Curbside Collection Services

All of our recyclable materials, such as paper, glass, plastic and metal are accepted in your blue cart. The recyclables are then sent to GreenWaste of Palo Alto's material recovery facility in San Jose, where they are separated into commodities that are sold to manufacturers that turn our discards into new products. 

View the comprehensive list of accepted materials. You can also go to the What Goes Where Tools page for a suite of tools designed to help you learn more details about what goes where and how to prepare your materials. 

Paper (staples, tape ok)

• White, colored, and glossy paper
• Magazines and catalogs
• Newspaper
• Cardboard (flattened, cut to fit loosely)
• Junk mail
• Paperboard (e.g., office supply, cereal and tissue boxes, toilet paper tubes)
• Paperback books
• Shredded paper
• Paper bags

Glass

• Bottles and Jars

Metal

• Aerosol cans (empty, non-hazardous)
• Aluminum cans (food, beverage, pet food)
• Foil, foil trays and pans
• Lids, caps
• Scrap metal.

Plastic Bags & Film

(place bags and film plastic in a bag)

• Bags (e.g., bread, dry cleaning, grocery, newspaper, produce, merchandise, zip lock)
• Bubble wrap
• Case wrap (e.g., beverage container and snack flats)
• Liners (e.g., cereal box)
• Plastic package wrap (e.g., toilet paper)

Plastics

(All types with or without a number - no expanded polystyrene a.k.a. STYROFOAM™)

• Bottles (e.g., beverage, laundry and household cleaners, personal care products, prescription)
• Food containers (e.g., cottage cheese, margarine, yogurt, take-out containers)
• Baskets
• Buckets
• Flower pots
• Product packaging

 Electronics

• Appliances
• Calculator
• Computer
• Computer peripherals
• Home entertainment (e.g., game systems, DVR, VCR, stereo, radio)

All compostable materials, such as yard trimmings, food scraps, soiled paper and compostable plastics are accepted loosely in your green cart. The compostable materials are sent to the Zero WAste Energy Development Company (ZWED) in San Jose, where it is anaerobic digested and composted. This process yields both renewable energy and compost which is used to enrich the soil. 

View a comprehensive list of accepted materials. You can also go to the What Goes Where Tools page for a suite of tools designed to help you learn more details about what goes where and how to prepare your materials.

• Yard Trimmings (branches, leaves, grass, plants, flowers)
• Food Scraps (meat, dairy, bones, shells, vegetables, grains)
• Soiled Paper (tissues, paper towels, take-out containers, paper cups, milk cartons)
• Waxed Cardboard
• Untreated/Unpainted Wood (lumber, wood chips, wood waste, sawdust)
• Holiday trees

As a rule of thumb, if an item doesn't go in your blue or green cart and it is not a functional, reusable item that you can donate, it most likely goes into your landfill cart. Most items that you will need to throw away are those made of multiple materials that are fused together. It is difficult, if not impossible to separate and recycle these items once they are fused together. 

View the comprehensive list of accepted materials. You can also go to the What Goes Where Tools page for a suite of tools designed to help you learn more details about what goes where and how to prepare your materials.

• Fused Materials (granola bar wrappers, paper lined foil candy wrappers)
• Chip Bags
• Chewing Gum
• Latex and Nitrile Gloves
• Expanded Polystyrene Blocks (a.k.a. STYROFOAM™)
• Broken Dishes
• Drink Boxes and Pouches
• Pet Waste
• Diapers

• Recycle - Please place all recyclable materials in your BLUE cart. Standard service is one 64 Gallon cart. Service is also available in 32 or 96 gallon carts.
• Compost - Please place all compostable materials in your GREEN cart. Standard service is one 96 gallon compost cart, Service is also available in 20, 32, or 64 gallon carts.
• Garbage/Landfill - Please place all garbage/landfill materials in your BLACK cart. Standard service is one 32 Gallon cart. If you need additional capacity, you may also obtain a 64 or 96 gallon cart. the Minimum service is a 20 gallon cart.
• Extra Services Provided

All carts are serviced weekly on a Monday through Friday schedule. To report a missed pick-up, a broken/damaged cart, to request additional carts or for any other service-related inquiry, please contact GreenWaste of Palo Alto at (650) 493-4894.

