Frequently Asked Questions
Recycling and Garbage
| Residential Recycling Guide | FAQ
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Your Haulers | Split-body
Truck | Achievements | Garbage
Rates
Topics:
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Carts
Q. How do I exchange or order a cart??
A. Call Customer Service at (408)
535-3515 to:
- order a new cart,
- change the size of an existing cart, or
- repair or replace a broken, damaged or stolen cart.
Garbage carts are available in 20-,
32-, 64-, and 96-gallon sizes. Your monthly garbage rate is
based on the size of your garbage cart.
There is no additional fee for your recycling
cart— it is included as part of your garbage collection service.
Recycling carts are available in 32-,
64-, and 96-gallon sizes.
If you currently have loose-in-the-street yard
trimmings collection and would prefer to place your yard trimmings
in a cart, the cost of yard trimmings cart service is $1.00 more
per month (regardless of cart size). Yard trimmings carts are available
in 32-, 64-,
and 96-gallon
sizes.
Q. Can I pick up a cart rather than wait
for a delivery?
A. No. Place your order with
Customer Service at (408) 535-3515. Carts are delivered
within the next two collection days.
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Missed Pickup
Q. What should I do if my garbage or recycling
isn’t picked up on my collection day?
A. Call Customer Service at (408)
535-3515.
Q. What if I put my garbage and recycling
out on the wrong day or after collection?
A. Put your carts out on your
next collection day. Put any extra garbage in a 32-gallon plastic
garbage bag (with an "Extra Garbage" sticker attached)
and place it on the curb near the garbage cart. You may buy Extra
Garbage stickers at all San José libraries, Albertsons and
Safeway grocery stores, and most 7-Eleven stores in San José.
Extra recyclables should be put in brown paper bags and placed on
the curb next to your recycling cart for collection.
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Collection
Schedule
Q. How do I find out my correct garbage
and recycling day and street sweeping days?
A. A collection schedule magnet
is mailed to residents each year. If you do not have a schedule
magnet or have questions about your collection and street sweeping
days, call Customer Service at (408) 535-3515.
Q. On what holidays are garbage and recycling
NOT collected?
A. Thanksgiving Day, Christmas
Day, and New Year’s Day are the only holidays that garbage, recycling,
and yard trimmings are NOT collected in San José. After these
holidays, collection will be one day later throughout the rest of
that week. For example, if a holiday falls on a Thursday, Thursday
collection would occur on Friday, and Friday collection would occur
on Saturday.
Q. Which company collects my garbage and
recycling?
A. Check the first two letters
of the serial number stamped on the side of your recycling cart.
NC means Norcal; GT means GreenTeam.
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What
Is and Isn’t Recyclable
Q. How can I find out what’s recyclable
at curbside in San José?
A. Information on what is and
is not recyclable can be found on this web site—see Residential
Recycling Guide. You may also order a free copy of the City
of San José Recycling Guide in English, Spanish or Vietnamese,
using the online form. Or call
Customer Service at (408) 535-3515 and ask to have
a copy mailed to you.
Q. What common household items should
always be placed in the garbage cart?
A. Food waste, pizza boxes, used
paper plates and cups, paper towels, plastic wrap for packaging
items like toilet paper or paper towels, disposable diapers should
all be thrown out as garbage. Consider donating things like plastic
toys, garden hoses, and shoes that are still in good condition to
charitable organizations. Otherwise, these items can go in the garbage
cart, too. Broken hair dryers and other small plastic appliances
are also garbage. Small pieces of wood and lumber can go into your
garbage cart. However, to dispose of larger items such as fences,
see Construction
and Demolition Recycling.
Q. Where can I find out how to recycle
items that San José does not collect at curbside (e.g., computers,
athletic shoes, hangers, tools, etc.)?
A. For a guide to recyclers or
information about recycling unusual materials, visit the Center
for the Development of Recycling’s searchable
database or call the Center’s Santa Clara County Recycling Hotline
at (408) 924-5453 or 1-(800)-533-8414.
For
free, safe disposal of household hazardous waste items, such as
paints, auto fluids, or garden products, call the Santa Clara County
Household Hazardous Waste appointment line at (408) 299-7300.
