Residential FAQs

Residential Service FAQs

Quick Answers to Common Service Questions

Find clear answers to frequently asked questions about residential garbage, recycling, and organics services. This section is designed to help you better understand your service options, billing, collection schedules, and program requirements. If you need additional assistance, our team is always here to help.

How do I start, stop or change my service?

Please call us at 650.589.4020 during regular office hours (Monday through Friday, 7am – 4:30pm). Starts/stops and changes can be made immediately.

Garbage belongs in the grey, recyclables in the blue (clean paper under the grey or light blue lid, recyclable containers under the dark blue lid) and organics (yard trimmings, food scraps and food-soiled paper) in the green. Review our Service Guide & Newsletters or use our Sort Smart Recycling Guide for more detailed information.

Your split recycling cart is emptied by a truck with a split body. Paper recyclables are kept clean and dry on one side of the truck while recyclable containers are kept in the other side. This prevents paper items from becoming contaminated and being sent to landfill. Please watch this short video for more detail.

Check to see if there was a problem. Carts that are not at the curb by 5am, are in a location that our truck cannot safely access, are overloaded, have materials tightly wedged inside, or that contain hazardous or improperly sorted material cannot be emptied. Please correct the problem and contact us if you would like a truck to return.  Fees may apply.

If there does not appear to be a problem and your neighbors’ carts have been emptied, it is possible that you were unintentionally missed. Keep in mind that there are 3 different trucks (one for each color cart) and they may arrive at different times. Please leave the missed cart(s) out and contact us. We will send a truck back as soon as possible but usually on the next business day.

Schedule an On-Call Cleanup or make a trip to Blue Line Transfer.

Prevent litter by bagging your garbage before placing in the grey cart– especially small and light-weight items like packing peanuts. Also, make sure your cart lids all fully close. Contact us if you need assistance with overflow or if critters and wind frequently tip your carts over. We can help! If someone is taking recyclables from your collection carts, contact the appropriate city department. Click here for more information. 

The materials we collect in green carts are anaerobically digested at our facility but then hauled off-site to be processed into finished compost. Unfortunately, this means we do not have finished product to give away. We encourage residents to make their own backyard compost. If interested, visit the San Mateo County Office of Sustainability website and review the instructions for How to Start Composting at Home.

These items do not belong in any of your carts. Please click here or use our Sort Smart Recycling Guide for more information.

Please order a roll-off box or self-haul the material to Blue Line Transfer.

If you didn’t find the answer you’re looking for, please contact our team. We’re here to help.