Curbside collection services are available to you for recycle, compost and landfill.
This section covers what is accepted, services offered, holiday schedules and more.
GreenWaste of Palo Alto is the City's contractor for waste collection, transportation and processing services. Service questions should be directed to GreenWaste of Palo Alto by calling (650) 493-4894 or emailing pacustomerservice@greenwaste.com.
Click on the appropriate link above to go directly to the section that provides information about the services available to you.
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.
(place bags and film plastic in a bag)
(All types with or without a number - no expanded polystyrene a.k.a. STYROFOAM™)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
(staples, tape ok)
(place bags and film plastic in a bag.)
(All types with or without a number. No foam plastic a.k.a. STYROFOAM™)
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.
Cart and Bin Sizes
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.