With a key deadline approaching, the City of San Diego is reminding eligible property owners to set up their customer accounts for trash and recycling services. Residents have until Sept. 30 to select their service level by choosing the trash and recycle bins they would like to receive. The City will begin delivering the new bins starting on Oct. 6. 

Following the implementation of voter-approved Measure B and the adoption of a new Solid Waste Management Fee earlier this year, the Environmental Services Department (ESD) is updating how the City provides trash collection. Property owners who are eligible for City-provided service were sent a notification in the mail with instructions on how to sign up. Residents can also look up their property on the City’s trash service updates webpage at sandiego.gov/trash to see if their residence is eligible and learn about next steps. 

“We want to thank the tens of thousands of San Diegans who have logged on to the portal so far and selected their bin size and number,” said Jeremy Bauer, Assistant Director for Environmental Services. “Creating an account empowers customers to track their service and fee history, receive text or email updates from the City, and to manage future container needs. Even if you want the default size, it’s important to sign up to unlock those benefits. Establishing yourself as our customer also ensures you get the correct containers for your property right from the start of rollout.”  

Creating an account for City trash service is simple: log on to sandiego.gov/trash, follow the steps to create an account and select a service level. Customers will need to enter a code unique to their property; the code can be found on the mailer sent by the City in July. Another mailer containing the unique code is being sent to property owners this week, for anyone who may have misplaced the initial notification. If you can’t find the mailer or code, or you require other assistance, reach out to ESD at trash@sandiego.gov.  

For help selecting the right size bin, customers can visit sandiego.gov/trash and select Container Size Guide. If no selection is made, the 95-gallon trash and recycling bins will be delivered when the City starts the delivery process in October. Don’t know what size you have now? Check the lid of your current container.  

New trash bins – which will be gray instead of black – will come first, followed by new, lighter blue recycling bins. Delivery will continue through June 2026. After rollout, the City will collect only from the new bins; the old black trash bins and dark blue recycling bins will be picked up by the City and recycled.  

Providing new bins for customers is a crucial step as the City establishes a new level of service with eligible households.  

• New bin selection and delivery, along with removal of old containers, ensures the City provides customers with the level of service they have selected and that the City collects only from eligible properties.
• Approximately 75% of current bins are 20 years old, which is well past the service guarantee, and the new colors will be more identifiable to truck drivers doing trash and recycling pickup.
• New bins are outfitted with scannable reader tags that will notify drivers as they are picked up, which will help identify missed collections and improve efficiency.
• The new bins come with clear, updated education information right on the container about what does and doesn’t belong. This includes important safety reminders, including no batteries or electronics, which can cause dangerous fires that put employees and equipment at risk.    

New green organic waste bins – which were provided to more than 200,000 City households in 2023 – will not be provided at this time unless a customer doesn’t already have one or requests an additional green bin or service change.  

Costs for City trash service are dependent on the size of the trash bin selected and will be paid as part of the County property tax billing cycle. To learn more about bin pricing and payments, visit sandiego.gov/trash and select Trash Service Fee Calculator. 

The new Solid Waste Management Fee is the result of Measure B, approved by voters in 2022. Measure B amended sections of the San Diego Municipal Code to remove a prohibition that prevented the City from charging a fee for City-provided solid waste management services and clarified eligibility requirements. Charging a fee creates a more equitable system in which everyone pays for trash services -- not just those living in apartments and on private streets -- and makes more General Fund resources available to pay for City services that benefit everyone.  

Households no longer eligible for City service are required to contract with a private hauler. Multilingual mailers sent by the City include step-by-step instructions for property owners and a list of approved providers. The City is working closely with the franchise haulers, who have confirmed they have the capacity to serve all transitioning customers. Anyone who needs assistance establishing service with a private hauler can contact wasteservice@sandiego.gov.  

About the Environmental Services Department:  

The Environmental Services Department (ESD) ensures that City of San Diego residents have a clean and safe environment. The department pursues waste management strategies that emphasize waste reduction; recycling and composting; and environmentally sound landfill management.