San Francisco Trash Pickup, Recycling, Compost & Bulky Item Schedule 2026
This guide is written like a San Francisco resident’s working checklist: how to find your Recology collection day, what changes on Christmas and New Year’s Day, what goes in the black, blue and green bins, how to schedule bulky item pickup, how apartment buildings should handle bins, and where to take hazardous waste or oversized disposal items.
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San Francisco trash pickup schedule garbage collection is handled by Recology San Francisco. Use the official Recology collection calendar, type your home address, and confirm your regular trash, recycling and compost pickup schedule.
Recology says drivers work every holiday except Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. For bulky item pickup, residential customers receive two curbside Bulky Item Recycling collections per year at no additional charge, while apartment dwellers receive one no-charge curbside collection.
San Francisco Collection Day Lookup — Use Recology’s Address Calendar First
The simplest way to find your pickup day is to use Recology San Francisco’s official collection calendar. Enter your address and check the result for trash, recycling and compost service. Do not copy a neighbor’s schedule if you live on a corner, in a multi-unit building, above a business, on a narrow street, or in a building with shared bins.
Open the official collection calendar
Use Recology’s San Francisco collection calendar and type your residential address. This is the safest way to confirm pickup before holiday weeks, move-ins, or service changes.
Confirm the right account type
Single-family homes, apartments, condos, mixed-use properties and commercial buildings can have different bin locations and service setups.
Save Recology customer service
Call 415-330-1300 if you need to double-check your regularly scheduled trash, recycling and compost collection day.
Use What Goes Where for confusing items
Before placing batteries, electronics, textiles, paint, mattresses, mixed packaging or greasy foodware in a bin, check Recology’s What Goes Where tool.
Official lookup: Use the Recology San Francisco calendar to verify your exact collection day and holiday schedule.
Open Collection CalendarSan Francisco Black, Blue and Green Bin System — The Rule Residents Must Get Right
San Francisco’s waste system is built around separating materials into three streams: black landfill, blue recycling and green compost. SF Environment says everyone in San Francisco is required to separate waste, and Recology works with the city to support the Mandatory Recycling and Composting Ordinance.
Use for non-recyclable and non-compostable trash. This should be the last option after recycling, composting, reuse, donation, hazardous waste handling or bulky item pickup.
Use for accepted recyclable materials such as bottles, cans, paper, cardboard and other items listed in Recology’s San Francisco sorting guide.
Use for food scraps, soiled paper and plants. Recology says San Francisco green-bin material is turned into compost rather than landfill waste.
Do not “wish-cycle.” If you are not sure where something goes, do not guess. Use SFRecycles.org, Recology’s What Goes Where tool or customer service before contaminating the blue or green bin.
San Francisco 2026 Holiday Trash Pickup — Christmas Day and New Year’s Day Matter Most
Recology San Francisco states that drivers work every holiday except Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Recology also prints a special holiday schedule on its site and in customer newsletters. For 2026, always verify the exact holiday week through your collection calendar before placing bins out.
| Holiday | 2026 Date | Expected Rule | Resident Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Thursday, January 1, 2026 | No normal collection on New Year’s Day. | Check Recology’s special holiday schedule for your route. |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Monday, January 19, 2026 | Recology generally works this holiday. | Use normal collection calendar unless Recology posts an alert. |
| Presidents’ Day | Monday, February 16, 2026 | Recology generally works this holiday. | Use normal collection calendar. |
| Memorial Day | Monday, May 25, 2026 | Recology generally works this holiday. | Use normal collection calendar. |
| Independence Day | Saturday, July 4, 2026 | Saturday in 2026. | Verify only if your account has special weekend service. |
| Labor Day | Monday, September 7, 2026 | Recology generally works this holiday. | Use normal collection calendar. |
| Thanksgiving Day | Thursday, November 26, 2026 | Recology generally works holidays except Christmas and New Year’s. | Check calendar if your building manager posts instructions. |
| Christmas Day | Friday, December 25, 2026 | No normal collection on Christmas Day. | Check Recology’s special holiday schedule and newsletter. |
Do not assume a national holiday delay. San Francisco’s Recology rule is narrower than many cities. The two holidays that matter most for collection interruption are Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
San Francisco Bin Set-Out Rules — Curb Placement, Lid Direction, Spacing and Sidewalk Problems
Recology’s cart placement guidance says bins should be placed curbside with the wheels against the curb and the lid pointed toward the street. If you live on a street without a curb, place bins roadside. Recology also says bins should be placed about 18 inches apart and facing the same direction for safer and faster service.
