Trash Collection and Recycling
Marin Sanitary Service
Marin Sanitary Service is the authorized collector for businesses, residences, and government agencies providing garbage service for those in the Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District. Marin Sanitary Service also serves the City of San Rafael and where jurisdictions overlap with the District, or co-exist, the city has the authority and responsibilities for regulating solid waste, recyclable, and organic material.
- Contact Marin Sanitary Service directly for questions on garbage service for your home or business.
- https://marinsanitaryservice.com/ | (415) 456-2601
Ordinance 196 - Amending Chapter 1, Title 4
Effective January 1, 2025
Changes to rates and customer owned carts filled with compostable material.
Please see the attached Ordinance.
Ordinance 196 Executed.pdfUpdated District Code Title 4 Chapter 1
Short-lived Climate Pollutants Law (SB 1383)
Residents and businesses are required to follow statewide organic waste recycling and surplus food recovery laws beginning January 1, 2022. For more information, please visit the Marin Sanitary Service web page at https://marinsanitaryservice.com/laws/
Commercial and Multi-Family Residential Dwellings may qualify for a waiver from the organic composting requirements of SB 1383. Click here to complete a fillable waiver form from Marin Sanitary Service.
Zero Waste Marin also has information on how businesses must comply with California’s Mandatory Commercial Recycling & Composting Laws, including:
- SB 1383 Short-Lived Climate Pollutants Food Donation
- AB 341 Mandatory Commercial Recycling (MCR)
- AB 827 Mandatory Front of House Organics and Recycling Containers
- AB 1826 Mandatory Commercial Organics (MORe)
Need to submit a complaint about an entity that is not compliant with SB 1383? Please click on the link below to fill out the form:
Zero Waste Marin Events
Repair Fairs:
Free waste tire collection event this Saturday, February 28th! The event will be held at CCNB in Novato from 9am-2pm. More details here: https://zerowastemarin.org/free-waste-tire-collection-events/
The San Geronimo Repair Fair is happening on Saturday, March 14th! ! If you have a household item in need of repair and want to learn about fixing, visit us at San Geronimo Valley Community Center from 10am – 1pm! Pre-register here: https://www.reusealliance.org/events/san-geronimo-repair-fair
Spring Cleaning: Household Hazardous Waste Edition
The time for spring cleaning is here! Those of us who are tackling a garage or storage closet cleanout might find some expired or non-working products that need to be discarded. However, there are several items that don’t belong in any of your waste bins at home and are designated as household hazardous waste (HHW). This month, we are highlighting several common HHW items and how to dispose of them properly and safely.
First, what is household hazardous waste?
HHW is waste from household products that have properties that make it potentially dangerous or harmful to humans’ health or the environment. It can be liquids, solids, or gases. The EPA uses the following characteristics to define hazardous waste:
• Ignitability– Liquids or solids that are flammable or combustible.
• Corrosivity – Highly reactive substances that cause rust, corrosion, and noticeable damage to living tissue; acids and bases are common corrosive materials.
• Reactivity – Substances that, when mixed, create toxic, unstable, or explosive reactions.
• Toxicity – Poisonous materials.
What are some common examples of HHW items and how can they be disposed of?
Below is a list of some items you might find during your spring cleaning. All these items can be dropped off at the Marin Household Hazardous Waste Facility in San Rafael. Novato residents must bring them to the Novato Household Hazardous Waste Facility. Some of the products below have additional programs and/or drop off sites.
• Paint and Paint Related Products
o Paint products like acrylic, latex, oil-based, primers, and sealers may seem harmless sitting in your garage but they should be disposed of carefully. All Marin residents can take paint to a PaintCare drop-off site. Please call your store of choice in advance and ask about the accepted limits.
• Cleaning chemicals and Gardening Products
o Found some half-used cleaning products and leftover garden sprays from previous spring cleaning and planting? The products below also can go to your HHW facility.
• Any detergents, bleach-base cleaners, ammonia and tile cleaners, tub cleaners, window cleaners, oven cleaners, polishes, and air fresheners.