• Place carts curbside before 6 AM on your collection day.
• Remove carts from the curb within 24 hours of collection service. We suggest storing carts in your back or side yard.
• Close all lids and please do not overfill containers.
• Place front of cart facing the street with a minimum of 5 feet from any cars and 2 feet between carts.

If you are physically limited, on-premise/backyard collection service is available at no extra cost. There must be no other residents in the home physically able to move the cart(s) to the curb for collection. To receive this service, complete the application and have a licensed medical doctor authorized to practice medicine in the state of California certify this form. Mail the completed form to GreenWaste at the address at the bottom of the application page. Upon receiving the completed application, GreenWaste will schedule a service appointment. Upon approval, you will be notified and begin receiving on-premise service. 

Physical Limitations Program

The City of Palo Alto Household Hazardous Waste Program provides Palo Alto residents with an environmentally safe, convenient way to dispose of unwanted hazardous household products. Some household hazardous wastes can be collected curbside. Those items are listed below. Others must be taken to the Household Hazardous Waste Station. Go to the Hazardous Waste Program page for more information.

Household Hazardous Waste Collected Curbside:

• Motor Oil & Filters
  • Used motor oil and filters will be collected curbside ONLY during your Clean Up Day.
  • Used motor oil must be placed in a clear one-gallon plastic container with a tight fitting screw-top lid. Used oil filters must be placed in a sealed clear tear-resistant bag.
  • Used oil containers and oil filter bags will be provided by GreenWaste at no additional charge.
• Household Batteries     
  • Household batteries (e.g., AA, AAA, D, nickel cadmium) will be collected curbside ONLY during your Clean Up Day.
  • Lithium and lithium-ion batteries are NOT accepted.
  • Place inside a sealed clear tear-resistant bag. Tear resistant bags will be provided by GreenWaste at no additional charge.
  • IMPORTANT! Prior to depositing dead batteries into the battery recycling containers, Federal Law now requires the terminals be taped with non-conductive tape (electrical, duct, or masking tape) to prevent short-circuiting during transport.
• To request containers or tear-resistant bags for used motor oil, filters, household batteries and cell phones, please contact GreenWaste Customer Service at (650) 493-4894. 

The Clean Up Day service provides you with curbside collection of bulky items, excess recyclables and yard trimmings, and other items. It is available for both Palo Alto residents and businesses. 

Visit our Clean Up Day page for more information.

Collection will not occur on New Year's Day (January 1), Thanksgiving (4th Thursday in November) or Christmas (December 25). During holiday weeks, if your regular collection day falls on or after one of these holidays, your collection day will be moved to the next day. Friday collection will occur Saturday.

GreenWaste of Palo Alto offers debris box services for construction projects, deconstruction, remodels, property clean outs, and more. Debris boxes are available in a variety of sizes for source separated and mixed materials. 

Visit GreenWaste of Palo Alto's Debris Box Service page for more information.

All of our recyclable materials, such as paper, glass, plastic and metal are accepted in the blue cart or bin. The recyclables are then sent to GreenWaste of Palo Alto's material recovery facility in San Jose, where they are separated into commodities that are sold to manufacturers that turn our discards into new products. 

View the comprehensive list of accepted materials. You can also go to the What Goes Where Tools page for a suite of tools designed to help you learn more details about what goes where and how to prepare your materials.

