San Jose, CA trash pickup schedule

San Jose trash and recycling: who collects, how often, how to find your pickup day, and what changes on holidays in 2026.

Population 989,814 (Census 2025 estimate)Last checked October 30, 2026Not affiliated with any city, county or hauler.

Contents10 sections

Quick answer

Who collects	A private hauler under city contract: Garden City Sanitation (garbage, single-family homes); California Waste Solutions (recycling, Downtown/North/East/South San José); GreenWaste Recovery (yard trimmings, citywide) City of San José Environmental Services runs the Recycle Plus program through contracted haulers; garbage, recycling and yard trimmings come from different companies and recycling providers vary by neighborhood and property type (the city's address lookup names the provider). Apartments/condos: service varies by complex; contact the property manager. Bills for single-family cart service are on the Santa Clara County property tax bill.²
How often	Trash weekly, recycling weekly, yard waste weekly³⁸⁹
Set out	by 6 a.m. on collection day, no more than 24 hours before¹
Your pickup day	Address lookup: sjenvironment.org¹
Holidays	The city publishes a rule, not a dated list: see the holiday rule.

Bulk items: By appointment (details). Drop-off sites: 1 listed (hours and fees).

San Jose holiday trash schedule 2026

City’s rule	Collection happens on every holiday except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day; when one of those falls Monday-Friday, collection from that day through the end of the week is one day later (applies to garbage, recycling and yard trimmings).¹²⁴
Official notice	sjenvironment.org

No dated list of holidays is published for San Jose; the holiday delay checker shows the rule above for each upcoming holiday.

Check your own day for the next three holidays with the holiday delay checker, or download a pickup calendar.

Sources: Residential Garbage & Recycling Guide, City of San José En…, Garden City Sanitation home (San José garbage), GreenWaste - San Jose service area Last checked October 30, 2026 Report a change

Bulk trash pickup in San Jose

How it works	By appointment⁷
How to request	Request a Junk Pickup appointment at San José 311 (311.sanjoseca.gov), dial 3-1-1 or (408) 535-3500; a confirmation email follows within two business days; pickup is on the regular collection day; set out no earlier than 24 hours before⁶
Limits	max 12 items per appointment; unlimited appointments⁷
Fees	free⁷
Accepted	Oversized yard trimmings: tree trunks and branches up to 60 lb, 5 ft long and 2 ft in diameter⁹ Artificial Christmas trees⁷
Not accepted	Glass and mirrors⁶ Construction and demolition debris⁶ Hazardous waste⁶ Items with bed bug contamination⁶
Set out	Items must come from your home; set out up to 24 hours before the appointment, on the street next to the curb, 3 ft from other objects, not stacked; only items on the confirmed appointment are collected; cover mattresses/upholstered items if rain is forecast⁶⁷

Sources: California Waste Solutions - San José Junk and Bulky Item …, San José Recycles - Junk Pickup (City of San José ESD), San José Recycles - Yard Trimmings Cart/Pile (City of San … Last checked October 30, 2026 Report a change

Recycling in San Jose

Pickup	weekly⁸
Type	single-stream⁸
Glass	accepted in cart⁵
Plastics	#1-5 and #7 (not #6, not compostable plastics)¹

Accepted

Cardboard, paper, metal cans, rigid plastics, and glass bottles (empty and dry)⁵
Extra recyclables in clear plastic or paper bags or flattened cardboard leaning against the cart¹

Not accepted

Food, liquid and food-soiled containers⁸
Plastic #6 and items labeled compostable¹
Household hazardous waste⁸

Programs

Free curbside used motor oil and oil filter pickup (single-family homes), set beside the recycling cart⁵
Food waste is removed from garbage and composted at a processing facility (food goes in the garbage cart)¹

Sources: Residential Garbage & Recycling Guide, City of San José En…, California Waste Solutions - San José, San José Recycles - Put in Recycling Cart/Bin (City of San… Last checked October 30, 2026 Report a change

