San Francisco trash & bulky-item rules

Recology provides curbside Bulky Item Collection for San Francisco residents with an active residential or apartment account. Buildings with five units or fewer receive two no-additional-charge collections per calendar year. In buildings with six or more units, each apartment unit is eligible for one no-charge collection per year.

A standard appointment allows up to 10 items. Unused annual collections do not accumulate into later years, so a resident cannot bank several years of unused pickups.

Recology recommends scheduling ahead; appointment availability can be two or more weeks out. Once confirmed, items should be placed at the curb no earlier than 6 p.m. the day before and no later than 6 a.m. on collection day. The sidewalk must remain passable.

Attach a piece of paper marked “RECOLOGY” to one of the items. That identifies the material as a scheduled collection rather than illegal dumping or abandoned waste.

Accepted categories include living-room furniture, mattresses, residential refrigerators, washers, dryers, stoves, bathroom fixtures, garage items, appliances, electronics and clean textiles. Glass, ceramic and mirrored items should be wrapped to prevent breakage and injury during handling.

The program excludes oversized items such as pianos, tree trunks, cast-iron tubs and anything over 100 pounds. Those items need another disposal arrangement.

Tires and automotive parts are not accepted through normal curbside Bulky Item Collection. Tires can be taken to the SF Transfer Station for a fee.

Concrete, plaster, dirt, sand, treated wood and other construction debris are also outside the normal bulky program. Recology may quote a separate paid collection for small amounts, while larger remodeling projects generally need a debris box, C&D hauler or transfer-station trip.

The SF Transfer Station is at 501 Tunnel Avenue and accepts many materials that do not fit the curbside program, with fees depending on the item or load. Electronics can also be self-hauled there through the appropriate recycling stream.

San Francisco’s Household Hazardous Waste Facility is also at 501 Tunnel Avenue. Residential HHW service is currently available Thursday through Saturday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m., with a 15-gallon-per-trip household limit. Paint, pesticides, cleaners and chemicals belong here rather than in a bulky pile.

For San Francisco, 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.

• Recology Bulky ItemsAnnual collection allowances, 10-item limit and program eligibility.
• Recology Bulky Item FAQSet-out timing, RECOLOGY sign, unused collections and preparation rules.
• Accepted Bulky ItemsAccepted categories, 100-pound exclusion, tires and C&D exclusions.
• SF Transfer Station / Hazardous WasteSelf-haul options, tires, electronics, C&D and transfer-station services.