Navigating Trash, Recycling, and Yard Waste Pickup in Tracy, California

Understanding your city’s trash, recycling, and yard waste collection schedule is key to proper disposal. This guide provides an overview of the pickup calendar in Tracy, California, including how it is impacted by holidays.

Regular Collection Schedule

The city of Tracy contracts trash, recycling, and organics pickup to Tracy Delta Solid Waste Management (TDSWM). Each household receives:

• Weekly garbage collection
• Weekly organics pickup
• Biweekly single-stream recycling collection

Your specific day depends on your location in Tracy. Refer to the map in the TDSWM collection brochure to identify your pickup date.

On your scheduled day, roll carts to the curb by 4 AM, with at least 12 inches between containers. Emptied carts should be removed from the street within 24 hours.

Recycling Calendar

Recycling is collected every other week. Check the TDSWM brochure calendar to determine if your pickup falls on odd or even weeks.

For example, if you live in Area A, your recycling is picked up on even weeks, so you would put your cart out on January 9th, January 23rd, February 6th, and so on.

The brochure calendar provides pickup dates through the end of the year so you can plan accordingly.

Holiday Schedule Changes

Trash collection is suspended on three holidays:

• Thanksgiving
• Christmas Day
• New Year’s Day

After a holiday, pickup moves one day later that week. For instance, Thursday customers move to Friday, and Friday customers move to Saturday.

When Christmas and New Year’s Day fall on weekdays, this causes pickup to be delayed by one day both weeks. See the TDSWM holiday schedule for exact impacted dates.

Yard Waste and Leaf Collection

Yard waste like leaves, grass clippings, and small branches can be placed in your green organics cart for weekly pickup. For additional debris, Tracy provides special yard waste and leaf collection from February to December:

• Loose leaf collection: Rake leaves to the curb and Tracy vacuum trucks will collect them, mid-October through mid-December. Avoid piling leaves on storm drains or areas that could create traffic hazards.

• On-call yard waste collection: From February to mid-October and mid-December to December, call TDSWM to schedule pickup of extra yard waste stacked at the curb. Bundles should be no more than 18 inches in diameter. There is no limit, but each bundle must weigh under 40 lbs.

Yard waste should be free of plastic bags, dirt, rocks, and metal. Bundle or bag in paper yard waste bags.

Bulky Item and E-Waste Pickup

• Quarterly bulky item collection: Up to 5 large items, like furniture and appliances, are collected per household on your regular pickup day during January, April, July, and October. mattresses and appliances require a prepaid voucher from TDSWM.

• E-Waste events: Tracy holds special collection events for electronic waste multiple times per year. Check the city’s garbage and recycling page for upcoming dates. E-waste is not accepted curbside.

Missed Pickup

If your garbage, recycling, or yard waste is missed on your scheduled collection day, contact TDSWM at 209-835-0601 before 4 PM that day to request return service.

Notifications and Reminders

Tracy and TDSWM provide several resources to keep track of your pickup schedule:

• TDSWM collection calendar listing 2023 service dates
• Email and text alerts from the city through their notification system
• Holiday schedule announcements on the city website and social media

Use these tools to build a collection reminder system that works for your household. Mark your calendar with regular weekly pickup days plus any date changes due to holidays. Set notifications for yard waste and bulky item collection weeks. And refer back to the TDSWM brochure if you ever need to check your odd/even recycling weeks.

Key Takeaways

• Weekly trash and organics pickup occurs on your designated day based on location

• Recycling is collected every other week based on odd/even weeks

• Holidays delay pickup by one day in the impacted week

• Special on-call yard waste pickup runs February to December

• Quarterly bulky item collection takes place in January, April, July, and October

• Missed collection should be reported by 4 PM for same-day return service

Following these guidelines will help ensure you get trash, recycling, and yard waste to the curb on the proper days for pickup in Tracy. Check the resources provided by the city and TDSWM if you have any doubts about your collection schedule.