San Francisco, CA trash pickup schedule
San Francisco trash and recycling: who collects, how often, how to find your pickup day, and what changes on holidays in 2026.
Population 826,079 (Census 2025 estimate)Last checked Not affiliated with any city, county or hauler.
Contents10 sections
Quick answer
| Who collects | A private hauler under city contract: Recology (Recology Sunset Scavenger, Recology Golden Gate, Recology San Francisco) Recology is San Francisco's sole service provider for residential and commercial refuse; customers are billed by Recology (three Recology companies by area; the name is on the bill). Three-cart system: blue recycling, green compost, grey/black landfill.19 |
|---|---|
| How often | Trash weekly (city ordinance requires at least once per week), recycling weekly, yard waste weekly3 |
| Set out | night before your service day, cart at the curb with lid closed3 |
| Your pickup day | Hauler’s address lookup: recology.com. App: Recology collection calendar (ReCollect widget)3 |
| Holiday | Veterans Day, Wed, Nov 11, 2026: No change2 |
Bulk items: Scheduled pickup: request it ahead (details). Drop-off sites: 3 listed (hours and fees).
San Francisco holiday trash schedule 2026
| City’s rule | Recology drivers work every holiday except Christmas Day and New Year's Day; Recology posts a special holiday schedule each year. 2026: New Year's Day (Thu Jan 1) shifted Thursday customers to Friday Jan 2 and Friday customers to Saturday Jan 3; every other 2026 holiday is normal service; Christmas (Fri Dec 25) make-up schedule still TBD.3 |
|---|---|
| Official notice | recology.com |
| Holiday | Date | Pickup | What the city says |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Thu, Jan 1, 2026 | Delayed one day | Thursday 1/1 customers serviced Friday 1/2; Friday 1/2 customers serviced Saturday 1/3.2 |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Mon, Jan 19, 2026 | No change | 2 |
| Presidents' Day | Mon, Feb 16, 2026 | No change | 2 |
| Memorial Day | Mon, May 25, 2026 | No change | 2 |
| Juneteenth | Fri, Jun 19, 2026 | Not on the city’s list | Not on the city’s list for this year |
| Independence Day (Fourth of July) | Fri, Jul 3, 2026 | No change | Listed with the federal observed date Friday, July 3.2 |
| Labor Day | Mon, Sep 7, 2026 | No change | 2 |
| Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples' Day | Mon, Oct 12, 2026 | No change | Listed as Indigenous Peoples' Day.2 |
| Veterans Day | Wed, Nov 11, 2026 | No change | 2 |
| Thanksgiving Day | Thu, Nov 26, 2026 | No change | 2 |
| Christmas Day | Fri, Dec 25, 2026 | Changes; see details | Published as TBD on 2026-10-30; per the general rule drivers do not work Christmas Day, but the 2026 make-up schedule is not yet posted. Recheck in December.2 |
Check your own day for the next three holidays with the holiday delay checker, or download a pickup calendar.
