• Set carts out before 7:00 am on your pick-up day with the lids closed, and return them to the rear or side yard by the evening of your collection day.
• To increase or decrease the size of your containers, call Municipal Utilities Customer Service at 408-615-2300. You may also request additional recycling or yard trimming capacity at no additional charge. 

View current rates for garbage, yard trimming, recycling, cleanup campaign, and household hazardous waste services.

Garbage and Yard Trimming Service - View the Residential Waste Guide for a list of materials accepted in the garbage and yard trimmings cart. Questions? Call Mission Trail Waste Systems at 408-727-5365.

Recycling Service - View the Recycling Guide for a list of materials accepted through weekly recycling curbside collection. Questions? Call Recology South Bay at 408-970-5100 or email RecologySouthBay@recology.com.

List of materials accepted through weekly curbside recycling:

All items MUST be empty, clean and dry

PAPER:

• Bags (paper, all colors)
• Cardboard (flattened)*
• Egg cartons (non-styrofoam)
• Envelopes, mail & magazines
• Newspapers
• Phonebooks & soft cover books
• Wrapping paper (non-metallic). 
• Shredded paper (in a clear plastic bag or a securely closed paper bag)

* Extra cardboard that cannot fit inside a cart must be flattened and neatly stacked into 4’x 4’ sections alongside the recycling cart.

GLASS:

• Glass bottles
• Glass jars

METAL:

• Aluminum cans
• Aluminum foil and trays (clean)
• Paint cans (must be empty or dry)
• Spray cans (must be empty)
• Steel (tin) cans

PLASTIC:

• Bottles and tubs
• All plastics with or without the recycling symbols (except #6 Styrofoam/Polystyrene)
• Grocery, produce, dry cleaning and bread bags (bundled inside a clear plastic bag)

Need to dispose of other materials not listed here? Visit RecycleStuff.org to find local recycling centers. 

Extra garbage bag tags are available for purchase at $7.91 each. Each tag allows for an additional 32 gallon size bag of garbage to be collected when placed alongside the garbage cart. These bag tags have no expiration date and can be used any time throughout the year. There is no limit to how many extra bags can be placed at the curb as long as each bag is properly tagged and weighs no more than 30 pounds.

How to Purchase

Extra Garbage Bag Tags are available for purchase at the following locations:

• City Hall's Municipal Utilities Customer Service Window - 1500 Warburton Avenue
  Visit SantaClaraCA.gov/AccessSantaClara for the most up-to-date City Hall hours of operation
• Central Park Library - 2635 Homestead Road*
• Mission Branch Library – 1098 Lexington Street*
• Northside Branch Library – 695 Moreland Way*

*Limited hours of operation. Visit the Santa Clara Library online to view current hours.

The City of Santa Clara has an exclusive waste hauling franchise agreement with Mission Trail Waste Systems. They are the only contractor permitted to place and collect debris boxes throughout the City, except for those areas specifically zoned industrial. Using non-franchised haulers for debris box services/dumpster rental is a violation of municipal code and subject to a $1,000 administrative citation.

Roll-off debris boxes/dumpster rentals may be ordered by phone by calling MTWS directly at 408-727-5365 or via their website: MissionTrail.com/santaclara. 

Holiday Waste Collection Schedule

• Thanksgiving Day - Thursday, 11/27/25 - NO COLLECTION SERVICES
  • If your regular collection day is Thursday, collection will occur on Friday
  • If your regular collection is on Friday, collection will occur on Saturday

• Christmas Day - Thursday, 12/25/25 - NO COLLECTION SERVICES
  • If your regular collection day is Wednesday, collection will occur on Thursday 
  • If your regular collection day is Thursday, collection will occur on Friday
  • If your regular collection is on Friday, collection will occur on Saturday

• New Year's Day - Thursday, 1/1/26 - NO COLLECTION SERVICES
  • If your regular collection day is Wednesday, collection will occur on Thursday
  • If your regular collection day is Thursday, collection will occur on Friday
  • If your regular collection is on Friday, collection will occur on Saturday

Extra Holiday Waste

Santa Clara residents with cart service may set out up to two additional 32-gallon garbage bags on each of their collection days between December 26 – January 7 at no extra charge. Commercial and multi-family registered account holders with front load bin service may arrange for one additional pickup per garbage account per year at no extra charge by contacting Mission Trail Waste Systems at 408-727-5365.

Please recycle all non-metallic gift wrap, tissue paper, cards, boxes and tags. 

Holiday Tree Collection

Trees will be collected the week of January 5 - January 9, 2026. Please follow the set-out instructions:

• Remove ornaments and tree stand; and set out on your regular collection day. Flocked trees must be placed in a garbage bag to prevent stormwater pollution. Flocked trees will not be recycled.
• The City does not collect trees on private streets. Residents of multi-family dwellings may set out their trees on the nearest public street. Call (408) 615-3080 to find out what day we will be servicing your area.
• If you miss your pick-up day, you can bring in your tree (no larger than 9 feet) to the Corp Yard located at 1700 Walsh Avenue between January 5 - 9, 2025.
• After January 9, cut up your tree and place the pieces in the yard trimmings cart. Flocked trees (trees with artificial snow) should be cut up and placed in the garbage cart.

Effective July 1, 2020, qualifying solid waste customers will be eligible to receive a $3.00 per month discount and will have increased income limits from $30,000 per household to match the income guidelines set forth by Silicon Valley Power’s Financial Rate Assistance Program (F.R.A.P.). In order to streamline the application process, all customers who are enrolled in F.R.A.P. will automatically receive the discount as long as their household does not share garbage service with another home (e.g. multi-family complex shared dumpsters). Customers who were previously receiving the rate assistance discount on their garbage rate and are not enrolled in F.R.A.P will have to submit an application and provide income verification documentation to receive the $3.00 discount. For more information and to apply, please visit www.SiliconValleyPower.com/Assist.   

Agreement with Mission Trail Waste Systems (Garbage and Clean Green Collection)
Agreement with Recology South Bay (Recycling Collection and Processing)
Agreement with Green Waste Recovery (Garbage Processing)

2025 Solid Waste Collection Schedule

Leaf Season Post Card

Garbage and Yard Trimmings Residential Waste Guide