Yard waste, food scraps and seasonal pickups

Yard waste pickup	Yes⁹
Season	Not published by the city (official page)
How often	weekly⁹
Rules	Loose pile in the street (no extra charge) or optional yard trimmings cart for a monthly fee (required in some areas; order from GreenWaste (408) 283-4800 per the city page; GreenWaste's own page says order through San José 311); piles under 5 x 5 ft, 1 ft from curb, 5 ft from carts/cars/other piles; branches under 5 ft long and 6 in diameter; out no more than 24 hours before and by 6 a.m.; no ashes, concrete, rock, dirt, food scraps, fruit, lumber or pet waste⁹
Food scraps	no separate food scraps cart; food and food-soiled items go in the garbage cart and are composted after processing¹
Christmas trees	Natural or flocked Christmas trees go out with yard trimmings (standing rule)⁹
Leaf collection	Not published by the city (official page)

Sources: Residential Garbage & Recycling Guide, City of San José En…, San José Recycles - Yard Trimmings Cart/Pile (City of San … Last checked October 30, 2026 Report a change

Drop-off sites: landfill, recycling and hazardous waste

Santa Clara County Household Hazardous Waste Program (appointment drop-off)

Type	Household hazardous waste
Run by	county (Santa Clara County)
Address	Not published by the city (official page)
Hours	by appointment (HHW.org, (408) 299-7300)¹
Fees	free¹

Item guides: Mattress · Couch and furniture · Appliances · Paint · Batteries · Electronics · Tires · Motor oil · Christmas tree.

Sources: Residential Garbage & Recycling Guide, City of San José En… Last checked October 30, 2026 Report a change

Missed pickup and contacts

Missed pickup form	311.sanjoseca.gov³
Phone	(408) 535-3500²
311	San José 311: sanjoseca.gov/311, dial 3-1-1 or (408) 535-3500²
Official website	sanjoseca.gov²

Sources: Garden City Sanitation home (San José garbage), Garden City Sanitation FAQ Last checked October 30, 2026 Report a change

Nearby cities

All California cities: California trash pickup schedules.

San Jose trash pickup FAQ

What day is trash picked up in San Jose?

Trash is collected weekly. San Jose does not use one citywide day: your day depends on your address. Look it up with the city’s address lookup (sjenvironment.org).

How do I get rid of bulky items in San Jose?

By appointment. Request a Junk Pickup appointment at San José 311 (311.sanjoseca.gov), dial 3-1-1 or (408) 535-3500; a confirmation email follows within two business days; pickup is on the regular collection day; set out no earlier than 24 hours before Fees: free.

Does San Jose recycle glass?

Glass: accepted in cart.

How do I report a missed trash pickup in San Jose?

Use the city’s online form (311.sanjoseca.gov) or call (408) 535-3500.

Sources

1
Residential Garbage & Recycling Guide, City of San José Environmental Services (PDF, undated, hosted by contracted hauler GreenWaste)City · greenwaste.com · checked October 30, 2026
2
Garden City Sanitation home (San José garbage)Contracted hauler · gardencitysanitation.com · checked October 30, 2026
3
Garden City Sanitation FAQContracted hauler · gardencitysanitation.com · checked October 30, 2026
4
GreenWaste - San Jose service areaContracted hauler · greenwaste.com · checked October 30, 2026
5
California Waste Solutions - San JoséContracted hauler · calwaste.com · checked October 30, 2026
6
California Waste Solutions - San José Junk and Bulky Item PickupContracted hauler · calwaste.com · checked October 30, 2026
7
San José Recycles - Junk Pickup (City of San José ESD)City · sanjoserecycles.org · checked October 30, 2026
8
San José Recycles - Put in Recycling Cart/Bin (City of San José ESD)City · sanjoserecycles.org · checked October 30, 2026
9
San José Recycles - Yard Trimmings Cart/Pile (City of San José ESD)City · sanjoserecycles.org · checked October 30, 2026
10
San José Recycles - Hazardous Waste (City of San José ESD)City · sanjoserecycles.org · checked October 30, 2026
11
Garden City Sanitation - Pickup Schedule Hours & HolidaysContracted hauler · gardencitysanitation.com · checked October 30, 2026

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Second-pass verification against every source: October 30, 2026. Not affiliated with any city, county or hauler.