Bulk trash pickup in San Francisco
| How it works | Scheduled pickup: request it ahead5 |
|---|---|
| How to request | Book online with Recology's Bulky Item Collection form (recology.com) or call (415) 330-1300; call at least two weeks ahead; cancel by 12 PM the business day before; items next to the curb by 6 a.m. on the appointment day with a sign reading 'RECOLOGY'; schedule before putting items out.3510 |
| Limits | Buildings with 5 units or fewer: two collections per year; each unit in 6+ unit buildings: one; up to 10 items per appointment5 |
| Fees | Free: buildings with 5 units or fewer get two collections a year; each unit in a 6+ unit building gets one. Additional collections cost a fee (amount not published on these pages).3510 |
| Accepted |
|
| Not accepted |
|
Recycling in San Francisco
| Pickup | weekly3 |
|---|---|
| Type | single-stream4 |
| Glass | accepted in cart (bottles and jars only)4 |
| Plastics | hard/rigid plastics (bottles, tubs, clamshells, cups, molded packaging); no film, bags or Styrofoam3 |
Accepted
- Metal: aluminum and steel cans, clean foil and trays, caps and lids, empty spray and paint cans4
- Hard plastics: bottles (caps on), tubs and lids, containers and clamshells, cups and plates (no Styrofoam), buckets, toys without electronics4
- Paper and cardboard (clean, dry), cartons, junk mail, shredded paper in a labeled sealed paper bag4
- Glass bottles and jars4
Programs
Yard waste, food scraps and seasonal pickups
| Yard waste pickup | yes - green compost cart (food scraps, soiled paper, plants)4 |
|---|---|
| Season | year-round3 |
| How often | weekly3 |
| Rules | In the green cart; tree trimmings under 6 in. diameter and 4 ft long; extra trimmings in a compostable bag or 2'x3' bundles next to the cart (extra charge); never food scraps outside the cart4 |
| Food scraps | yes - all food scraps in the green cart, including meat, bones, dairy4 |
| Christmas trees | Curbside holiday tree collection each year January 2-14 (no 2026-27 dates published separately); remove tinsel, lights, decorations and stands; place next to collection bins3 |
| Leaf collection | Not published by the city (official page) |
| Cleanup events |
|
Drop-off sites: landfill, recycling and hazardous waste
SF Transfer Station (Public Disposal & Recycling Area)
| Type | Transfer station |
|---|---|
| Run by | Recology |
| Address | 501 Tunnel Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94134 (enter on Recycle Road) · Map6 |
| Hours | Mon-Fri 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Sat-Sun 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m.; closed Christmas Day and New Year's Day6 |
| Fees | Minimum $60 per load; general refuse, C&D, green waste and inerts $274.57 per ton; TVs, monitors, laptops and small electronics free; mattresses/box springs free for the first 4 per day (intact, dry), then $21.85 each; appliances $31.22 (refrigerators $73.68) surcharge plus weight; uncovered loads +$20. Visa, MasterCard or cash, no checks.6 |
| Who can use it | open to all San Francisco residents and businesses6 |
| Phone | 415.330.1400 |
Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility
| Type | Household hazardous waste |
|---|---|
| Run by | Recology |
| Address | 501 Tunnel Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94134 · Map7 |
| Hours | Thu-Sat 8 a.m.-4 p.m.; closed New Year's Day, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving and the Friday after, Dec 25 and Dec 267 |
| Fees | Not published by the city (official page) |
| Who can use it | San Francisco residents only, proof of residency; limit 15 gallons per trip7 |
| Phone | 415.330.1405 ([email protected]) |
Free household hazardous waste home pickup
| Type | Household hazardous waste |
|---|---|
| Run by | Recology |
| Address | at home (email [email protected])7 |
| Hours | Wed-Sat 8 a.m.-12 p.m.7 |
| Fees | free7 |
| Who can use it | San Francisco residents7 |
Item guides: Mattress · Couch and furniture · Appliances · Paint · Batteries · Electronics · Tires · Motor oil · Christmas tree.
Missed pickup and contacts
| Missed pickup form | recology.com (or email [email protected])3 |
|---|---|
| Phone | Recology customer service (415) 330-1300 (Sunset Scavenger); Recology Golden Gate 415.626.40003 |
| 311 | Not published by the city (official page) |
| Official website | recology.com |
Nearby cities
- Daly City, CA31 miles · A private hauler under city contract
- Richmond, CA40 miles · A private hauler under city contract
- Berkeley, CA41 miles · The city and contracted haulers (by area or service)
- San Mateo, CA41 miles · A private hauler under city contract
- Oakland, CA44 miles · A private hauler under city contract
- Vallejo, CA49 miles · A private hauler under city contract
Other cities served by Recology
- Seattle, WAWaste Management of Washington (northwest and south Seattle); Recology King County (northeast and central Seattle)
- Portland, ORNine City-franchised private haulers, each with its own exclusive area: Arrow Sanitary, Portland Disposal & Recycling, Waste Management of Oregon, Heiberg Garbage Service, City Sanitary, Wacker Sanitary, Walker Garbage Service, Republic Services of Lake Oswego and Recology Clackamas (per the City hauler-area layer)
- Santa Rosa, CARecology Sonoma Marin
- Santa Clara, CAMission Trail Waste Systems (garbage and yard trimmings); Recology South Bay (recycling)
- Vallejo, CARecology Vallejo
- Vacaville, CARecology Vacaville Solano
- San Mateo, CARecology San Mateo County
All California cities: California trash pickup schedules.
