Residents: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle at home 

“New” Automated Cart Roll Out: January 9th to February 4th.

Oceanside is pleased to announce the commencement of the new automated trash and recycling services, which will provide enhanced convenience for residents while increasing recycling capabilities. With your help and these new carts – gray for trash, blue for recycling and green for yard waste collections – recycling will be simple and fast. The new carts are easier to roll to the curb and hold more. Instead of having to separate your bottles, cans and plastics, from paper and cardboard as you have done so with your recycling crates in the past, you can now put them all together in your blue recycling cart, increasing our recycling rates, and getting our community one major step closer to it’s Zero Waste goals.

Please review our new New Cart Collection Video to learn all about your new carts and services.

Please read our New Services Informational Brochure  (220 KB) to learn all about your new carts, enhanced services, and how to recycle your old trash cans and crates.

Delivery of new trash and Recycling Carts

Oceanside residents will receive their new trash and recycling carts on their service day between January 9th and February 4th. Over 85,000 carts will be delivered during this short time frame. Waste Management and the City of Oceanside appreciate your support and patience during this delivery period. If you are not satisfied with your initial cart order you may call Waste Management’s Customer Service line after February 4th to request a free exchange. We encourage residents to wait until February 4th to call for an exchange. Residents are provided a 90 day free exchange period after delivery. After that time, residents may change the size of their carts once per year at no charge.

Unwanted Cans and Crates

Waste Management will go through each neighborhood and collect unwanted trash cans and recycling crates the week following the delivery of the new automated carts. For collection of unwanted trash cans, you will receive a special sticker to place on the cans to indicate the cans are to be picked up and recycled. The special stickers will be supplied to residents with their information cart tag attached to the new carts the day of delivery. Special stickers will not be needed to collect unwanted recycle crates, just place those at the curb the week following the delivery of the new automated carts. Please note that once the new carts are delivered, Waste Management will no longer service trash or recycling from customer-owned trash cans, plastic bags, loose materials or crates previously provided by Waste Management. Roll-off boxes will be placed throughout the city for four weeks after the new carts are delivered for residents to drop off unwanted trash cans and recycling crates. The drop off locations is as follows:

• Waste Management Buyback Center, 2880 Industry St.
• City of Oceanside Operations Center, 4925 Oceanside Blvd.
• Oceanside Senior Center, 455 Country Club Lane

Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle – Helps you pick your Cart size

The enhanced services provide you with several options to reduce your trash cart size and to recycle. The different options in recycling carts and green waste carts will make it easier than ever to recycle. The new blue recycling carts will allow you to place all of your recyclables in one convenient container, eliminating the need to separate your bottles, cans, and plastics from your paper and cardboard. The larger recycling carts will also make it easier to fit folded cardboard boxes and other large recyclables that proved difficult with the smaller crates. The simplest way to reduce your trash cart collections is to utilize your blue recycling cart and green waste cart as much as possible.

What size cart is right for your family and how can you save money by recycling more?

Whatever size family you have, you have the option to request up to 3 blue recycling carts, up to 2 green waste carts and one trash cart in all three sizes at 35 gallons, 64 gallons, or 96 gallons. You can mix and match your sizes. For regular service the new carts will be provided at no extra charge. Families will still pay the same monthly rate of $19.44. However, individuals or families who opt for the smaller 35 gallon trash cart will receive a reduced rate for each month, rewarding those who recycle and generate less trash in our new small quantity generator program. For a household of 1 to 3 persons, the small 35 gallon trash cart, and medium to large recycling cart is recommended. By choosing the 35 gallon trash cart your monthly rate gets reduced to $17.18. That’s a $2.26 rate savings, simply by recycling more and generating less waste. For a family of four, the medium trash cart and a large recycling cart is a common choice. For larger families, the 96-gallon trash cart and 96 gallon recycling cart may be the best option. Please remember your monthly rate is dependent on the size trash cart you choose, no matter what size cart for recycling or green waste.

What goes in each cart?

Please review our Where Does It Go  (1.48 MB) insert to learn about what goes in each cart. Feel free to print this insert out and pin it up by your new trash and recycling carts. The amounts of materials that can be recycled greatly outweigh the materials being sent to the landfill, helping our community save precious natural resources.

Other services for recycling: Batteries, cell phones, HHW, and more.

Please review our Community Recycling Programs  (1.43 MB) insert to learn about all the other opportunities and programs that are available to help you reduce your waste stream. This insert provides useful information on how to recycle your used batteries, old cell phones, electronics and bulky items at the curb for free. It also provides useful information on our Household Hazardous Waste Facility, sharps disposal, holiday tree collection, and Buyback Center services.

Overage and Contamination Guidelines

New, automated pickup will require that all waste and recycling fit inside the carts with the lids closed for collection. After the new carts are delivered, residents will no longer be permitted to place bags, cans, crates, or loose materials at curbside for pick up.

All waste and recycling must be segregated into the appropriate cart, and all material must fit into the cart with the lid closed. If one or more of your carts are identified as overloaded, or trash is mixed with recycling or green waste resulting in contamination, you will receive a notice of non-collection and collection will not be made. Residents will be required to clean trash out of recycling and green waste carts, and/or offload the overfilled material and place the carts out for collection on the following week.

If a cart is tagged for non-collection on three or more occasions during a 12-month consecutive period because of overfilling or contamination, your service may be automatically changed to a larger cart size and a higher fee charged.

Keep the Lid on Your Carts

Please review the following cart guidelines  (583.4 KB) to learn important tips about proper placement at the curb. Placement at the curb and spacing (2 feet min.) is extremely important to ensure proper and safe servicing. If curb space is not available, consider placing your carts at the end of your driveway on the street during your service day.

Green Waste Carts

The new trash and recycling carts will be in addition to your current green waste carts. If you wish to change the size of your green waste cart or order an additional one (up to 2), and did not do so during the original selection period in Fall of 2011, you can call Waste Management’s Customer Service line at (760) 439-2824 after February 4th to make changes to your current green waste cart services. Green waste carts are available in all three sizes 35 gallons, 64 gallons, and 96 gallons. Residents may receive up to 2 green waste carts as part of their regular monthly service for no additional charge. For homes with average size lots, the small or medium carts are recommended. For homes with large lots and extensive landscaping, the largest cart may be most suitable. Please remember green waste recycling is key towards meeting our State diversion mandate and our City’s Zero Waste goals.

Please feel free to call Waste Management’s Customer Service line at (760) 439-2824 or the City Recycling Hotline at (760) 435-5015 if you have any questions.