Paper

(staples, tape ok)

• White, colored, and glossy paper
• Magazines and catalogs
• Newspaper
• Cardboard (flattened, cut to fit loosely)
• Junk mail
• Paperboard (e.g., office supply, cereal and tissue boxes, toilet paper tubes)
• Paperback books
• Shredded paper
• Paper bags

Glass

• Bottles and Jars

Metal

• Aerosol cans (empty, non-hazardous)
• Aluminum cans (food, beverage, pet food)
• Foil, foil trays and pans
• Lids, caps
• Scrap metal

Plastic Bags & Film

(place bags and film plastic in a bag.)

• Bags (e.g., bread, dry cleaning, grocery, newspaper, produce, merchandise, zip lock)
• Bubble wrap
• Case wrap (e.g., beverage container and snack flats)
• Liners (e.g., cereal box)
• Plastic package wrap (e.g., toilet paper)

Plastics

(All types with or without a number. No foam plastic a.k.a. STYROFOAM™)

• Bottles (e.g., beverage, laundry and household cleaners, personal care products, prescription)
• Food containers (e.g., cottage cheese, margarine, yogurt, take-out containers)
• Baskets
• Buckets
• Flower pots
• Product packaging
• Toys

Electronics

• Appliances
• Calculator
• Computer
• Computer peripherals
• Home entertainment (e.g., game systems, DVR, VCR, stereo, radio)

All compostable materials, such as yard trimmings, food scraps, soiled paper and compostable plastics are accepted loosely in your green cart. The compostable materials are sent to the Zero WAste Energy Development Company (ZWED) in San Jose, where it is anaerobic digested and composted. This process yields both renewable energy and compost which is used to enrich the soil. 

View a comprehensive list of accepted materials. You can also go to the What Goes Where Tools page for a suite of tools designed to help you learn more details about what goes where and how to prepare your materials.

• Yard Trimmings (branches, leaves, grass, plants, flowers)
• Food Scraps (meat, dairy, bones, shells, vegetables, grains)
• Soiled Paper (tissues, paper towels, take-out containers, paper cups, milk cartons)
• Waxed Cardboard
• Untreated/Unpainted Wood (lumber, wood chips, wood waste, sawdust)
• Holiday trees (contact GreenWaste for special instructions)

As a rule of thumb, if an item doesn't go in your blue or green container and it is not a functional, reusable item that you can donate, it most likely goes into your garbage container. Most items that you will need to throw away are those made of multiple materials that are fused together. It is difficult, if not impossible to separate and recycle these items once they are fused together. 

View the comprehensive list of accepted materials. You can also go to the What Goes Where Tools page for a suite of tools designed to help you learn more details about what goes where and how to prepare your materials.

• Fused materials (granola bar wrappers, paper lined foil candy wrappers)
• Chip Bags
• Chewing Gum
• Latex and Nitrile Gloves
• Expanded Polystyrene Blocks (a.k.a. STYROFOAM™)
• Broken Dishes
• Drink Boxes and Pouches
• Pet Waste
• Diapers

• Recycle, compost and landfill collection services are available to all multi-unit complexes, in wheeled carts or bins.
  • Collection is available up to five (5) times per week on the same day as landfill collection.
  • Cart and bin in different sizes and dimensions are available
• If you need assistance starting a program or keeping one going, GreenWaste Environmental Outreach Coordinators (EOC) will assist you, at no additional cost. Assistance includes:
  • Establishing service levels, conducting site visits and waste audits
  • Planning for special events
  • Educating residents on how to properly sort their waste with EOC on-site training and meetings
  • Posters and stickers
  • Tours of processing facilities
• To request assistance contact GreenWaste Customer Service at (650) 493-4894.

