Residential Garbage Service
Marin Sanitary Service provides a gray cart for the weekly curbside collection of garbage, or non-recyclable and non-compostable items. All items placed in this cart will go directly to the landfill.
Please help us in reaching Marin’s zero waste goals by making sure that what you put into your garbage belongs there and not in the recycling or compostables receptacles.
Visit our Residential Services page to review the cart options, set out rules and how to stop, start or change service for residential customers.
Where Does It Go, Joe?
It can be difficult to know what material goes into what container, but it’s very important that we avoid contaminating our recycling or compostable streams.
When in doubt, use our handy “Where Does It Go, Joe?” online tool to find out what material goes where.
JOE ON THE GO.
You’ll always have Joe’s sorting advice at your fingertips with the Marin Sanitary Service mobile app.
Download it now for free!
WHAT CAN GO IN YOUR GARBAGE CART
-
Plastic bags and plastic film wrap
Clean plastic bags may be returned to your local grocery store for recycling. - Ceramic dishware
- Diapers
- Foil/plastic lined paper or paperboard
- Glass mirrors or windows
- Light bulbs (not CFLs)
- All Styrofoam products
- Juice, soup, soy, milk boxes & cartons
- Cat litter & animal waste
- Non-recyclable plastics & rubber
- All compostable plastics including cups, utensils and food containers.
WHAT CANNOT GO IN YOUR GARBAGE CART
- Accepted recyclable materials
- Hazardous waste: fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) or tubes, batteries, paint, pesticides, cleaning products or electronics. All of these items must be delivered to the Marin Household Hazardous Waste Facility.
- Household appliances or furniture
- Construction materials or debris such as dirt, rock or concrete
- Yard waste or food waste
EXTRA GARBAGE
Please contact customer service at (415) 456-2601 prior to your service day if you find that your total amount of garbage exceeds the capacity of your container. “Extras” include any refuse placed outside or around the container.
Any extra bags should be no heavier than 60 pounds and no larger than 64 gallons in volume. Because our drivers must manually place these bags in the truck, they must meet the weight requirements and all bags must be sturdy enough to lift without breaking.
Extra garbage is subject to a collection fee. Call customer service to schedule your “extras” and to receive a collection quote.
See Extras, Clean-ups, Bulky Items & Other Services for more information.
MISSED COLLECTION
Missed collections must be reported within 48 hours of the service day. MSS will make every effort to return that same day if the miss is reported by noon on the service day or the following day if the miss is reported after noon on the day of service. Any misses reported after 48 hours will be subject to a fee for collection.
Contact us to report a missed collection. You may also call our office at (415) 456-2601.
RENT A DEBRIS BOX
Need a debris box (dumpster) for a construction or remodeling project? We’ve got them!
HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE
Batteries, paint, and household cleaners should be dropped off at the Household Hazardous Waste Facility.
NO FOOD IN THE GARBAGE
If you can eat it, it goes in your compostables cart, not your garbage.
WHAT’S IN MARIN’S GARBAGE?
Would it surprise you that only 46% of what you put in the trash belongs there? That’s what we found when we conducted a waste characterization study to find out what was being collected in residential carts.
HAVE QUESTIONS
Our customer support representatives are available Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. at (415) 456-2601.
IT’S THE LAW
Per California law, compostables (food scraps, plant debris & food-soiled paper) and recycling must be removed from garbage containers.
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