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Sooner or later every household has something too big for a cart: a sagging sofa, a dead washing machine, a mattress from the move. In many towns you would rent a truck and drive to the dump. Palo Alto closed its landfill in 2011 and no longer has a public drop-off for bulky waste. Instead, GreenWaste of Palo Alto, the city's hauler, picks bulky items up from your curb.
The main tool is Clean Up Day, two free pickups a year built into your garbage rate. Outside those dates you can book a paid pickup on your regular collection day. This guide explains both, plus the apartment version and what to do with things that still have life in them. Our trash and recycling guide covers the weekly carts.
How Clean Up Day works
Every single-family household gets two pre-scheduled Clean Up Days a year. The city expanded the program in September 2019, when it moved to set dates and added more accepted items. On your date GreenWaste collects bulky items, extra recyclables, extra yard trimmings, clothing and a few other things from the curb. The cost is already part of your monthly garbage charge, which the city's rate schedule says covers the Clean Up Day program.
Finding your date
GreenWaste mails a postcard with guidelines and a reminder twice a year. To look up your next date any time, use the search on GreenWaste's Clean Up Day page. You need your City of Palo Alto Utilities account number and your street address with the usual abbreviation, such as "123 Alma St". You can also call (650) 493-4894 or email [email protected]. The account number is on your utility bill, which our utilities guide explains.
Setting items out
- Put everything at the curb next to your carts by 6 a.m. on your Clean Up Day.
- Do not set items out more than 24 hours before collection.
- Label each box or bag with what it holds: "reuse", "clothing", "recycle", "yard trimmings", "garbage" or "construction".
What you can put out
These limits come from GreenWaste's Clean Up Day page as published in November 2026.
| Category | Limit | Size and weight | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bulky items | Up to 3 | 200 lb or less each | Sofas, chairs, tables, cabinets, mattresses, box springs, stoves, washing machines, barbecues |
| Individual items | Up to 3 | Under 60 lb, no larger than 3 by 3 by 3 feet | Sinks, toilets, small chairs, microwaves, suitcases, printers |
| Clothing and textiles | Up to 3 bags or boxes | 32 gallons each, under 60 lb, clean and dry | Clothing, towels, sheets, fabric |
| Recyclables | Unlimited | Under 60 lb each; bundles 2 by 3 feet or smaller | Flattened cardboard, paper, plastic, glass, metal |
| Yard trimmings | Up to 6 bags, boxes or bundles | Under 60 lb; branches up to 6 inches across and 4 feet long | Prunings, leaves |
| Garbage | Up to 3 bags or boxes | 32 gallons each, under 60 lb | Styrofoam, ceramics, pillows, hoses, padded envelopes |
| Construction material | Up to 6 boxes or bundles | Under 60 lb; bundles 2 by 3 feet or smaller | Brick, dirt, concrete, fencing, sheetrock, plywood |
Books, CDs and commercial DVDs can share one box that counts as a single individual item. TVs and computer monitors, which cannot go in the blue cart, are also picked up on Clean Up Day according to the GreenWaste material guide. Our e-waste recycling guide has the details.
Batteries and motor oil
Clean Up Day is the only curbside pickup for two hazardous items. Household batteries such as AA, AAA, AAAA, C, D, 9-volt and nickel-cadmium go in a sealed, clear, tear-resistant bag on top of your blue cart. Up to three spill-proof one-gallon containers of motor oil and used oil filters go in a sealed clear bag. Lithium and lithium-ion batteries are never accepted at the curb. Take them to the city's household hazardous waste station.
Not accepted
GreenWaste will not take treated wood waste, lithium batteries or containers that still hold food or liquid. Paint, chemicals and propane belong at the hazardous waste station.
Labeling items for reuse
Clean Up Day is not only a trip to the landfill. GreenWaste's reuse guidelines say it passes clean, gently used furniture to partner donation groups. Mark those items "reuse". The partners look for chairs, coffee tables, couches, dining tables, dressers, bookshelves, loveseats, nightstands, end tables and countertop kitchen appliances. Clothing and textiles, books and commercial CDs and DVDs in their original cases are also accepted for reuse.
The standard is strict. Items cannot be antique, blemished, broken, stained, rusted, splintered or missing pieces. Drivers decide on the spot. Anything that does not qualify is recycled or thrown away instead. If you have furniture in good shape, giving it away yourself first is often the surer route. Our repair and reuse guide and thrift store guide list options.
