Pickup Information

Carts can be placed out for collection any time after 6:00 p.m. the night before your scheduled pickup day, but they must be out before 5:30 a.m. on the day of collection.

When placing your carts out for pickup, make sure:

• Carts are placed 3–4 feet apart. Collection trucks cannot efficiently empty carts if they are too close together.
• Each cart’s handle is facing your house.
• Your carts are not overfilled and the lids are closed.
• Carts are clear of any obstructions (i.e., mailboxes, basketball hoops, vehicles).
• Avoid contamination by placing materials in the correct green, gray, and blue carts.

Emptied carts must be removed from the curb and placed out of view by 8:00 p.m. on your collection day.

Missed Service Pick-Up

Due to a staffing shortage, residential solid waste collection may occur later in the day than usual. To report a missed pickup on your service day, please wait until after 6:30 p.m. to allow for service to be completed in your area.

Report a missed pickup by calling 559-621-6888 after 6:30 p.m., and leave a message on our after-hours voicemail system. A service request will be generated and your location will be serviced within 2 business days. You can also submit a report through FresGO.

Skip Fee
If a customer is late in placing their cart(s) at the curb and reports a missed service, a Skip Fee may be assessed that will appear on the customer’s utility bill. For the first two incidents, there will be no charge to the customer. An $18.20 fee will be assessed on the third incident and each incident thereafter in a fiscal year (period running from July – June each year).

Holiday Schedules

The Residential Collection Schedule DOES NOT change for the following holidays:

• Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• President’s Day
• Memorial Day
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• Veterans Day

The Residential Collection Schedule DOES change for the following holidays, as outlined below:

• Thanksgiving Day
• Day after Thanksgiving
• Christmas Day
• New Year’s Day

Pickup schedules for these holidays vary depending upon which day of the week the holiday falls.  Printable versions of the Residential Collection Holiday Schedule can be found below.

Residential Collection Holiday Schedule – General

Assistance for Customers with Disabilities or Medical Conditions

The Solid Waste Management Division provides a special handling service to single-family residential customers with disabilities or medical conditions that prevent them from taking their solid waste carts to the curb who have no one residing in the home to assist them.  Drivers will roll out carts to the curb, service the carts, and return them to their original location for eligible residential customers.

This service is only available for single-family residential homes.  Multi-family properties do not qualify for this service; it is the responsibility of the multi-family property owner to ensure carts are placed curbside and serviced.

Program Requirements:

1. The customer must reside in the home and have a disability or medical condition that prohibits them from moving their solid waste carts; and
2. The account must be in the name of the person(s) with the disability or medical condition; and
3. All persons on the account must qualify and submit a completed application with supporting documentation; and
4. The customer(s) must affirm that there is no other person residing on the premises that is able to place the carts at the curbside for collection; and
5. The customer(s) must obtain documentation from a licensed physician briefly stating the nature of the disability or medical condition, and the physician must complete and sign Section 2 of the application.

To apply:

1. Request a Special Handling Request Form by calling 559-621-6888.
2. Complete the Special handling Request Form as instructed (must be filled out and signed by both the customer and their Medical Doctor)
3. Return form to customer service by:
   1. Mail – 1325 El Dorado Street, Building S, Fresno, CA 93706
   2. FAX – 559-266-1009
   3. E-mail – [email protected]

For questions, please contact Utility Billing & Collection at (559) 621-6888. 

Containers in View

Keeping our neighborhoods clean and beautiful begins in our own front yards. The City of Fresno adopted a container in view regulation over 15 years ago to encourage proper storage of carts and to beautify our community (Fresno Municipal Code 6-205(10)). This ordinance calls for all trash and recycling carts to be put away and out of view from the street after they are serviced.

Carts can be placed out for collection after 6:00 p.m. the day before collection and must be out by no later than 5:30 a.m. on the day of collection. Carts must be placed out of view no later than 8:00 p.m. on the collection day.

Carts left out on non-service days not only create an unsightly appearance in our neighborhoods, but they can also be a safety hazard or can be stolen if left out. If you prefer to store containers in the front yard, a 4-foot high enclosure or shrubbery should meet the necessary screening requirements.

Examples of Acceptable and Unacceptable Storage of Carts

Customers who leave their carts out beyond the approved hours are subject to citations and fines, as outlined below:

For questions or to discuss solutions, call the Solid Waste Management Division at (559) 621-1452.

Helpful Contact Numbers

Solid Waste Management Division Customer Service:

• (Missed Service or Special Pickups)
• (559) 621-1452

Assistance for Customers with Disabilities or Medical Conditions

• (559) 621-1452

Start Service or Make a Change in Service

• (Utilities Billing & Collection)
• (559) 621-6888

Household Hazardous Waste
(559) 600-4259

Recycling Hotline
(559) 621-1111

Used Motor Oil and Filter Recycling
(559) 621-1111

Tire Disposal
(Code Enforcement)
(559) 621-8400

Beautify Fresno
(559) 621-8626

Operation Clean Up
(559) 621-1452

Used Motor Oil & Filters Curbside Pickup

To request the free program containers for residential curbside pickup of used oil and/or filters, call (559) 621-1452. Used motor oil and filters in program containers can be placed next to your blue cart on your service day for pickup.

