Carlsbad - Residential Service Guidelines

Residents utilize their own cans for trash and greenwaste collection - Waste Management will service any cans up to 32 gallons (with a 40-pound limit) and up to 10 trash and 10 greenwaste cans or bundles per household per week. We prefer customers utilize cans with detachable lids. Recycling crates are provided by Waste Management. Trash, recyclables and greenwaste are picked up weekly.

For Waste Management-billed customers:

• Pay your bill online with Waste Management's ezPay
• Get help reading your residential bill from Waste Management

For more information about the City of Carlsbad:

• City of Carlsbad
• Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce
• City of Carlsbad's solid waste and recycling page

What to put in your trash can
What to put in your recyclables crate
What to put in your mixed paper crate
What to put in your greenwaste can
Service reminders
Holiday schedule
Bulky items
Billing
Temporary service
Disposal of used motor oil
Christmas tree recycling
E-waste
Household hazardous waste
Universal waste

Trash Can

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Commingled Recyclables Crate (Green)

Please rinse food residue from containers. Please set out your recycling crate only when it is full.

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Mixed Paper Recycling Crate (Blue)

Please flatten boxes before placing them in the crate.

Note: Additional recycling crates are available, including 14-gallon mixed paper crates (available by request). Contact customer service at 1(800) DUMPSTER or (760) 929-9400 for more information.

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Greenwaste Can

Single family residential customers are provided with greenwaste stickers to place on cans to be used for residential yard waste recycling. We will retrieve a combination of a total of 10 32-gallon greenwaste cans or bundles per week. Bundles can be four feet long and 18 inches in diameter. Please do not place greenwaste in plastic bags or tie bundles with wires.

DO NOT place the items listed below in your greenwaste can - put these items in the TRASH can!

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• Place all waste in the appropriate container and close the lid.  Do no overfill the can or crate!
• Please do not exceed the 32 gallon (with a 40-pound weight) limit for each can and 10 cans for trash and 10 cans for greenwaste per household maximum each week.
• Please have your cans and/or crates out at the curb for collection by 6 a.m. on your service day and bring them back to your home by 7 p.m. on the same day.

Holiday Schedule

Residential waste collection does not occur on the following days:

• New Year's Day
• Memorial Day
• 4th of July
• Labor Day
• Thanksgiving Day
• Christmas Day

When the holiday falls on a weekday, collection will be delayed one day for the remainder of the week. If a holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, there will be NO delays.

For items that are too large to fit into the trash can, residents may request the pick up of household bulky goods. Bulky item pick-up events take place four times per year on a Saturday in January, April, July and October and appointments are required.

Appointments are scheduled approximately three weeks in advance of the event. We will retrieve two items for free and additional items for a fee -- see the full list of acceptable and unacceptable bulky items.

***More information on our next bulky pickup event can be found our homepage or by contacting us at 1(800) DUMPSTER or (760) 929-9400.         

Note: Due to state environmental laws, we are unable to accept TVs or computer monitors as bulky items. Please take these items to Waste Management's Recycling Centers at 2880 Industry St. in Oceanside, or 5960 El Camino Real in Carlsbad, Tuesday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. TVs, laptop computers, computer monitors or other items with cathode ray tubes (CRTs) can be disposed of for free; other e-waste such as fax machines or stereos can be safely disposed of for 50 cents per pound.

In addition, the City of Carlsbad has an agreement with Clean Harbors, Inc., to provide door-to-door household hazardous waste, electronic waste and universal waste collection. Call 1(800) 444-4244 to make an appointment; the charge is $10 to the resident ($80 is covered by the city) for each pick-up.

For other resources on reusing and recycling electronic products, visit www.ciwmb.ca.gov/electronics/collection or http://www.erecycle.org.

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Residential services are billed by either Waste Management or the City of Carlsbad. Customers of the Vallecitos Water District or Olivenhain Water District are billed by Waste Management; customers of the Carlsbad Water District are billed by the city. Waste Management customers are billed every two months (January, March, May, etc.), two months in advance.

For Waste Management-billed customers, you may pay your bill online, by going to Waste Management's ezPay. For help in reading your residential bill from Waste Management, click here. If you have questions regarding your invoice from the city, please contact the Carlsbad Water District at (760) 602-2420.

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Temporary Bin and Roll-Off Service

Please contact Waste Management at 1(800) DUMPSTER or (760) 929-9400 for information on sizes and rates for temp dumpster or bin service.

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Disposal of Used Motor Oil

It is important to properly dispose of used motor oil to ensure it stays out of our storm drains and the ocean. Next time you change your oil, be sure to follow these steps:

• Remove the oil filter from your car and drain it well for at least 24 hours - once it is drained, place it in a plastic bag. 
• Drain the oil from your car into a plastic container. 
• Secure the top on the container to ensure against spillage.
• Once the items are secure, transport them to a certified used oil recycling center.

