CURBSIDE SET OUT RULES
Timing
Marin Sanitary Service provides weekly Garbage, Recycling and Compostables (food scrap, yard waste and food-soiled paper) collection services to residential customers. Place all carts at the curb the night before your service day or before 6:00 a.m. the day of service. Fairfax residents should place carts at the curb the night before pick-up.
Don’t Overfill Your Cart
Cart and dumpster lids must close completely. Environmental regulations dictate that cart lids must be closed at all times to prevent spillage. Carts that are overloaded with lids open and/or overweight will be charged an additional fee. Carts that are consistently overloaded and not closed may indicate the need to upgrade to the next larger container size. You’ll find container size options here, or you may call customer service department for available cart options at (415) 456-2601.
Remove any weights, bungee cords or ropes that were used to secure the lids of carts on your pick-up day. These can cause problems with the equipment and undue delays for the driver. We are not responsible for loss of bungee cords, ropes, etc.
Our carts are designed to be picked up by our fully automated or semi-automated tipper arms on our collection trucks. This specialized arm allows for the weight of the cart to be lifted by the truck and not the driver, which helps keep the driver safe and the routes efficient. Customers who use their own containers for extra yard waste and/or recyclables MUST follow certain rules to have the materials collected (see Extras, Clean-ups, Bulky Items & Other Services).
How to Put Your Carts Out
All our carts have sturdy handles and wheels making the curbside set out process more convenient.
Place carts at curb or within three feet from the street. Avoid blocking walkways and bike lanes if possible.
Place carts two feet apart and five feet away from cars, mailboxes, telephone poles, etc.
Make sure wheels and handles are facing away from the street at the curb to help prevent carts from being tipped over as they are serviced by our fully or semi-automated collection systems.

What Our Fully-Automated Trucks Mean for You
In an effort to increase the speed of collection and to prevent injuries to our drivers, we are transition to a fully-automated truck fleet. This short video shows you how our trucks work. We think they’re pretty nifty, and hope you do too!