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Gilroy Residential Recycling, Compost & Garbage Collection

Resource recovery is more important than ever before. To preserve our natural resources, we work to close the loop on organic and recyclable materials by diverting them from going to landfills. Whether you are looking for recycling and compost services or garbage collection, Recology South Valley provides a range of options to you.

 

Recycling

Recology South Valley Blue Recycling Cart Recology South Valley is proud to be your recycling and garbage service provider in the City of Gilroy.  We provide a convenient, single stream recycling collection program which eliminates the need to sort recyclables.

In order to keep our communities safe and clean, we all must pitch in to help Reduce, Reuse and Recycle as much as possible.

 

 

Acceptable Recycling Materials
Only place recyclable materials into your recycling container!
Please rinse food and beverage containers
Aseptic containers Aseptic containers are sterile cardboard containers used to preserve food.
  • Milk and juice cartons

Glass All glass food, beverage jars and bottles. Remove metal lids and place separately in bin.
  • Spaghetti sauce jars
  • Beer and wine bottles

Metal All metal food and beverage containers including those made of aluminum, tin, steel and bi-metal.
  • Clean aluminum foil and pie pans
  • Rinsed food and beverage cans
    (soda, pet food, soup, and tuna cans)
  • Metal pots, pans and toasters
    (items must fit into the recycling cart)
 Plastic Plastic containers marked #1 - #7  (excluding styrofoam)
  • Detergent and shampoo container
  • Milk and orange juice jugs
  • Plastic bags and bubble wrap (grocery bags, dry cleaning and newspaper bags-bundled together inside one plastic bag)

 

Paper Most clean and dry household paper.

  • Cardboard (small pieces)
  • Food boxes (cereal, crackers, remove liners)
  • Junk mail & envelopes
  • Magazines & catalogs
  • Newspaper
  • Paper (colored, computer, white, wrapping)
  • Paper bags
  • Paper egg cartons
  • Paper towel rolls
  • Phone books
Cardboard
Cut up cardboard boxes and put them loose inside your blue cart. Please do not force boxes into the cart. Larger boxes that do not fit into your cart must be flattened and tied into bundles no larger than three feet by three feet in dimension. Place bundles of cardboard next to your recycling cart on your pick-up day. Drivers will not pick up loose piles of cardboard.

Recycle BatteriesHousehold Batteries
Put AAA - D, 9V, alkaline, rechargeable, and button cell batteries in a zippered plastic bag on top of your blue cart.

Do not put car batteries out to be collected.
See the Household Hazardous Waste page for information on where to dispose of old car batteries. The San Martin Transfer Station accepts car batteries at no charge.

Used Motor Oil & Oil Filters

Used Motor Oil To recycle motor oil and used oil filters, you must request one-gallon plastic containers with a screw top lid and special oil filter bags by contacting customer service.

You may place up to three one-gallon containers of used motor oil and three fully drained filters (in bags) next to your recycling cart on collection day.

Unacceptable Recycling Materials
Please do not place the following non-recyclable materials into your blue container!

Construction Debris
  • Concrete, rocks, dirt

 

Electronic / Universal Waste

  • Televisions, cell phones and computer monitors, fluorescent light bulbs or tubes.
    Contact us to find out how to recycle or safely dispose of these materials.

 

Unacceptable Glass, Metal, Paper and Plastic

  • Place these items in your garbage container.

Household Hazardous Waste

  • Paints, solvents, motor oil, cleaners, corrosives, fuel tanks - propane tanks, syringes, medical waste

 

Organics

  • Place these items in your organics/yard waste container.

 

Organics

Gilroy Yard Waste Cart

Your green compost cart is emptied every week. Please do not overfill the green cart, the lid must close completely. All garbage and recycling containers need to be placed at the curb or roadside the night before your service day or by 6:00 A.M. on your service day. Remember that collection times may vary.

 

 

 

Acceptable Green Waste, Food Waste & Organic Material
Only place these materials into your green container!

Acceptable Organic Material
  • Leaves
  • Grass clippings and weeds
  • Small branches
  • Bones
  • Food scraps
  • Food soiled paper (napkins, plates, coffee cups)
  • Greasy pizza boxes
  • Waxed paper items (cardboard milk cartons, wax paper)

Important Green Waste Notes!

Do not put yard waste in plastic bags.

  • Place green waste loose in container.
     
  • Tree and shrub prunings must be cut small enough to fit inside the container with the lid closed.
     
  • If you have extra yard waste, you may purchase and use a 32-gallon garbage can with handles.

    Place extra small branches tied in bundles next to your container. A maximum of seven additional containers or bundles can be placed out for pickup.
     
  • Bundles should be no larger than three feet by three feet and placed next to your cart.

 

Unacceptable Organic Materials
Please do not place the following materials into your green container!

Organic Material not Accepted

  • Rock, dirt, ashes, palm tree leaves (or any part of a palm tree), yucca plant (with palm like leaves), poison oak or ivy, animal feces or manure, tree stumps or trunks, painted or treated wood.


