Unincorporated Los Altos Yard Waste Program

Yard waste is collected weekly in your tan cart.

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Acceptable Green Waste Materials Only place green waste materials into your tan container!
Accepted Yard Waste Grass clippings Leaves Small branches cut into 3 foot lengths or less Weeds	Important Green Waste Notes! Do not put yard waste in plastic bags. Do not place yard clippings in plastic or paper 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. Our automated trucks have a weight limit of 150 pounds. Carts filled to capacity with heavy materials can exceed this weight limit and may not be collected.

Treecycling Each year during the month of January, Recology South Bay provides free Christmas Tree collection and recycling service. Place trees or carts curbside/roadside on your recycling day. Please remove tree stands and all decorations, including tinsel. (Flocked trees are acceptable). Small trees may be placed inside your yard waste cart for collection. Trees may be collected by a recycling truck other than the regular yard waste truck. Apartment dwellers must place trees in a central location and call to arrange for a pickup.

Unacceptable Green Waste Materials Please do not place the following materials into your green container!
Construction Debris Concrete, rocks, sod, dirt, asphalt, lumber, plywood, particle board or other construction materials Electronic / Universal Waste Televisions, computers, cell phones, batteries, fluorescent light bulbs, mercury switches Garbage Plastic bags Un-recyclable items	Household Hazardous Waste Paints, solvents, motor oil, cleaners, corrosives, fuel tanks - propane tanks, syringes, medical waste Organic Material Food scraps, animal feces or manure, tree stumps or trunks, painted or treated wood Recyclable Material Recyclable glass, metal, paper and plastic

How to Set Out Your Carts at the Curbside

Yard waste is collected with a fully automated truck, using a mechanical arm that retrieves, empties and sets the cart down in the street without the driver leaving the truck.

Using the fully automated system makes the set out of the carts more important than ever, so that the mechanical arm can grab a cart without interfering with the other carts.

Place your carts on the street by 6:00am on your scheduled collection day.
Place wheels against the curb and close cart lids.
For easy reference, print the Curbside Placement Reference Guide!

Home Composting

Help save precious resources by composting at home!

Free compost workshops are available throughout the County. Visit the Santa Clara County Home Composting Education Program online or contact them at 408-918-4640 for more information.