Refuse: Collection Schedule & Services Information

If you have any questions, please contact Customer Service Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (closed during the 12:00-1:00 lunch hour) at (510) 981-7270

• Refuse Services - Holidays
• Refuse Services - Tips
• Roll-off Service
• Missed Pick-ups & Extra Pick-up Bags
• Exemptions for Elderly/Physically Disabled 
• Steam Cleaning 
• Customer Service Contacts
• Transfer Station

Holidays

There is NO City of Berkeley Collection Service for Refuse, Recycling or Plant Debris on these Holidays:

• Thanksgiving Day - Those with a regularly scheduled Thursday pickup will get pickups on Friday.  Normally scheduled Friday pickups will happen on Saturday. 
• Christmas Day - Pickups for the entire week of Dec. 25-29, 2019 will be delayed by a day.  Normally scheduled pickups for Wednesday will happen on Thursday, and so on, continuing through Sunday.
• New Year’s Day - Pickups for the entire week of Jan. 1-5, 2020 will be delayed by a day.  Normally scheduled pickups for Wednesday will happen on Thursday, and so on, continuing through Sunday.

For closure dates of the City's Transfer Station (public dumping), please see the Transfer Station web page.

Refuse Administrative Offices, Customer Service counters and phone lines are closed on these Holidays:

• New Year's Day
• Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday
• Lincoln's Birthday
• Washington's Birthday
• Malcolm X's Birthday
• Memorial Day
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• Indigenous Peoples' Day
• Veteran's Day
• Thanksgiving Day
• Day After Thanksgiving
• Christmas Day

 

For specific dates that holidays are observed during the current year, see: City of Berkeley Holiday and Reduced Service Days Schedule

• Note that many City offices are closed on additional Reduced Service Days. For a current list of closures, see: City of Berkeley Holiday and Reduced Service Days Schedule 

City Refuse Service is provided once a week for every residence. We provide several container sizes: 20 gallon (when available), 32 gallon, 64 gallon and 96 gallon. Curbside service is mandatory.

Here are some tips:

• Carts must be at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on your collection day.
• Refuse containers must be removed from the curb within 24 hours of being placed there for collection.
• Container lids must close completely. Extra garbage at residential locations must be in special pre-paid refuse bags.
• Place only normal household garbage in the refuse containers.
• Place only plant debris, food waste, and food-soiled paper in the green organics cart. Please, no rocks or dirt or garbage.

Cart Set-Out Requirements:

• Place your carts curbside in the gutter with the wheels against the curb or in the gutter in front of your driveway.
• Carts should be at least one foot (1') apart, and at least three feet (3') from parked vehicles.
• If your collection day is also street sweeping day, please place carts on the parking strip.
• The carts must be placed so that they do not obstruct the right-of-way to traffic or the sidewalk.
• If the driver is unable to service your carts due to improper or blocked placement, a "special pickup and charge" will apply to return and service your carts.
• View a copy of the Cart Set-Out Requirements Cart Tag here.

Roll-off Service

The City of Berkeley offers monthly rental and service rates for roll-off containers and compactors.

Upon request, we provide dumpsters to residences and businesses for 4 days.  Additional days may be requested for a charge of $17.50 per day, up to 2 days maximum duration.

If the container is stored on the street a permit is required.  Please contact the Permit Service Center at (510) 981 - 7500 for permit info.  If a permit is required, you will need to obtain the permit prior to scheduling for the roll-off dumpster.

Current rates are:

•  6 yard (dirt box)  $538.00*
• 12 yard (12x7x4) $373.00
• 14 yard (12x7x4.5) $436.00
• 16 yard (12x8x4.5) $498.00
• 20 yard (16x8x4.5) $565.00
• 30 yard (22x8x5) $672.00

*This is the only size available for heavy material (ex: dirt, rocks or concrete) resulting in the proportionally higher charge.

Recycle clean wood, sheetrock, cardboard, garden trimmings, metals and reusable items. Contact Customer Service to find out how, and have more room in your dumpster for trash.

Missed Pick-ups

Missed pickups must be reported no later than 5:00 p.m. the business day following the missed pick up (Monday – Friday) either by filling out an Online Service Request Form or by calling (510) 981-7270. See table below for reference.  Please remember to include your address and which service was missed (refuse or plant debris). 

Note:  Residential customers contact Ecology Center (510) 527-5555 to report missed pick-ups of bottles/cans and fiber.

Extra Pick-up Bags

Most City buildings, including the Customer Service Center at 1947 Center Street, Public Libraries, and Fire Stations are currently closed to the public.  Extra Pick-up bags may currently be purchased at the Transfer Station, or at the ACE Hardware, located at 2020 Milvia Street.

Residential customers who occasionally have extra refuse or plant debris, or did not report their missed pick-up, can purchase Prepaid Refuse or Prepaid Plant Debris Bags at the Customer Service Center or the Transfer Station.

• Prepaid Plant Debris Bags can also be purchased at any Berkeley Fire Station. The Fire Stations only accept checks (with ID) and are available for Plant Debris bag sales daily from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Prepaid Refuse Bags can be purchased at the Berkeley Public Library branches.
• For current prices of paid Refuse or Prepaid Plant Debris Bags, see the Transfer Station page.
• Only these specific City of Berkeley Prepaid Bags will be collected, as their rate includes service and processing. Prepaid Refuse or Plant Debris Bags must be at curb for service on next scheduled service day, and set-outs are limited to 10 per week.

Commercial customers may arrange for additional collections by calling Refuse Customer Service at (510) 981-7270.

Other Refuse Services

Elderly or physically disabled customers may apply for an exemption from curbside service. All residents of the household must meet the criteria to be eligible for curbside exemption. If granted, garbage will be collected from the yard. Customers granted an exemption must purchase their own refuse container. This special service is provided for 32 gallon containers only.

Steam cleaning of commercial-sized metal containers is available upon request for a fee. Cost is determined by the size of the container. Contact Customer Service for cleaning rates of containers larger than 6.0 yards.

Capacity in Cubic Yards               Steam Cleaning Rate

                           1.0                         $90.00

                           1.5                         $90.00

                           2.0                         $90.00

                           3.0                         $90.00

                           4.0                         $90.00

                           5.0                         $90.00

                           6.0                         $90.00