Cart and Bin Sizes

• Recycle, compost and landfill containers must remain clear of sidewalks (36 inch clearance) and on private property. Containers should not be placed in the gutter, street or public right-of-way (e.g., alleys).
• Standard service is at street level. Additional service fees apply to non-standard service.
• Place containers by 4 AM on the day of collection in an area accessible to collection vehicles.
• Maintain container placement and storage areas in good, clean, sanitary condition, and in a manner that prevents leaks, spills and odors.
• Keep lids on containers closed at all times.
• Landfill items, recyclables and compostables must be stored in City-approved containers.
• Cleaning of recyclables, compostables or garbage carts or bins is available upon request for a fee.
• To prevent misuse of containers, locks are available upon request for a fee. Please contact GreenWaste Customer Service for more information at (650) 493-4894.

Multi Unit Complex Residents: Palo Alto residents can dispose of unwanted hazardous household products in an environmentally safe, convenient way by taking household hazardous wastes to the Household Hazardous Waste Station. 
Go to the Hazardous Waste Program page for more information. 

Businesses and property managers: The City of Palo Alto has a drop-off program for businesses and property managers to properly dispose of Universal (e.g., fluorescent lamps) and Hazardous Wastes (e.g., paint). Per State law, neither Universal nor Hazardous Waste may be placed in the garbage. In addition, there are drop-off, pick-up and mail-back programs operated by private companies for managing Universal Waste.
Go to the Hazardous Waste Program page for more information.

The Clean Up Day service provides you with curbside collection of bulky items, excess recyclables and yard trimmings, and other items. It is available for both Palo Alto residents and businesses. 

Visit our Clean Up Day page for more information.

Collection will not occur on New Year's Day (January 1), Thanksgiving (4th Thursday in November) or Christmas (December 25). During holiday weeks, if your regular collection day falls on or after one of these holidays, your collection day will be moved to the next day.

GreenWaste of Palo Alto offers debris box services for construction projects, deconstruction, remodels, property clean outs, and more. Debris boxes are available in a variety of sizes for source separated and mixed materials. 

Visit GreenWaste of Palo Alto's Debris Box Service page for more information.

All of our recyclable materials, such as paper, glass, plastic, and metal are accepted in the blue cart or bin. The recyclables are then sent to GreenWaste of Palo Alto's material recovery facility in San Jose, where they are separated into commodities that are sold to manufacturers that turn our discards into new products. 

View the comprehensive list of accepted materials. You can also go to the What Goes Where Tools page for a suite of tools designed to help you learn more details about what goes where and how to prepare your materials.

Paper 

(staples, tape ok)

• White, colored, and glossy paper
• Magazines and catalogs
• Newspaper
• Cardboard (flattened, cut to fit loosely)
• Junk mail
• Paperboard (e.g., office supply, cereal and tissue boxes, toilet paper tubes)
• Paperback books
• Shredded paper
• Paper bags

Glass

• Bottles and Jars

Metal

• Aerosol cans (empty, non-hazardous)
• Aluminum cans (food, beverage, pet food)
• Foil, foil trays and pans
• Lids, caps
• Scrap metal

Plastic Bags & Film

(place bags and film plastic in a bag.)

• Bags (e.g., bread, dry cleaning, grocery, newspaper, produce, merchandise, zip lock)
• Bubble wrap
• Case wrap (e.g., beverage container and snack flats)
• Liners (e.g., cereal box)
• Plastic package wrap (e.g., toilet paper)

Plastics

(All types with or without a number. No foam plastic a.k.a. STYROFOAM™)

• Bottles (e.g., beverage, laundry and household cleaners, personal care products, prescription)
• Food containers (e.g., cottage cheese, margarine, yogurt, take-out containers)
• Baskets
• Buckets
• Flower pots
• Product packaging
• Toys

Electronics

• Appliances
• Calculator
• Computer
• Computer peripherals
• Home entertainment (e.g., game systems, DVR, VCR, stereo, radio)

All compostable materials, such as yard trimmings, food scraps, soiled paper and compostable plastics are accepted loosely in your green cart. The compostable materials are sent to the Zero WAste Energy Development Company (ZWED) in San Jose, where it is anaerobic digested and composted. This process yields both renewable energy and compost which is used to enrich the soil. 

