Collection Cart Program
Residential Curbside Collection Program began on December 1, 2017.
Residential Curbside Collection Program
Collection carts for all single-family residences include:- Gray Garbage/Food Scraps Split Cart.
- Blue Recyclables Split Cart.
- Green Yard Trimmings Cart.
- Kitchen Pail.
Materials collectedResidents can dispose of the following materials through the curbside collection program:
- Recyclables
- Yard Trimmings
- Garbage/Food Scraps
- Batteries
- Motor Oil and Used Filters
- Used Cooking Oil
No extra-chargesNo charge for the Blue Recyclables Split Cart, the Green Yard Trimmings Cart and the Kitchen Pail.
Split Cart Recycling Guidelines
What goes in the paper/fibers compartment?
Any recyclable paper that tears, including:
- aseptic boxes (juice, soup & soy milk)
- dairy cartons
- catalogs, magazines, junk mail & phone books
- corrugated cardboard & paper boxes (large/multiple pieces should be flattened and/or cut)
- newspaper (including inserts)
- shredded paper (contained in a paper bag or box)
- pizza boxes (please remove the food-soiled liner)
What goes in the recyclable containers compartment?
Empty and clean:
- Glass Bottles & Jars
- Aluminum & Metal: food & beverage cans, aerosol cans (empty), foil, and scrap metal pieces (up to 30 pounds per item)
- Hard Plastic Containers Labeled 1-7: bottles, jars, tubs & trays
Note: No plastic bags (please contain multiple bags in one bag, tie shut, and place in the garbage). No film plastic/shrink wrap, no foam/Styrofoam®, no pressurized tanks.
Yard Trimmings Cart Guidelines
Food scraps and food-soiled paper belong in the food scraps compartment of your Garbage/Food Scraps split cart.
What goes in the green yard trimmings cart?
• flowers & leaves
• ivy & weeds
• grass clippings
• small branches (less than 6” in diameter)
• tree stumps (smaller than 16” in diameter)
• untreated dimensional lumber (less than 24” long)
Please Remember: No Glass, Metal, Styrofoam® or Plastic, Aseptic Boxes, Liquid Fat, Oil or Grease, Food, Food-Soiled Paper, Pet Litter or Feces, Dirt, Rock, Concrete, Brick or Treated Wood
Gray Garbage/ Food Scraps Split Cart Guidelines
Your Gray Garbage/Food Scraps Split Cart keeps food scraps out of the landfill.
What goes in the garbage compartment?
• Non-Recyclable Glass
• Non-Recyclable Paper
• Non-Recyclable Plastics NOT marked with 1- 7, Including: film plastic/plastic bags/shrink wrap and foam/Styrofoam®
Other:
- clothes hangers
- diapers & personal hygiene items
- pet feces (please bag)
- small rugs & mats
- shoes, clothing, & toys (that cannot be donated)
- wood (painted or stained)
What goes in the food scraps & food-soiled paper compartment?
Feel free to use a paper or clear plastic bag to collect your food scraps and food soiled paper before disposing of them in the food scraps compartment of your Gray Garbage/Food Scraps Split Cart.
All Fresh, Frozen, Cooked & Moldy Food Scraps Including:
- peels, pits & rinds
- dairy products
- bread, pasta & other grains
- coffee grounds & tea leaves
- meats & bones
- fruit and vegetables
Food-Soiled Paper Including:
- paper plates
- napkins and paper towels
- paper coffee cups
- paper take out containers
- soiled newspaper and kraft paper bags
The Handy Kitchen Pail
Use it to store your food scraps until you empty it into the food scraps side of your Gray Garbage/Food Scraps Split Cart.
- Can be stored under the sink or on the kitchen counter.
- Line with newspaper, kraft bags, paper towels or plastic bags.
- Rinse with warm soapy water when needed.
Please Remember: No Organic or Recyclable Materials, Dirt or Concrete, Paint, Batteries, Fluorescent Bulbs, Poison, or other Household Hazardous Waste (HHW)
Gray Garbage/Food Scraps Split Carts keep food scraps out of the landfill!
40% of food in America is wasted.
The City of Milpitas joins the cities of San José, Stanford, Sunnyvale and Santa Clara to sort food scraps. Over time, keeping food scraps out of the landfill/compost will help reduce environmental impacts-such as greenhouse gas emissions and odor.
Milpitas Sanitation Will Also Offer Weekly Curbside Collection of
Battery Collection: Place household batteries inside a clear plastic zipper-lock style bag (no car batteries allowed). Please tape the terminals on lithium and 9-volt batteries. Place the bag on top of (not inside) your Blue Recyclables Split Cart for collection.
Used Motor Oil and Filters: Contain used oil in a sealed 1-gallon, screw-top container* and filters in a sealed zipper-lock style bag*. Place next to (not inside) your blue recyclables split cart for collection. For more information about the used oil program click here.
Used Cooking Oil: Contain used cooking oil in a sealed 1-gallon, screw-top container*. Place next to (not inside) your blue recyclables split cart for collection. For more information about the used oil program click here.
*Free screw-top containers/bags provided by Milpitas Sanitation, Free screw-top containers/bags provided by Milpitas Sanitation, contact us to order.
For a PDF of the Residential Service Guide in English click here. For other languages, use the translate button in the upper left-hand corner on this web page and print directly.