Apartments and condos
If you do not get your own city refuse bill, the city says to ask your property manager to schedule a Clean Up Day for the complex. The rules depend on size, according to GreenWaste's multifamily sheet:
- 10 units or fewer: the same materials and quantities as one single-family Clean Up Day. Managers book it with GreenWaste at least a week ahead.
- 11 to 100 units: one 20 cubic yard debris box for up to four days, twice a year.
- More than 100 units: up to two 40 cubic yard debris boxes for up to four days, twice a year.
The debris boxes take furniture, mattresses, box springs, appliances, bicycles, sinks, toilets and barbecues, with no single item over 200 pounds. They do not take hazardous waste, compostables, garbage or liquids. Tenants moving out should ask early, since a box may not line up with move day. Our renting guide covers other tenant questions.
Paid pickup outside Clean Up Day
If you cannot wait for your date, GreenWaste will collect bulky items on your regular service day for a fee. Call at least one week ahead. These special item charges come from the single-family rate schedule R-1, effective July 1, 2026. They appear on your utility bill:
| Item | Charge |
|---|---|
| Stove, washer, dryer or water heater | $25.75 |
| Freezer, refrigerator, air conditioner or garbage compactor | $41.20 |
| Upholstered furniture, per piece | $15.45 |
| Mattress | $15.45 |
| Tire, per tire (limit of 4) | $20.60 |
| Pallet | $5.15 |
The same schedule lists an $82.40 "surcharge special" for a one-time pickup of large or non-standard items, which also applies when a special item does not follow the Clean Up Day guidelines. Extra material beyond your carts is billed at $61.80 per cubic yard. For a remodel or a full garage cleanout, GreenWaste rents debris boxes; call the same number for a quote. Permits for bigger projects are covered in our building permits guide.
Why there is no dump run
Older residents may remember hauling loads to the city landfill at the Baylands. It closed in 2011 and is now Byxbee Park. For three decades after 1991, Palo Alto also sent garbage to the SMaRT Station in Sunnyvale, which it shared with Mountain View and Sunnyvale. The city's contract there ended December 31, 2021. Since January 1, 2022, Palo Alto's garbage has gone to GreenWaste Recovery in San Jose instead. The SMaRT Station now serves Mountain View and Sunnyvale residents, not Palo Alto self-haulers. That makes Clean Up Day and paid pickups the main options.
California's mattress recycling program, which the nonprofit Mattress Recycling Council runs as Bye Bye Mattress, lists free drop-off sites and events around the state. Check its locator for a current site before you load the car.
Illegal dumping
GreenWaste collects bulky items only on your Clean Up Day or on a pickup you have booked. A couch left on the curb at any other time just sits there, often in the rain. If you see dumped items on a street or by a creek, report them through PaloAlto311 with a photo and location. Our PaloAlto311 guide explains how.
Good to know
- Two free Clean Up Days a year for single-family homes. Look up your date with your utility account number.
- Set out by 6 a.m., no earlier than 24 hours ahead.
- Up to 3 bulky items of 200 pounds or less each.
- Label good furniture "reuse" and clothing bags "clothing".
- Outside Clean Up Day, call GreenWaste a week ahead for a paid pickup.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find my Clean Up Day in Palo Alto?
Enter your City of Palo Alto Utilities account number and street address in the lookup on GreenWaste of Palo Alto's Clean Up Day page. You can also email [email protected] or call (650) 493-4894. GreenWaste also mails a postcard reminder before each of your two dates.
How many items can I put out on Clean Up Day?
Up to 3 bulky items of 200 pounds or less each, up to 3 smaller items under 60 pounds, up to 3 bags or boxes of clothing, up to 3 bags of garbage, up to 6 bundles of yard trimmings, up to 6 boxes of construction material and unlimited boxed recyclables. Each smaller container must weigh under 60 pounds.
How much does it cost to have a mattress picked up in Palo Alto?
On Clean Up Day a mattress counts as one of your three free bulky items. At other times you can book a pickup on your regular service day for $15.45 under the rate schedule effective July 1, 2026. Call GreenWaste at least a week ahead.
Can apartment residents use Clean Up Day?
Yes, through the property manager. Complexes of 10 units or fewer get the same allowance as one single-family Clean Up Day. Larger complexes can order debris boxes twice a year: one 20-yard box for 11 to 100 units, or up to two 40-yard boxes for more than 100 units.
Can Palo Alto residents use the SMaRT Station in Sunnyvale?
Not for dumping. Palo Alto's contract with the SMaRT Station ended December 31, 2021 and city garbage has gone to GreenWaste Recovery in San Jose since January 1, 2022. The station serves Mountain View and Sunnyvale residents. Palo Alto relies on Clean Up Day and paid pickups instead.