San Diego trash & bulky-item rules

The City of San Diego currently does not provide municipal bulky-item or curbside pickup service. The City had planned bulky service as part of a future trash-service upgrade, but that improvement is paused. Residents should not leave a couch, mattress or appliance at the curb expecting a City bulky truck.

Furniture, major appliances and other oversized objects are also excluded from the normal City trash containers. San Diego directs residents to alternatives such as WasteFreeSD, the Miramar facilities or an approved private hauler.

The City operates a free mattress collection site at 5161 Convoy Street. Traditional mattresses, box springs and qualifying futon mattresses are accepted Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m..

Wet, heavily soiled or bedbug-infested items are not accepted. Sofa beds, crib mattresses, air mattresses and other non-qualifying sleep products are also excluded. The program is a drop-off network—it does not provide curbside pickup.

The Miramar Recycling Center at 5165 Convoy Street provides a documented disposal route for several appliance categories. Current published rates are $25 each for refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners and other CFC-containing appliances and $12 each for large household appliances such as stoves, washers, dryers and water heaters.

The Recycling Center is currently open Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., subject to holiday closures.

San Diego's current Miramar page explicitly lists TVs, computer monitors, laptops and computer CPUs as “no payment or fee to customer” donation-only items. Smaller computer and household electronics—including items such as printers, keyboards and mice—are charged at the current published rate of $0.25 per pound.

This directly contradicts the idea that only CRT tube electronics are free. The current City page specifically lists TVs, monitors, laptops and CPUs in the no-fee category.

Miramar Recycling Center currently accepts tires 18 inches and under, without rims, for $7 each. Tires should not be placed in ordinary residential containers, and the landfill has separate restrictions on whole vehicle tires.

Paint, pesticides, cleaners, automotive fluids, batteries and other household hazardous wastes do not belong in the garbage, recycling or organics carts. San Diego operates a Household Hazardous Waste Transfer Facility through an appointment system.

Residents should contact Environmental Services for unusually large or problematic loads, including loads above 50 pounds, containers larger than five gallons, leaking/open containers or unusual waste. The HHW facility does not serve as the appliance/electronics route; those materials use the separate recycling programs.

Construction and demolition material is excluded from ordinary City containers. The Miramar Landfill and the City's C&D recycling system provide separate disposal options with fees based on vehicle, material, weight and where the waste was generated.

San Diego also has a service-provider distinction: not every property receives City Environmental Services collection. Properties using approved private franchise haulers should ask their own hauler whether bulky pickup is included or available for a fee.

For San Diego, start with the local authority links below. Recheck them before a special trip or unusual set-out because programs, prices and facility hours can change.

• Mattress RecyclingConfirms no City bulky pickup and gives the free mattress-site rules.
• Miramar Recycling CenterCurrent hours and appliance, electronics and tire fees/acceptance.
• City-Serviced HomesDirects residents to WasteFreeSD for bulky items, appliances and electronics.
• Miramar Refuse Disposal FeesCurrent landfill fee framework and C&D disposal references.