day, Thu, Nov 26, 2026

    Slides a day

    City trash, recycling and organics

    No City collection on Thanksgiving. 'Starting on the day of the holiday, trash is collected one day later for the remainder of that week': Thursday moves to Friday and Friday to Saturday.

    Source: sandiego.gov

  3. Thanksgiving Day, Thu, Nov 26, 2026

    Slides a day

    EDCO residential customers

    No EDCO residential collection on Thanksgiving. Thursday customers move to Friday and Friday customers to Saturday; earlier days aren't affected.

    Source: edcodisposal.com

  4. Christmas Day, Fri, Dec 25, 2026

    Slides a day

    City trash, recycling and organics

    No City collection on Christmas, a Friday. Under the City's one-day-later rule, Friday collection moves to Saturday.

    Source: sandiego.gov

  5. Christmas Day, Fri, Dec 25, 2026

    Slides a day

    EDCO residential customers

    Only Friday customers move, by one day, to Saturday.

    Source: edcodisposal.com

2027

  1. New Year's Day, Fri, Jan 1, 2027

    Slides a day

    EDCO residential customers

    Only Friday customers move, by one day, to Saturday, Jan 2.

    Source: edcodisposal.com
Slides a day
That day’s pickups and the rest of the week move one day later (Friday’s move to Saturday).
Normal pickup
Pickup runs as usual.
Cleaning bins in San Diego?

Bins get cleaned right after pickup, so when a holiday moves trash day, your route moves with it. In Clean Bin System you give each zone its hauler and add the hauler’s holidays once: that week’s cleanings move with the pickup, and each customer gets a text. See how it works

San Diego neighborhoods

52 names from City of San Diego Community Planning Areas. Each hauler’s area is listed under Who collects.

  • Barrio Logan
  • Black Mountain Ranch
  • Carmel Mountain Ranch
  • Carmel Valley
  • Chollas Valley/Encanto Neighborhoods
  • City Heights
  • Clairemont Mesa
  • College Area
  • Del Mar Mesa
  • Downtown
  • East Elliott
  • Eastern Area
  • Fairbanks Ranch Country Club
  • Greater Golden Hill
  • Kearny Mesa
  • Kensington-Talmadge
  • La Jolla
  • Linda Vista
  • Midway-Pacific Highway
  • Miramar Ranch North
  • Mira Mesa
  • Mission Beach
  • Mission Valley
  • Navajo
  • Normal Heights
  • North City Future Urbanizing Area (NCFUA)
  • North Park
  • Ocean Beach
  • Old Town San Diego
  • Otay Mesa
  • Otay Mesa-Nestor
  • Pacific Beach
  • Pacific Highlands Ranch
  • Peninsula
  • Rancho Bernardo
  • Rancho Encantada
  • Rancho Penasquitos
  • Sabre Springs
  • San Pasqual Valley
  • San Ysidro
  • Scripps Miramar Ranch
  • Serra Mesa
  • Skyline/Paradise Hills
  • Southeastern San Diego
  • Tierrasanta
  • Tijuana River Valley
  • Torrey Highlands
  • Torrey Hills
  • Torrey Pines
  • University
  • Uptown
  • Via de la Valle

Source: sandiego.gov

Questions about trash pickup in San Diego

Who picks up trash in San Diego?

The City of San Diego Environmental Services Department (ESD) collects trash (gray cart) and organics (green cart) weekly and recycling (blue cart) every other week for eligible homes citywide: up to four residences on one lot, on a public street or alley. Homes the City ruled ineligible under Measure B (private streets, gated communities, 5+ units on a lot and similar) had to sign up with a City-approved franchise hauler (EDCO, Republic, Universal Waste Systems, Ware Disposal or Waste Management) by Oct 15, 2025, and owners pick the hauler. City pickup runs Monday to Friday, with carts out by 6 a.m. On the five City holidays with no collection, pickups slide one day later for the rest of that week, so Friday moves to Saturday. City residents now pay a Solid Waste Management Fee on the property tax bill (FY2026: $43.60 a month for a 95-gallon cart). Reduced fees start July 1, 2027, and planned weekly recycling and bulky pickup are paused.

How do I find my trash day in San Diego?

By address and route. Look up your collection day and recycling week with the City's Collection Map Lookup (Get It Done). The City also publishes 2026 Curbsider collection calendars.

Is recycling picked up every week in San Diego?

No, every other week. The City collects the light blue recycling cart every other week and the gray trash and green organics carts weekly. The planned switch to weekly recycling is paused or cancelled, along with the fee cut starting July 2027. Homes with franchise haulers must get at least weekly trash, every-other-week recycling and weekly organics.

When do trash carts go out in San Diego?

City service: bins at the curb or alley by 6 a.m. on collection day. Collection runs 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday to Friday. The City doesn't publish a time to bring bins back in.

Is trash picked up on Thanksgiving in San Diego?

Thanksgiving is Thu, Nov 26, 2026. City trash, recycling and organics: pickup slides a day, so that day’s routes and the rest of the week move one day later. No City collection on Thanksgiving. 'Starting on the day of the holiday, trash is collected one day later for the remainder of that week': Thursday moves to Friday and Friday to Saturday. EDCO residential customers: pickup slides a day, so that day’s routes and the rest of the week move one day later. No EDCO residential collection on Thanksgiving. Thursday customers move to Friday and Friday customers to Saturday; earlier days aren't affected.

Is trash picked up on Christmas in San Diego?

Christmas is Fri, Dec 25, 2026. City trash, recycling and organics: pickup slides a day, so that day’s routes and the rest of the week move one day later. No City collection on Christmas, a Friday. Under the City's one-day-later rule, Friday collection moves to Saturday. EDCO residential customers: pickup slides a day, so that day’s routes and the rest of the week move one day later. Only Friday customers move, by one day, to Saturday.

Is trash picked up on New Year’s Day in San Diego?

New Year’s Day is Fri, Jan 1, 2027. EDCO residential customers: pickup slides a day, so that day’s routes and the rest of the week move one day later. Only Friday customers move, by one day, to Saturday, Jan 2.

Sources

Official city and hauler pages, checked Oct 15, 2026. Schedules change, especially around holidays: check the city’s page before you plan routes. Something out of date? Email taylor@bincleanmarketing.com.

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