Del Mar - 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 Del Mar:

• City of Del Mar
• Del Mar Chamber of Commerce
• City of Del Mar's trash service FAQs

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 (Blue)

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. Contact customer service at 1(800) DUMPSTER 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.

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.

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For items that are too large to fit into the trash can, residents may request the pick up of household bulky goods.  Two free bulky item pick-ups are provided annually each year for Del Mar residents -- see the full list of acceptable and unacceptable bulky items. Notice of these dates is included in your bills. To find out more information about the next bulky item event and when you can schedule an appointment, please contact Waste Management at 1(800) DUMPSTER.

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.

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 Del Mar. 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 city at (858) 755-9354.

Temporary Bin and Roll-Off Service

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

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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.
• Del Mar residents may take their used motor oil and other household hazardous waste to facilities in Poway and Vista. The Poway facility is located at 12325 Crosthwaite Circle and is open between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturdays ONLY. For further information, please contact the Poway facility at (858) 679-5410. The Vista facility is located at 1165 E. Taylor Street and is open between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturdays ONLY. For further information, please contact the Vista facility at (760) 726-1340, ext. 1689.

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.

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.

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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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.
• Del Mar residents may take their used motor oil and other household hazardous waste to facilities in Poway and Vista. The Poway facility is located at 12325 Crosthwaite Circle and is open between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturdays ONLY. For further information, please contact the Poway facility at (858) 679-5410. The Vista facility is located at 1165 E. Taylor Street and is open between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturdays ONLY. For further information, please contact the Vista facility at (760) 726-1340, ext. 1689.

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. 

Del Mar residents may take their universal or household hazardous waste to facilities in Poway and Vista. The Poway facility is located at 12325 Crosthwaite Circle and is open between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturdays ONLY. For further information, please contact the Poway facility at (858) 679-5410. The Vista facility is located at 1165 E. Taylor Street and is open between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturdays ONLY. For further information, please contact the Vista facility at (760) 726-1340, ext. 1689.

Del Mar residents can drop off their household batteries at Waste Management's Recycling Center at 2265 Jimmy Durante Blvd. in Del Mar, Tuesday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (proof of residency is required).