Check the web site Household
Hazardous Waste for more information.
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Extra Garbage, Recyclables or Yard
Trimmings
Q. What if I have more garbage than fits
in my garbage cart?
A. Your garbage cart lid must
be completely closed when you set out your cart at curbside for
collection. Otherwise, your garbage may not be collected.
Put
extra garbage in a 32-gallon plastic garbage bag labeled with an
"Extra Garbage" sticker and place it on the curb near
the garbage cart. You may buy these stickers at all San José
libraries, Albertsons and Safeway grocery stores, and most 7-Eleven
stores in San José.
If you frequently have more garbage than fits
into your garbage cart, call Customer Service at (408) 535-3515
to order a larger garbage cart.
Q. What if I have more recyclables than
fit in my recycling cart?
A.
In San José, collection of recyclables is unlimited. However,
the lid of your recycling cart must be closed when you set your
cart out at curbside for collection. Place
extra recyclables in paper bags on the curb near the recycling
cart.
Cardboard goes inside the cart, too. But flatten
and cut it to fit. Extra cardboard should be flattened and cut into
pieces no larger than 4 feet by 4 feet, and leaned against the cart.
If the capacity of your recycling cart is often
a problem, you may wish to order a larger size. (The largest size
is 96 gallons.) Remember, your fee for garbage service is based
on the size of your garbage cart. Whatever size recycling cart you
choose (32-gallon,
64-gallon, 96-gallon) does not affect your monthly garbage service
fee.
Q. What if I have more yard trimmings
than fit into my cart?
A. Your yard trimmings cart lid
must be completely closed when you set out your cart at curbside
for collection.
Place
extra yard trimmings loose in the street for collection. Piles
should be no more than 5 feet high by 5 feet wide, placed 1 foot
from the curb, and at least 5 feet from other piles, carts, or parked
cars.
If you live in an off-street collection area,
place any extra yard trimmings next to the cart, either:
- in your own 32-gallon can labeled with a hauler-provided sticker,
or
- tied in a bundle, no larger than your cart.
Q. How do I recycle my holiday tree?
A. Natural and flocked holiday
trees will be collected for recycling on the same day as your garbage,
recycling and yard trimmings. Follow these tips to prepare
your tree for recycling.
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Keeping Recyclables and
Garbage Separate
Q. How do the new collection trucks keep
recyclables and garbage separate?
A.
Recyclables and garbage are never mixed. The trucks have two compartments,
which are completely separated by a metal barrier. The truck’s hydraulic
arm lifts the recycling cart or garbage cart into a hopper, the
chute for transferring materials into the truck. Using a joystick
inside the truck cab, the driver shifts the door of the hopper that
divides the two compartments. Recyclables always drop into the recycling
compartment, and garbage always drops into the garbage compartment.
These split-body
trucks even have a live video camera system onboard to guide
the driver’s use of the hydraulic arm and hopper door throughout
the collection process.
Q. What happens to recyclables and garbage
after they’re collected at curbside?
A. Recyclables and garbage are
never mixed. All recyclables are taken to a Materials
Recovery Facility, where they are sorted by machine and by hand.
Recyclables are separated by material type, such as paper, glass,
and plastic. Afterward, the material is sold to processors, who
use it to make new products, such as cardboard, new glass or fleece
jackets. Garbage is taken to a landfill for burial.
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Curbside Oil Collection
Q. Can I use my own container for oil
recycling?
A.
No. You must use the free City-issued oil jugs and filter bags because
they are designed to prevent leaks or spills. Oil pollutes our neighborhood
creeks and Bay when it washes into storm drains from the street.
Place filled oil
jugs and filter bags on the curb near your recycling cart for
collection. To order the free oil jugs and filter bags, call Customer
Service at (408) 535-3515.
After collecting your used motor oil or oil filter
bags, the driver will leave a replacement for what is collected.
For example, if one oil jug is picked up, then one empty oil jug
is left in exchange (up to a maximum of four one-gallon jugs). If
one oil filter bag is collected, then one empty filter bag is left
in exchange (up to a maximum of two oil filter bags).