San Francisco trash pickup FAQ
What day is trash picked up in San Francisco?
Trash is collected weekly (city ordinance requires at least once per week). San Francisco does not use one citywide day: your day depends on your address. Look it up with the city’s hauler’s address lookup (recology.com) or the Recology collection calendar (ReCollect widget) app.
Is trash picked up on Thanksgiving Day 2026 in San Francisco?
Thanksgiving Day falls on Thu, Nov 26, 2026. No change.
Is trash picked up on Christmas Day 2026 in San Francisco?
Christmas Day falls on Fri, Dec 25, 2026. Changes; see details: Published as TBD on 2026-10-30; per the general rule drivers do not work Christmas Day, but the 2026 make-up schedule is not yet posted. Recheck in December.
Is trash picked up on New Year's Day 2026 in San Francisco?
New Year's Day falls on Thu, Jan 1, 2026. Delayed one day: Thursday 1/1 customers serviced Friday 1/2; Friday 1/2 customers serviced Saturday 1/3.
How do I get rid of bulky items in San Francisco?
Scheduled pickup: request it ahead. Book online with Recology's Bulky Item Collection form (https://www.recology.com/recology-san-francisco/bulky-item-collection/) or call (415) 330-1300; call at least two weeks ahead; cancel by 12 PM the business day before; items next to the curb by 6 a.m. on the appointment day with a sign reading 'RECOLOGY'; schedule before putting items out. Fees: Free: buildings with 5 units or fewer get two collections a year; each unit in a 6+ unit building gets one. Additional collections cost a fee (amount not published on these pages).
Does San Francisco recycle glass?
Glass: accepted in cart (bottles and jars only).
How do I report a missed trash pickup in San Francisco?
Use the city’s online form (recology.com) or call Recology customer service (415) 330-1300 (Sunset Scavenger); Recology Golden Gate 415.626.4000.
Sources
- 1 Zero Waste - SF Environmentcity (SF Environment Department) · sfenvironment.org · checked October 30, 2026
- 2 Holiday Calendar - Recology San Franciscohauler (Recology San Francisco, the city's service provider) · recology.com · checked October 30, 2026
- 3 FAQ - Recology San Franciscohauler (Recology San Francisco, the city's service provider) · recology.com · checked October 30, 2026
- 4 Compost, Recycle, & Landfill - Recology San Franciscohauler (Recology San Francisco, the city's service provider) · recology.com · checked October 30, 2026
- 5 Bulky Items - Recology San Franciscohauler (Recology San Francisco, the city's service provider) · recology.com · checked October 30, 2026
- 6 SF Transfer Station & Hazardous Waste Facilityhauler (Recology San Francisco, the city's service provider) · recology.com · checked October 30, 2026
- 7 Hazardous Waste - Recology San Franciscohauler (Recology San Francisco, the city's service provider) · recology.com · checked October 30, 2026
- 8 District Weekend Cleanup Eventshauler (Recology San Francisco, the city's service provider) · recology.com · checked October 30, 2026
- 9 Contact Us - Recology San Franciscohauler (Recology San Francisco, the city's service provider) · recology.com · checked October 30, 2026
- 10 Get rid of bulky items (couches, electronics) - SF Environmentcity (SF Environment Department) · sfenvironment.org · checked October 30, 2026
Something changed? Report a change
Second-pass verification against every source: October 30, 2026. Not affiliated with any city, county or hauler.