- Use the same collection location Recology normally services.
- Place wheels against the curb when curbside service applies.
- Point lids toward the street.
- Keep bins facing the same direction.
- Leave about 18 inches between bins.
- Keep lids closed and avoid loose material around the bins.
- Bins blocked by parked cars, planters, construction or scooters.
- Overflowing bins with lids forced open.
- Extra bags or cardboard outside the correct container.
- Wrong bin stream, such as food scraps in black landfill.
- Hazardous waste, batteries, electronics or chemicals in regular bins.
- Building staff not returning bins to storage after service.
Sidewalk and storage warning: San Francisco properties must manage receptacles so they do not create nuisance, obstruction or storage problems. Apartment and mixed-use buildings should have clear internal signs and convenient access to all three streams.
San Francisco Recycling Pickup — Blue Bin Rules, Clean Materials and What Not to Recycle
San Francisco’s blue bin is for recyclable materials. The key practical rule is not just “recycle more.” It is “recycle correctly.” Dirty, wet, bagged, tangled, hazardous or tiny items can create problems at the sorting facility.
- Paper and cardboard that are clean enough to recycle.
- Glass bottles and jars when empty.
- Metal cans and accepted containers.
- Rigid recyclable plastics accepted in the San Francisco sorting guide.
- Cartons and other accepted packaging listed by Recology.
- Food, liquids and greasy contamination.
- Plastic bags and plastic film unless a specific program says otherwise.
- Batteries and electronics.
- Light bulbs, sharps and hazardous waste.
- Textiles, clothes hangers and bulky items.
- Styrofoam and hard-to-sort mixed materials unless listed as accepted.
Still unsure? Use Recology’s What Goes Where page before placing confusing items in the blue bin.
What Goes WhereSan Francisco Waste Video Guide — What Happens to Recycling and Compost
This official Recology video is useful because it shows what happens after San Francisco residents place materials in their Recology bins. It supports the recycling and compost sections by showing why sorting matters and how recycling is processed while food scraps and yard debris become compost.
Best for: New residents, apartment residents, homeowners, renters using shared bins, property managers, and anyone unsure why the blue, green and black bins must stay separated.
This video supports the practical guidance in this article. For exact pickup dates, holiday changes, missed collection, bulky item appointments, bin sizes, rates, hazardous waste rules and transfer station hours, residents should still verify details through the official Recology and SF Environment links above.
San Francisco Compost Pickup — Food Scraps, Soiled Paper and Plants in the Green Bin
San Francisco is one of the best-known composting cities in the United States. Recology says the green composting cart accepts food scraps, soiled paper and plants. SF Environment says compostables in the green bin are composted into nutrient-rich soil used by local farms.
- Fruit and vegetable scraps.
- Meat, bones, seafood and shellfish.
- Bread, grains, pasta and leftovers.
- Coffee grounds with paper filters.
- Food-soiled paper accepted by the program.
- Plants, leaves and yard trimmings.
- Remove food from plastic packaging.
- Do not put batteries, electronics or hazardous waste in the green bin.
- Do not use the green bin as overflow trash.
- Keep lids closed to reduce odor and pests.
- Use proper signage in apartment trash rooms.
- Ask Recology about correct bin size if bins overflow regularly.
Apartment tip: If tenants avoid the green bin because it is hidden, dirty or poorly labeled, contamination rises. Property managers should place compost, recycling and landfill bins together in equally convenient locations with visible signs.
San Francisco Bulky Item Pickup — Free Recology Collections, Apartment Rules and Set-Out Details
Recology’s Bulky Item Recycling program is the right route for large household items that do not fit in regular bins. Residential customers receive two curbside Bulky Item Recycling collections per year at no additional charge. Apartment dwellers receive one no-charge curbside collection. Additional collections may be available for a fee.
- Old furniture.
- Appliances accepted by the program.
- Mattresses and box springs when scheduled correctly.
- Large household items that cannot fit in bins.
- Apartment move-out items when the building account qualifies.
- Do not dump items on the sidewalk without an appointment.
- Do not assume every apartment tenant can schedule without building coordination.
- Do not use bulky pickup for extra bags of ordinary trash.
- Do not leave hazardous waste, chemicals, paint or unknown materials curbside.
- Do not forget to attach the required “Recology” sign when instructed.
Set-out reminder: After scheduling bulky pickup, Recology says items should be placed next to the curb near the residence by 6 AM on the appointment day and marked with a sign that reads “Recology.”
