MEET Gabby
Garbage

What’s the problem?

Waste & Landfill Capacity

Items in your Garbage cart go to the landfill where it is buried forever.

The landfill is a gigantic pit to contain whatever we randomly toss into our Garbage cart, but it is not limitless. Whatever goes in the landfill – never comes out and takes hundreds of years to decompose – and, some items may never completely break down.

As a SacGreenTeam curbside collection customer and civil engineer at the landfill, Gabby Garbage understands the need to make garbage collection easy and convenient, but also knows the environmental challenges of landfills. Our landfills should be the land of last resort. Gabby Garbage encourages everyone to rethink garbage. Whenever possible, consider repurposing, recycling, and donating items before tossing them in the Garbage cart.

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What can I do?

Minimize waste and properly sort items for the Recycling cart and the Organics cart. Use the following advice from Gabby Garbage:

Waste less food – plan meals, store food for max freshness, and transform leftovers or produce into soups, casseroles, stir-fries, sauces, baked goods, smoothies, etc.
Buy just what you need – when you buy less you waste less.

Choose reusable products – save resources and money by using fewer single-use products.
Repurpose items – if you aren’t using an item, think of how it can be used another way.

Donate – useful items can be donated to people in need, shelters, or thrift stores.
Sort smart and recycle right – put empty and dry recyclables in your Recycling cart, and food scraps, food-soiled paper, and yard trimmings in your Organics cart.

Clean smarter – use natural products like vinegar and baking soda that clean multiple surfaces to reduce the number of cleaning product containers.
Buy smarter – choose items that are accepted in the curbside Recycling cart, locally-sourced, made from recycled materials with the least packaging or packaging that can be recycled.

Download the app

garbage cart items

Items to leave out

Find a Household Hazardous Waste drop-off location near you.

other services available to reduce waste

Collect and place your organic material (food scraps, food-soiled paper and yard trimmings) in the Organics cart.
Set out your Organics cart weekly.

Don’t contaminate your Recycling cart.
Make sure recyclables are empty and dry before putting them loose in the cart.

Schedule a Bulky Waste Pickup appointment for items that are no longer usable and too large for the Garbage cart.

Used motor oil, used oil filters, and used cooking oil can be recycled.
Place used motor oil, filters, and cooking oil at the curb at least 3 feet from other curbside carts and 6 feet from stationary objects by 6 a.m., on the same day as your regular curbside collection day.

faq

Can’t figure out which cart to place your items in? We can help!

If you still have questions, please email: SacGreenTeam@SacCounty.gov.

Curbside garbage collection is serviced every week. Find your Collection Calendar at SacGreenTeam.com or on the SacGreenTeam mobile app.

Yes, carts are available in three sizes, 30, 60, 90 gallons. Learn more about cart services at SacGreenTeam.com.

Fill out our Missed Cart Service form online or call 3-1-1 (if outside of unincorporated County, call 916-875-4311). Additional fees may be added for return services of carts that were not set out prior to 6 a.m. on regular service day, or when a tag states a cart could not be serviced.

Yes, set cart(s) out by 6 a.m. on your regular collection day/scheduled appointment day and leave cart(s) out until serviced (unless instructed otherwise).

Yes, the Kiefer Landfill and North Area Recovery Station both accept household waste from the public, businesses, and private waste haulers. Go to SacGreenTeam.com and check out our Facilities tab for locations.

No. We have free drop-off locations for Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) to properly recycle/dispose of these items. Learn more about HHW drop-off locations.

resources

Explore the resources in this section to learn what can go in the Garbage cart and how to reduce waste to become a Garbage Binfluencer, just like Gabby!

Contact us!

Have a question about recycling? We’ve got answers! Email us at sacgreenteam@saccounty.gov and we’ll get back to you within three business days.

MEET Gabby Garbage