Construction Debris

  • Concrete, rocks, sod, dirt, asphalt, lumber, plywood, particle board or other construction materials

 

Electronic / Universal Waste

  • Televisions, cell phones and computer monitors, fluorescent light bulbs or tubes.
    Contact us to find out how to recycle or safely dispose of these materials.

 

Garbage

  • Plastic bags
  • Other garbage
 Household Hazardous Waste
  • Paints, solvents, motor oil, cleaners, corrosives, fuel tanks - propane tanks, syringes, medical waste

 

Other Material

  • Animal feces or manure, tree stumps or trunks, painted or treated wood

 

Recyclable Material

  • Place recyclable material in blue cart.

 

Garbage

gray toter3

All garbage and recycling containers need to be placed at the curb or roadside the night before your service day or by 6:00 A.M. on your service day. Remember that collection times may vary.

 

 

 

Acceptable Garbage Materials
Only put non-recyclable materials into your gray container!

Glass
  • Auto, mirror and tinted glass
  • Glassware, crystal and dinnerware
  • Household window glass
  • Light bulbs (except fluorescent bulbs)

 

Metal
  • Car parts
  • Clothes hangers
  • Small pieces such as nuts and bolts

Organic Material
  • Palm fronds, poison ivy or poison oak, animal feces or manure
  • Moth, bug, or ant infested materials
 Organic Material
  • Animal feces or manure
  • Rope

 

Plastic

  • Styrofoam/polystyrene containers
    and packing peanuts
  • Other non recyclable plastics

Extra Garbage
If you need to dispose of extra garbage, please contact customer service one day in advance and we will arrange for the driver to remove your extra garbage for an additional fee.

 

 

Unacceptable Garbage Material
Please do not place the following materials into your gray container!

Construction Debris
  • Concrete, rocks, dirt, lumber, dirt, rocks, plywood or particle board

 

Electronic / Universal Waste

  • Televisions, cell phones and computer monitors, fluorescent light bulbs or tubes.
    Contact us to find out how to recycle or safely dispose of these materials.

 

 Liquids, Hot Ashes or Coals

Household Hazardous Waste
  • Paints, solvents, motor oil, cleaners, corrosives, fuel tanks - propane tanks, syringes, medical waste

 

Organics

  • Place organic material in green cart.

Special Collection Programs

Bulky Item Collection

old sofaIf you have a large, bulky item such as a mattress, refrigerator, or old sofa to dispose of, please contact us for a price estimate and to schedule a bulky item collection.

Annual Spring Clean Up

In April, you can dispose of extra garbage at no additional charge. You may place a maximum of seven additional thirty two-gallon trash bags or seven thirty-two gallon cans of garbage for curbside collection. The Spring Clean Up schedule is provided on your April garbage bill.

In addition, for three months after the Spring Clean Up event, you may drop off two bulky items at the San Martin Transfer Station at no charge. This includes furniture, appliances (there is a charge for Freon removal), scrap metal and mattresses. You must provide us with an original copy of your bill, which will be collected. Please contact us for more information.

Additional Clean Up Opportunity

Your January bill brings another clean up opportunity. From January to April you are able to recycle large items such as two yards of unpainted or untreated wood, metal appliances (there is a charge for Freon removal) or scrap metal. You must provide us with an original copy of your bill, which will be collected. Please contact us for more information.

Street Sweeping

Street sweeping in Gilroy occurs every other week. Please move your car by 6:00 A.M. on street sweeping day. Contact us if you are not sure of your street sweeping day.

Street Sweeping

Gilroy Street SweepingRecology South Valley provides bi-weekly street sweeping service in the City of Gilroy.

  • Street sweeping occurs the day after your collection day. The streets are swept for Friday customers on the following Monday.
  • Please move your car from the street the night before street sweeping.
  • The street sweeper does not pick up large piles of leaves, dirt or mud. Please use the compost container for leaves and yard trimmings.
  • Private parking lots are not swept.


For additional information about this service, please contact us.

 

Billing Information

  • Garbage services are billed quarterly. Payment in full is due by the end of the billing period.
  • If you choose to mail a monthly payment, please include your account number on your check.
  • The past due date for your statement will be shown on the bottom of the statement.
  • Save time and resources! We have an online electronic payment service available.
  • City ordinance states that garbage collection service is mandatory for every property in the City of Gilroy.

Service Schedule

Your recycling, yard waste (organics) and garbage is collected weekly. All containers need to be placed on the street, wheels against the curb, by 6:00 A.M. of your service day. Collection times may vary.

Your containers are emptied by an automated truck. This means a mechanical arm retrieves, empties, and sets the cart down in the street without the driver leaving the truck.

Curb Side Placement

This efficient collection system works best when all of the containers are at least 18 inches apart as shown in the picture above.


Printable Material

Printer IconThe following PDF documents can be printed for easy reference. You will need the free Acrobat Reader to view these files.

 

Donations of Reusable Items

In addition to waste reduction and recycling, reuse is a great way to help the environment. If you have old items that can be reused, don't throw them away.

Visit the Santa Clara County Recycling Hotline website for information on where to recycle different items.

All donated items must work and be in good condition. Donated food should not be past it's expiration date.