Schedule bulky pickup: Use the official Recology San Francisco Bulky Item Collection form or call 415-330-1300.
Request Bulky PickupSan Francisco Transfer Station, Household Hazardous Waste and No-Bin Items
Some items should not go in the black, blue or green bin. Recology’s SF Transfer Station & Hazardous Waste Facility is located at 501 Tunnel Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94134. Recology lists transfer station service and a household hazardous waste facility at that location.
- Paint, solvents and household chemicals.
- Motor oil, cleaners and pesticides.
- Batteries and battery-powered devices.
- Electronics and universal waste.
- Unknown or unlabeled waste.
- Large items not accepted in regular bins or bulky pickup.
- Free household hazardous waste pickups are available Wednesday through Saturday mornings.
- Hazardous waste containers cannot be left outside on the sidewalk.
- You must be home at the time of pickup.
- Priority is given to disabled and elderly residents who do not drive.
- Unknown chemicals should be described when contacting Recology.
Before you drive: Check current transfer station hours, HHW hours, accepted materials and fees before loading your vehicle.
SF Transfer StationSF Transfer Station Map — 501 Tunnel Avenue
San Francisco Apartment Trash, Recycling and Compost Rules — Shared Bins Need Better Setup
Apartment buildings are where San Francisco waste mistakes become expensive and frustrating. Shared rooms, chutes, locked bins, unclear signs and move-out dumping can all cause contamination or missed service. Recology and SF Environment both provide apartment resources because multi-family buildings must make recycling and composting practical for tenants.
- Ask where black, blue and green bins are located.
- Do not leave furniture in the trash room without building approval.
- Use Recology or building guidance for move-out items.
- Keep batteries, paint, electronics and chemicals out of all bins.
- Ask the property manager if bins are repeatedly overflowing.
- Provide all three streams in convenient locations.
- Use signs in common languages for tenants.
- Coordinate bulky pickup for move-out season.
- Order correct bin sizes if service volume is too low.
- Educate tenants before contamination becomes an enforcement issue.
Do not ignore tenant complaints. San Francisco’s Mandatory Recycling and Composting Ordinance applies to residents and businesses, and renters can report unresponsive property managers when access to recycling and composting is not being handled properly.
Recology San Francisco Phone Number, Transfer Station, Rates and Official Waste Links
| Need | Official Contact | Use This For |
|---|---|---|
| Recology Customer Service | 415-330-1300 | Collection calendar, missed pickup, service questions, bulky item scheduling and account help. |
| customerservice@recologysf.com | Customer service, bulky requests, schedule questions and apartment coordination. | |
| SF Transfer Station | 415-330-1400 | Transfer station and facility questions at 501 Tunnel Avenue. |
| HHW Pickup | hhw@recology.com / 415-330-1405 | Household hazardous waste appointments and questions. |
| SF Environment | Zero Waste Program | Mandatory recycling/composting guidance, sorting tools and compliance resources. |
Official San Francisco Waste Links
Related Trash Pickup Guides — Bay Area and California Collection Help
Use these related trash-pickup.org guides when comparing pickup calendars, bulky item rules, organics programs, holiday collection and missed pickup reporting across California cities.
San Francisco Trash Pickup FAQ — Real Resident Questions Answered
Source Verification and Editorial Note
Independent information guide — not affiliated with Recology, SF Environment or the City and County of San Francisco. trash-pickup.org is a public information resource. We do not operate trash collection, recycling pickup, compost service, bulky item pickup, transfer station disposal, household hazardous waste service, collection calendars or Recology customer service.
Collection day lookup, holiday rules, three-bin sorting, bulky item pickup, apartment resources, hazardous waste pickup, transfer station details and official contacts were checked against Recology San Francisco and SF Environment sources as of May 2026. Collection routes, rates, special holiday schedules, accepted materials, facility hours and service rules can change. Always verify through official Recology and SF Environment links before acting.
Official Sources — Verified May 2026
- Recology San Francisco
- Recology San Francisco — Collection Calendar
- Recology FAQ — What Is My Collection Day?
- Recology San Francisco — What Goes Where
- Recology San Francisco — Compost, Recycle & Landfill
- Recology San Francisco — Bulky Item Collection
- Recology FAQ — Schedule Bulky Item Recycling Pickup
- Recology San Francisco — Apartment Resources
- Recology San Francisco — SF Transfer Station & HHW Facility
- Recology San Francisco — Hazardous Waste
- SF Environment — Zero Waste
- SF Environment — Recycling and Composting FAQs
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