View the comprehensive list of accepted materials. You can also go to the What Goes Where Tools page for a suite of tools designed to help you learn more details about what goes where and how to prepare your materials.

• Yard Trimmings (branches, leaves, grass, plants, flowers)
• Food Scraps (meat, dairy, bones, shells, vegetables, grains)
• Soiled Paper (tissues, paper towels, take-out containers, paper cups, milk cartons)
• Waxed Cardboard
• Untreated/Unpainted Wood (lumber, wood chips, wood waste, sawdust)
• Holiday trees (contact GreenWaste for special instructions) 

As a rule of thumb, if an item doesn't go in your blue or green container and it is not a functional, reusable item that you can donate, it most likely goes into your landfill container. Most items that you will need to throw away are those made of multiple materials that are fused together. It is difficult, if not impossible to separate and recycle these items once they are fused together. 

View the comprehensive list of accepted materials. You can also go to the What Goes Where Tools page for a suite of tools designed to help you learn more details about what goes where and how to prepare your materials.

• Fused materials (granola bar wrappers, paper lined foil candy wrappers)
• Chip Bags
• Chewing Gum
• Latex and Nitrile Gloves
• Expanded Polystyrene Blocks (a.k.a. STYROFOAM™)
• Rubber Pads
• Broken Dishes
• Drink Boxes and Pouches
• Pet Waste
• Diapers

• Recycle, compost and landfill collection services are available to all multi-unit complexes, in wheeled carts or bins.
  • Collection from businesses is available up to six (6) times per week.
  • Cart and bin in different sizes and dimensions are available
• If you need assistance starting a program or keeping one going, GreenWaste Environmental Outreach Coordinators (EOC) will assist you, at no additional cost. Assistance includes:
  • Establishing service levels, conducting site visits and waste audits
  • Planning for special events
  • Educating residents on how to properly sort their waste with EOC on-site training and meetings
  • Posters and stickers
  • Tours of processing facilities
• To request assistance contact GreenWaste Customer Service at (650) 493-4894.

Cart and Bin Sizes

• Recycle, compost and landfill containers must remain clear of sidewalks (36 inch clearance) and on private property. Containers should not be placed in the gutter, street or public right-of-way (e.g., alleys).
• Standard service is at street level. Additional service fees apply to non-standard service.
• Place containers by 4 AM on the day of collection in an area accessible to collection vehicles.
• Maintain container placement and storage areas in good, clean, sanitary condition, and in a manner that prevents leaks, spills and odors.
• Keep lids on containers closed at all times.
• Landfill items, recyclables and compostables must be stored in City-approved containers.
• Cleaning of recycle, compost or landfill carts or bins is available upon request for a fee.
• To prevent misuse of containers, locks are available upon request for a fee. Please contact GreenWaste Customer Service for more information at (650) 493-4894.

Collection will not occur on New Year's Day (January 1), Thanksgiving (4th Thursday in November) or Christmas (December 25). During holiday weeks, if your regular collection day falls on or after one of these holidays, your collection day will be moved to the next day.

The City of Palo Alto has a drop-off program for businesses and property managers to properly dispose of Universal (e.g., fluorescent lamps) and Hazardous Wastes (e.g., paint). Per State law, neither Universal nor Hazardous Waste may be placed in the garbage. In addition, there are drop-off, pick-up and mail-back programs operated by private companies for managing Universal Waste.

Go to the Hazardous Waste Program page for more information.

The Clean Up Day service provides you with curbside collection of bulky items, excess recyclables and yard trimmings, and other items. It is available for both Palo Alto residents and businesses. 

Visit our Clean Up Day page for more information.

GreenWaste of Palo Alto offers debris box services for construction projects, deconstruction, remodels, property clean outs, and more. Debris boxes are available in a variety of sizes for source separated and mixed materials. 

Visit GreenWaste of Palo Alto's Debris Box Service page for more information.