Remember: oil mixed with antifreeze, transmission
fluid, or any other automotive fluid will NOT be collected. For
safe disposal of other automotive fluids, contact the Santa Clara
Countywide Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Program at (408) 299-7300
to schedule a free appointment. (Also, ask the HHW Program about
the Reuse Shop for the free products such as paints and thinners,
pool chemicals, fertilizers, household cleaners and automotive products.)
Q. Can I pick up oil jugs rather than
wait for a delivery?
A. No. Place your order with
Customer Service. The jugs will be brought on your garbage and recycling
collection day.
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Construction Materials
Q. Where can I get information about garbage
dumpster rentals for personal use for disposing of things like old
fencing or broken walkways?
A. Check our web site listing
of City
of San José Franchised Solid Waste Haulers for information
on debris box rentals.
Q. How can I dispose of or recycle wood,
dirt or other construction debris?
A. For more information about
recycling unusual materials, visit the Center for the Development
of Recycling’s searchable
database at or call the Center’s Santa Clara County Recycling
Hotline at (408) 924-5453 or 1-(800)-533-8414.
The City of San José has a Construction
& Demolition Diversion Deposit (CDDD) Program to ensure that
construction and demolition materials, for sites that have been
issued a building permit, can be recovered or reused instead of
ending up in a landfill. For more information about CDDD, visit
Construction
and Demolition Recycling. This web site also lists CDDD-certified
facilities that will recover or recycle construction materials.
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Large Item Pickup
Q. How can I dispose of large household
items that don’t fit into my garbage cart?
A.
The City of San José offers an on-call large item collection
program. Call Customer Service at (408) 535-3515 to
arrange pickup of bulky items such as sofas, refrigerators, or tires
for a small fee.
Q. Why doesn’t San José offer free
yearly cleanup days?
A. Providing a yearly cleanup
program in San Jose would increase costs significantly for San José
garbage service ratepayers. As an alternative, San José offers
a flexible, low-cost large item collection program to meet your
needs and schedule.
Garbage Rates
Q. What do I pay for garbage collection
services?
A. Your Recycle Plus fee pays
for monthly street sweeping service and weekly garbage, recycling
and yard trimmings collection. The service
rate you pay is based on the size of your garbage cart. Recycling
is unlimited at no additional charge. By recycling as much as you
can, you will be able to use the smaller garbage cart sizes, which
cost less.
Paying Bills
Q. What bill payment options are available
to me?
A. You may pay your garbage bill
using the following options:
BY
MAIL |
City of San José Finance Department
Utility Billing Services
P.O. Box 11002
San José, CA 95103-1002 |
IN
PERSON |
200 East Santa Clara Street, Customer Service
Center, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (excluding holidays) |
VIA
DROP BOX |
| 200 East Santa Clara Street, 6th and Santa Clara Street entrance |
Payments with money orders, personal checks,
or cashier’s checks can be deposited in the Drop Box. Always
include your bill stub along with your payment. Never place
cash in the Drop Box. For all cash payments, see “In person”
payment options above. |
WITH
AUTOMATIC PAYMENT |
Automatic Payment Service (APS) automatically
withdraws your payment from your bank account. To arrange for
automatic payments, download, print, and complete the APS
application form or call Customer Service at (408) 535-3515
to request the application form be sent to you by mail. |
| ONLINE |
Make arrangements with your own bank for
Internet banking service. |
Q. How do I cancel my Automatic Payment
Service (APS)?
A. Automatic Payment Service
(APS) is so convenient, you may forget you have it. But don’t
forget to cancel the service if you move. To do so, send us a written
notice to cancel, signed by the original applicant 30 days prior
to your move. Even if you relocate within San José, we still need
the written notice to stop the old service and start a new APS account
for your new address.
Q. Is there assistance for low-income
residents?
A. The City has a Low-Income
Rate Assistance Program. Call Customer Service at (408) 535-3515
to discuss program qualifications and to request an application.
Q. What does my garbage bill pay for?
A. Your garbage fee pays for:
- Weekly collection of garbage, recycling and yard trimmings.
- Unlimited curbside collection of more types of recyclables than
any other city in the County.
- Easy and convenient carts for recycling.
- Street sweeping service.
Updated: 11/2/05