There are a number of options for proper and safe disposal of used motor oil and filters:

• Many auto or tire supply stores or service centers will accept used motor oil and filters. The Integrated Waste Management Board offers a list searchable by zip code to locate a recycler near you. Call in advance to make sure they will take the items and to verify store hours.
• The City of Carlsbad has an agreement with Clean Harbors, Inc., to provide door-to-door household hazardous waste, electronic waste and universal waste collection. Arrange to have your used oil picked up along with other household hazardous waste when you schedule an appointment. Call 1(800) 444-4244 to make an appointment; the charge is $10 to the resident ($80 is covered by the city) for each pick-up.
• Take the used oil along with other household hazardous waste to your local HHW center. Check to see if the site requires an appointment or proof of residency to drop off your material.
• Carlsbad residents can bring oil along with other HHW to Waste Management's HHW Center in Oceanside for safe disposal (proof of residency and an appointment is required). To find out the schedule and make an appointment, contact customer service at 1(800) DUMPSTER.

Additional information may be found at the Earth 911 Web site or by calling 1(800) CLEANUP (1-800-253-2687).

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We will collect and recycle Christmas trees for the first two weeks following Christmas on your regular collection day. Trees taller than six feet must be cut in half. Please remove all decoration including tinsel, lights, ornaments and tree stands. Place the tree at the curb. Flocked trees cannot be recycled, so they will be collected by your trash collector.

There are a number of drop-off locations within the city where residents may take their trees for recycling. Please check the City's Web site or your local newspaper during the holidays for drop-off locations.

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Due to state environmental laws, we are unable to accept TVs or computer monitors as bulky items. Please take these items to Waste Management's Recycling Centers at 2880 Industry St. in Oceanside, or 5960 El Camino Real in Carlsbad, Tuesday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. TVs, laptop computers, computer monitors or other items with cathode ray tubes (CRTs) can be disposed of for free; other e-waste such as fax machines or stereos can be safely disposed of for 50 cents per pound.

In addition, the City of Carlsbad has an agreement with Clean Harbors, Inc., to provide door-to-door household hazardous waste, electronic waste and universal waste collection. Call 1(800) 444-4244 to make an appointment; the charge is $10 to the resident ($80 is covered by the city) for each pick-up.For additional information please call (800) 444-4244.

For other resources on reusing and recycling electronic products, visit www.ciwmb.ca.gov/electronics/collection or http://www.erecycle.org.

There are several options for properly disposing of Household Hazardous Waste (HHW). HHW includes: used oil filters, motor oil and used motor oil, paint, antifreeze, batteries, propane tanks, pesticides, household cleaners, pool chemicals and sharps/needles.  To safely dispose of HHW:

• The County of San Diego operates several HHW collection centers. For more information, visit the County's Web site or Waste Management's HHW disposal page.
• The City of Carlsbad has an agreement with Clean Harbors, Inc., to provide door-to-door household hazardous waste, electronic waste and universal waste collection. Call 1(800) 444-4244 to make an appointment; the charge is $10 to the resident ($80 is covered by the city) for each pick-up.
• It can be brought to Waste Management's HHW Center in Oceanside for safe disposal (proof of residency and an appointment is required). Residents may bring 15 gallons or 125 pounds of material for drop off at one time. To find out the schedule and make an appointment, contact customer service at 1(800) DUMPSTER.
• For information about disposal of commercial- or industrial-generated hazardous waste, contact I Love a Clean San Diego at 1(800) 237-2583.

Universal Waste can be brought to Waste Management's Household Hazardous Waste Center in Oceanside for safe disposal (proof of residency is required). Universal Waste includes: batteries, fluorescent light tubes, thermostats, aerosol cans with material still inside and other items also characterized as electronic or household hazardous waste. These materials can be dropped off at the Oceanside facility between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturdays, by appointment. To find out the schedule and make an appointment, contact customer service at 1(800) DUMPSTER or (760) 929-9400. 

Household batteries and e-waste can be taken to Waste Management's Recycling Centers at 2880 Industry St. in Oceanside, or 5960 El Camino Real in Carlsbad, Tuesday-Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. No appointment is required, however proof of residency in Carlsbad is required.

In addition, the City of Carlsbad has an agreement with Clean Harbors, Inc., to provide door-to-door household hazardous waste, electronic waste and universal waste collection. Call 1(800) 444-4244 to make an appointment; the charge is $10 to the resident ($80 is covered by the city) for each pick-up.

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