Solid Waste

All of the City of Redwood City’s customers will begin receiving bills from Recology San Mateo County (“Recology”) for garbage services that are provided starting January 1, 2026.  Recology currently provides garbage, recycling and compost collection services, and these services will continue with no changes.  Once Recology begins sending bills directly, customers will be able to contact one entity, Recology, for all garbage service issues and concerns related to bill payment and service.  Please see below for important information regarding this transition and how it impacts customers.

What happens next?

• Your last bill from the City for garbage services will be prorated to end on December 31, 2025.  You will receive your last prorated bill from the City for garbage services as regularly scheduled.
• You will automatically receive your first paper bill postal mailed from Recology for all garbage services that are provided beginning January 1, 2026.

When will I receive my first bill from Recology and at what frequency?

If you are a single-family residential customer billed for a residence with one to four dwelling units, you will receive your bills from Recology on a quarterly basis (every three months) prior to each quarter.

• You will be billed for services in advance of receiving them.
• Payment will be due 30 days after the bill date.
• You will receive your first bill from Recology at the beginning of January for garbage services that will be provided from January 1 through March 31, 2026, due by the last day of January 2026.  During this transition from City to Recology billing for garbage, if you expect the change in timing of your first bill for garbage services from Recology to cause financial hardship, please contact Public Works Services at (650) 780-7464 to request approval to waive late fees on your first bill from Recology. 

For all other customers, which include non-residential customers (i.e., commercial, industrial, municipal, or other) or multi-family residential customers billed for a residence with five or more dwelling units, you will receive your bills from Recology on a monthly basis at the beginning of each month for the month prior.

• You will be billed for services received in the past.
• Payment will be due 30 days after the bill date.
• You will receive your first bill from Recology at the beginning of February for garbage services that were provided from January 1 through January 31, 2026 by Recology, due by the last day of February 2026.

Please see the below chart that summarizes Recology billing information:

How do I sign up for autopay or pay online for bills from Recology?

Recology customers may pay their bill online through Recology’s online bill pay system by either creating a new user account, or as a one-time user with no account required. Once logged in, you can make payments, set up automatic payments, view payment history, and add customer and payment accounts. Payments can be made from your bank account or from your credit card.  To learn more and set up your account, please wait until you have received your first bill from Recology, then visit https://www.recology.com/bill-pay/.

What if I also receive water and/or sewer services from the City?

You will continue to receive a bill from the City and/or County tax roll for your water and/or sewer services, and there will be no changes to how you receive or pay your bill from the City and/or County tax roll (e.g., postal mail, email delivery, autopay, etc.).

Can I still apply for the Utility Rate Assistance Program (URAP) for garbage?

Yes, please submit your application for URAP to the City to renew your assistance similar to prior years.  If you are eligible and approved, you will receive a credit on Recology’s bill for garbage services.  Please visit https://www.redwoodcity.org/urap for more details.

If you have any questions regarding your Recology bill, please contact Recology at (650) 595-3900.

 Pay My Bill

To pay your garbage services bill, please contact Recology of San Mateo County at (650) 595-3900.  Note: Recology does not take cash payments.

Calendar

Not sure what day trash is collected? Wondering if trash is collected on Thanksgiving? Visit the collection calendar to find out when Recology services you!

Waste Zero Program

Recology's Waste Zero Program will help you reduce your environmental impact. Visit Waste Zero for tips on how to prevent waste, save money, or get an audit for your waste stream.

Have you ever gone to throw something away, but didn't know which bin it should go in? WhatBin is a super helpful tool that solves this problem. Just follow the link and search the item, and it’ll tell you how to properly dispose of it! Or if you prefer, click here to view their disposal guide posters to help you figure out the correct bin.

Commercial Recycling, Organics, and Edible Food Recovery

Commercial businesses and multi-family establishments generating enough solid and organic waste are required to have recycling and organics programs under AB 341 - Commercial Recycling, AB 1826 - Commercial Organics, and SB 1383 - Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Strategy. Click here for more recycling and composting information.

• Find more information on SB 1383 here
• Find SB 1383 information for businesses here
• Find SB 1383 information for apartments, condos and townhouses here

Edible Food Recovery

Edible food recovery is the act of diverting surplus edible food from businesses, organizations, or events that otherwise would have been disposed of for consumption by members of our community. If you are a large, food-generating business or organization, you have new edible food recovery requirements under SB 1383. 

The good news is that Redwood City has joined with San Mateo County's 22 other jurisdictions to create one countywide edible food recovery program to help all affected businesses and organizations meet their new mandatory requirements. This program is managed by the County of San Mateo Office of Sustainability and has recovered millions of pounds of food to date!

Visit https://www.smcsustainability.org/generator-edible-food-recovery-requirements to learn if your business has new edible food recovery requirements, to find more information on the countywide program, and to access resources available to help you comply.

Household Hazardous Waste Disposal

Household Hazardous Waste (HHW), such as batteries, motor oil, and medication must be disposed of separately. Visit Recology’s hazardous waste page for specifics or schedule a free drop off at the San Mateo County HHW Collection Facility. There are also disposal events in hosted Redwood City! Click here for more.

Bulky & Special Item Disposal

Have a bedframe, couch or large appliance that is too bulky to fit in your cart? Schedule a free bulky item collection here. Other hard to recycle items, such as CDs, plastic bags, and bubble wrap cannot be accepted into the local recycling program. Visit Recology’s page to see how to dispose of them.

Zero Waste Party Packs

*NEW* Zero Waste Party Packs are available now! Party Packs come with complete, reusable table settings for 24 people. Borrow a Party Pack from a volunteer host to make your next event waste-free. Call (650) 780-7472 for a list of hosts, to volunteer to host a party pack, or for more information about the program.

Electronic Waste Disposal

Electronic waste (E-Waste), such as computers and televisions, cannot be disposed of in your trashcan. Please visit Recology’s E-Waste page to find out what qualifies as E-Waste and how to properly dispose of it.