Trash pickup in San Francisco, CA

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

Next holiday to check: Christmas Day, Fri, Dec 25, 2026Not announcedSee every holiday

At a glance

Who collects
Citywide hauler contract
Haulers
2: Recology Sunset Scavenger, Recology Golden Gate
Trash day
Set by the hauler
Recycling
Every week
Holiday schedule
2026 posted, 2027 not posted yet
Last checked
Oct 15, 2026

Recology collects all curbside compost (green), recycling (blue) and landfill (black) carts in San Francisco through two affiliated companies that hold the city's collection permits, Recology Sunset Scavenger and Recology Golden Gate, each serving parts of the city. Service is weekly, and your day is tied to your account and route: check your bill or call Recology. For the rest of 2026, Recology lists Veterans Day and Thanksgiving as normal service; Christmas Day (Friday, Dec 25) is listed as "TBD." The 2027 holiday schedule isn't out yet.

Who picks up trash in San Francisco

Citywide hauler contract.

Recology Sunset Scavenger

Private haulerTrashRecyclingOrganicsYard wasteBulk
Area
Parts of San Francisco: Recology says it serves "residential and commercial customers in areas of San Francisco." The boundary with Recology Golden Gate isn't published. Your provider's name is on the top third of your bill, or call 415-330-1300.
Phone
415-330-1300

Holds route permits and collection licenses under SF's Refuse Collection and Disposal Ordinance (2025 Rate Application). Address: 250 Executive Park Blvd., Suite 2100, San Francisco, CA 94134. Pay by phone: 628-201-0077. Book bulky item pickup through Recology San Francisco. Yard waste and plants go in the green compost cart.

Recology Golden Gate

Private haulerTrashRecyclingOrganicsYard wasteBulk
Area
Parts of San Francisco, described the same way as Sunset Scavenger's area. The boundary between the two companies isn't published; your bill shows which one serves you.
Phone
415-626-4000

Holds route permits and collection licenses under the Refuse Collection and Disposal Ordinance. Uses the same Recology San Francisco holiday calendar as Sunset Scavenger.

Not covered

Recology's collection companies serve residential, apartment and commercial customers citywide (2025 Rate Application), so no customer type is left out. Recology doesn't publish which of its two companies serves which area.

How trash day works in San Francisco

Each account has a fixed weekly route day. Recology's collection calendar page has no address lookup, so find your day and your Recology company on your bill, or call Recology.

Recycling: every week. The 2025 Rate Application says "Residential service is generally weekly," and its volume-based charges are "for once-per-week service." It doesn't give a frequency for each cart. There are three carts: green compost, blue recycling and black landfill.

Carts out: Not before 6:00 p.m. the day before collection; Recology recommends setting bins out the night before. Residents must take carts back in within 24 hours of setting them out (businesses: as soon as they open on the next business day). Fines are up to $250 per violation. Source

Recology's missed-collection FAQ says pickups may come later than usual because of traffic or route changes. The set-out rules come from Public Works Director's Order No. 176,964 on garbage receptacle storage.

San Francisco trash pickup holiday schedule

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

Recology's 2026 holiday calendar lists New Year's Day as the only holiday that shifts service. Every other listed holiday is normal service, except Christmas Day 2026, which is listed as "TBD." The 2027 schedule isn't out yet. For Christmas 2025 and New Year's Day 2026 (both Thursdays), Recology announced no service on those days, with Thursday and Friday customers delayed one day.

2026

  1. Veterans Day, Wed, Nov 11, 2026

    Normal pickup

    All Recology customers (Sunset Scavenger and Golden Gate)

    Recology's 2026 holiday calendar lists Veterans Day (Wed, Nov 11) as normal service.

    Source: recology.com

  2. Thanksgiving Day, Thu, Nov 26, 2026

    Normal pickup

    All Recology customers (Sunset Scavenger and Golden Gate)

    Recology's 2026 holiday calendar lists Thanksgiving Day (Thu, Nov 26) as normal service.

    Source: recology.com

  3. Christmas Day, Fri, Dec 25, 2026

    Not announced

    All Recology customers (Sunset Scavenger and Golden Gate)

    Not announced yet. Recology's 2026 holiday calendar lists Christmas Day as "TBD." In 2025, when Christmas fell on a Thursday, there was no service on Christmas and Thursday and Friday customers were delayed one day. Check Recology's holiday calendar in December.

    Source: recology.com
Not announced
The city hasn’t said yet. The note has what’s known, such as last year’s pattern.
Normal pickup
Pickup runs as usual.
Cleaning bins in San Francisco?

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 Francisco neighborhoods

41 names from DataSF Analysis Neighborhoods. Areas SF Planning and DataSF use for city reporting; some combine several neighborhoods. Each hauler’s area is listed under Who collects.

  • Bayview Hunters Point
  • Bernal Heights
  • Castro/Upper Market
  • Chinatown
  • Excelsior
  • Financial District/South Beach
  • Glen Park
  • Golden Gate Park
  • Haight Ashbury
  • Hayes Valley
  • Inner Richmond
  • Inner Sunset
  • Japantown
  • Lakeshore
  • Lincoln Park
  • Lone Mountain/USF
  • Marina
  • McLaren Park
  • Mission
  • Mission Bay
  • Nob Hill
  • Noe Valley
  • North Beach
  • Oceanview/Merced/Ingleside
  • Outer Mission
  • Outer Richmond
  • Pacific Heights
  • Portola
  • Potrero Hill
  • Presidio
  • Presidio Heights
  • Russian Hill
  • Seacliff
  • South of Market
  • Sunset/Parkside
  • Tenderloin
  • Treasure Island
  • Twin Peaks
  • Visitacion Valley
  • Western Addition
  • West of Twin Peaks

Questions about trash pickup in San Francisco

Who picks up trash in San Francisco?

Recology collects all curbside compost (green), recycling (blue) and landfill (black) carts in San Francisco through two affiliated companies that hold the city's collection permits, Recology Sunset Scavenger and Recology Golden Gate, each serving parts of the city. Service is weekly, and your day is tied to your account and route: check your bill or call Recology. For the rest of 2026, Recology lists Veterans Day and Thanksgiving as normal service; Christmas Day (Friday, Dec 25) is listed as "TBD." The 2027 holiday schedule isn't out yet.

How do I find my trash day in San Francisco?

Each account has a fixed weekly route day. Recology's collection calendar page has no address lookup, so find your day and your Recology company on your bill, or call Recology.

Is recycling picked up every week in San Francisco?

Yes, every week. The 2025 Rate Application says "Residential service is generally weekly," and its volume-based charges are "for once-per-week service." It doesn't give a frequency for each cart. There are three carts: green compost, blue recycling and black landfill.

When do trash carts go out in San Francisco?

Not before 6:00 p.m. the day before collection; Recology recommends setting bins out the night before. Residents must take carts back in within 24 hours of setting them out (businesses: as soon as they open on the next business day). Fines are up to $250 per violation.

Is trash picked up on Thanksgiving in San Francisco?

Yes. On Thanksgiving (Thu, Nov 26, 2026), pickup is normal. Recology's 2026 holiday calendar lists Thanksgiving Day (Thu, Nov 26) as normal service.

Is trash picked up on Christmas in San Francisco?

Christmas is Fri, Dec 25, 2026. Not announced yet. Recology's 2026 holiday calendar lists Christmas Day as "TBD." In 2025, when Christmas fell on a Thursday, there was no service on Christmas and Thursday and Friday customers were delayed one day. Check Recology's holiday calendar in December.

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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