Merced, CA Trash Pickup Schedule
Collection days, holiday changes, recycling rules, and drop-off options for Merced, California — in one page, with sources.
Trash pickup in Merced, CA follows Weekly city-run collection; surrounding unincorporated Merced County areas are mapped into 14 disposal franchise areas served by contracted haulers (Waste Management, Mid Valley Disposal, Gilton Solid Waste, City of Los Banos)..
Trash
When is each service collected?
Recurring schedule for Merced services.
| Service | When | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Trash | Weekly city-run collection; surrounding unincorporated Merced County areas are mapped into 14 disposal franchise areas served by contracted haulers (Waste Management, Mid Valley Disposal, Gilton Solid Waste, City of Los Banos). | Provider: City of Merced (municipal crews; the city is its own disposal franchise area in the MC RWA map). |
| Recycling | Curbside recycling collected by City crews per city notice. | Provider: City of Merced (municipal crews). |
| Yard waste | Yard waste collected by City crews per city notice. | Provider: City of Merced (municipal crews). |
What changes on holidays?
Upcoming days that move your pickup, with the exact shift rule.
- Independence Day (observed) — July 3, 2026 notice: offices closed July 3 but 'Refuse, yard waste, and curbside recycling will be collected as scheduled by City crews on Friday, July 3' - collection UNCHANGED that week..
Which bin does it go in?
Search the material, follow the color: green chip recycles, red goes to trash.
| Material | Where it goes |
|---|---|
| food_scraps | Recycle SB 1383: since January 1, 2024 food scraps go in the GREEN cart, not the trash [mc-rwa] |
| batteries | Recycle Never in trash - recycle free via the landfill or local programs [mc-rwa] |
| accepted | Recycle Appliances, e-waste (computers/TVs/stereos/copiers), HHW, tires and mattresses handled via MC RWA landfill programs [mc-rwa] |
What about bulky or special items?
Mattresses, appliances, storm debris — the rules before you set them out.
- Franchise structure — Unincorporated Merced County is divided into 14 mapped disposal franchise areas; hauler per area: Waste Management Inc (6 areas), Mid Valley Disposal (4), Gilton Solid Waste (2), City of Los Banos (1); the City of Merced area is served by city crews.
More details: bulk & yard waste page.
Who collects what?
The provider for each service and how to reach them.
| Service | Provider | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Trash | City of Merced (municipal crews; the city is its own disposal franchise area in the MC RWA map) | |
| Recycling | City of Merced (municipal crews) | |
| Yard waste | City of Merced (municipal crews) |
Common questions
The things Merced residents ask most.
Who picks up trash in Merced CA?
City of Merced crews collect refuse, yard waste and curbside recycling in the city; nearby unincorporated county areas are served by franchised haulers (Waste Management, Mid Valley Disposal, Gilton).
Where can I dump trash in Merced County?
MC RWA's Highway 59 Landfill (7040 N Highway 59, Merced - Mon-Sat 7am-3:30pm) or Billy Wright Landfill (Los Banos - same hours).
Which cart do food scraps go in?
The green cart - SB 1383 has required food scraps out of the trash since January 1, 2024.
What changed recently?
Every update to this page, newest first.
- Record created for Merced CA: MC RWA county franchise-area map (14 polygons, hauler-attributed - one of the few datasets in the corpus), both MC RWA landfills with hours, SB 1383 green-cart food-scrap rule, + confirmation that the City of Merced runs its own collection crews. City day-by-area schedule still open (city site blocks fetches).
Population 93,692 · Sources: Merced County Regional Waste Management Authority (MC RWA) AGOL 'Disp…, MC RWA 'Garbage Services' point layer (20,887 service locations, 2021…, Merced County Regional Waste Management Authority (mcrwma.org), City of Merced (cityofmerced.gov - blocks WebFetch with 403; facts) · Summarized from municipal, hauler, and public-data records; schedules change without notice.