• Gardening products such as fertilizers, herbicides, fungicides, pesticides, insecticides, and rodenticide.
• Dead batteries and light bulbs
o In Marin County there is a Bulb and Battery Take-Back Program, which is designed to encourage residents to properly recycle their used household batteries, compact fluorescent lamps, and fluorescent tubes – free of charge at convenient retail locations. See the list of locations on our website.
• Note that car batteries are not accepted through this program but can be dropped off at the Marin Household Hazardous Waste Facility in San Rafael. Novato residents must bring them to the Novato Household Hazardous Waste Facility.
o To learn more about how to safely dispose of batteries, including e-bike batteries, and find additional battery locations in the County, visit Call2Recycle.
• Used motor oil and oil filters
o Pouring oil down a drain or into the soil isn’t just harmful, it’s illegal! The good news? Zero Waste Marin makes doing the right thing easy and free!
• First drain used motor oil into a clean secure container with a tight lid. Do not mix with any additional materials such as anti-freeze, hydraulic fluid, or gasoline, as this will prevent the motor oil from being recycled.
• Next, place your used oil filter in a sealed plastic bag.
• Lastly, drop off both at your HHW facility.
• You can also request a free motor oil and filter recycling kit by emailing Zero Waste Marin!
Zero Waste Marin has a Marine Oil Absorbent Exchange Program where boaters can get a free absorbent pillow or pad to place in the bilge. You can pick up an absorbent at the San Rafael Yacht Harbor (San Rafael) or the
Clipper Yacht Harbor (Sausalito). Once it’s full, simply bring it back to either location. They’ll safely dispose of the oily pad and provide you with a fresh one at no cost.
• Electronics
Electronics contain hazardous materials that can harm the environment if not disposed of properly. In California, it is illegal to throw electronics in the landfill. First, see if the electronics listed below can be repaired, sold, or donated before dropping them off at your HHW facility.
• Cathode Ray Tubes (CRT) or Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) TVs, DVD players, and video cassette recorders
• Computer monitors and peripherals
• Laptops, printers and fax machines
• Wireless telephones, cell phones, and answering machines
• Stereo equipment, jump box, iPods and tablets
• Microwaves, calculators, cables, and wires
• Electric items such as small appliances like toasters, blenders, and hair dryers are not accepted at the Marin Household Hazardous Waste Facility but they may be dropped off for recycling for a fee at the Marin Resource Recovery Center. Computers can be dropped off at Renew Computers in San Rafael.
Composting is one of the easiest ways to make a big impact on the environment and your garden! By composting your food scraps, yard trimmings, and soiled paper, you can help reduce landfill waste and methane emissions. At home, adding finished compost into your garden can improve soil health, increased water retention, and reduce the need for synthetic!
Here are some tips to get started with at-home composting:
1) Ensure you have compost service at your residence. All homes and apartment complexes are required to have compost service. If you do not, consider reaching out to your local waste hauler or apartment management team to get this service added to your residence.
2) Get a kitchen countertop container. Having a small green pail or container on the counter makes composting simple – just toss in food scraps while cooking. You can also keep a small container in the freezer to avoid any “ick factor”, and then empty directly into your curbside green bin.
3) Consider setting up a backyard composting system. If you have extra outdoor space, backyard composting is a rewarding way to produce your own compost at home. Explore the different methods, from low-maintenance compost bins to hands-on systems, to find the one that suits your needs. Learn more here: https://zerowastemarin.org/composting-in-marin/
Don’t Trash it, Marin! What to Do with Hazardous Items
Are cans of unused paint, household cleaners and old electronics taking up space in your garage? It’s good to clean out the clutter, but not everything can go in the curbside carts. Some materials, known as Household Hazardous Waste (HHW), are toxic to you and/or to the environment and need to be dropped off at special facilities. HHW materials include Electronics, Paint, Batteries, Light Bulbs, Household Chemicals, Personal Care Products, Gardening Products and Auto Care Products.
- For details about HHW and how to get rid of it, visit ZeroWasteMarin.org/HHW
- Visit Zero Waste Marin for more information.