Certified Collection Centers are also available for customers to drop off used motor oil and/or oil filters. Visit https://www2.calrecycle.ca.gov/UsedOil/CertifiedCenters/ or call the Recycling Hotline at 559-621-1111 to locate a certified collection center near you.

More information about used motor oil and oil filter disposal options can be found on the Hazardous Waste and Sharps Disposal – Motor Oil & Oil Filters (drop-down tab) webpage or by calling (559) 621-1452.

Special Haul

Special Hauls are an additional service offered to City of Fresno Solid Waste customers to haul away bulky items and/or green waste.

There are limitations and specific guidelines that must be followed for Special Hauls. Only the customer of record can make the request, customers must have no prior balance on their utility account, and there is a 30-minute minimum and 1-hour maximum time limit on the service. There are prohibited items, weight limits, length limits, and other limitations on the items to be picked up. The fee for a Special Haul is outlined in the City of Fresno Master Fee Schedule.

There are limitations and specific guidelines that must be followed for Special Hauls. Only the customer of record can make the request, customers must have no prior balance on their utility account, and there is a 30-minute minimum and 1-hour maximum time limit on the service. There are prohibited items, weight limits, length limits, and other limitations on the items to be picked up. The fee for a Special Haul is outlined in the City of Fresno Master Fee Schedule.

To request additional information or to schedule a Special Haul, call (559) 621-6888.

Free Dump Events

The Solid Waste Management Division (SWMD) offers Free Dump Events six times a year – typically in the Spring and Fall – for City of Fresno Solid Waste customers to dispose of bulky items at the CARTS facility (3457 S. Cedar Ave. Fresno, CA 93725) at no additional cost.

SWMD will host their Spring 2025 Free Dump events on March 22 & 23, May 3 & 4, and June 7 & 8. These events will take place from 7:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. each day at the Cedar Avenue Recycling and Transfer Station (CARTS) located at 3457 S Cedar Ave, Fresno, CA 93725.

Eligible participants are limited to one Full-Size pickup truck payload per household (Approximately 8’x4’x4′). Bulky items can be delivered in vehicles or small trailers as long as they don’t exceed the allowable limit. Participants that bring unpermitted items may be liable for penalties under civil and/or criminal codes.

This service is limited to Fresno residents who pay for City of Fresno solid waste collection services. Customers must be present and provide a City of Fresno Utility Bill or a Proof of Eligibility Form, AND a State-issued ID.

In the event that a tenant is not the property owner and is not the customer of record on the account, a Proof of Eligibility Form can serve as a substitute for the utility bill. Download the Proof of Eligibility Form by clicking the link below. Present the completed form, along with a State-issued ID on the day of the event.

Proof of Eligibility Form

Accepted items at Free Dump Events include:

• Appliances
• Asphalt / Concrete (clean)*
• Bookcase
• Box Spring
• Carpet
• Chairs
• Changing Table
• Construction & Demolition debris
• Couch/Sofa
• Desk
• Dresser
• Drywall
• Entertainment Center
• Filing Cabinet
• Headboard
• Mattress
• Nightstand
• Recliner
• Scrap Metal
• Shelving
• Table
• Wood/Yard Trimmings

*Asphalt & Concrete can be collected Monday-Friday year-round

The following items are not accepted:

• Batteries
• Dead Animals
• Dirt/Soil
• Electronic Waste
• Household Hazardous Waste
• Household Garbage
• Incinerator Residue
• Industrial Waste
• Infectious Waste
• Liquid Waste
• Live Ammunition
• Medical Waste
• Sewage/Sludge
• Tires

For questions, call the City of Fresno’s 311 Center by dialing 3-1-1 within City limits or by calling (559) 621-CITY (2489).

Free Paper Shred Events

The City of Fresno Recycling Program hosts free paper shredding event 3-4 times each year. These events are held in downtown Fresno.

This service is limited to Fresno residents who pay for City of Fresno solid waste collection services. Customers must be present and provide a City of Fresno Utility Bill or a Proof of Eligibility Form, AND a State-issued ID.

City of Fresno residential solid waste customers residents may bring up to three (3) bankers boxes (approximately 12”X15”X10”) of personal documents to be shredded. A shredding company will be on-site to shred upon drop off. These events provide a secure way to get rid of sensitive/confidential documents (medical records, bills, tax records, etc.).

Note: Boxes must not contain binders, binder clips, ledgers and heavy metal objects, or plastics. Boxes that contain anything other than paper will be turned away.

For information on other recycling options and resources, visit our website at www.Fresno.gov/recycle, or call the Recycling Hotline at (559) 621-1111.