Republic Services of San José, CA
Republic Services provides comprehensive organic, non-organic garbage, and recycling services to businesses in the City of San José through its unique Wet, Dry and Customized system.
San José, CA customer support
Monday – Friday: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Office Location:
1601 Dixon Landing Road
Milpitas, CA
Office Hours:
Monday – Friday: 8:00 am – 4:30 pm
Saturday: 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
Holiday schedule
We observe the following holidays:
New Year's Day
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Day
Please note if your service falls on one of these days your service will be delayed by one business day. If the holiday falls on a Sunday, there will be no impact to Monday service.
Cart & bin placement tips
See more tips in the
To ensure that you receive prompt, consistent collection service, follow these easy container setout guidelines:
- Containers must be accessible by 2 a.m. on your service day.
- Unlock enclosure gates and containers.
- For an additional small fee, Republic Services offers locking services for your convenience.
- Ensure containers are not blocked by vehicles or other obstructions.
- Make sure containers are not overflowing and that the lids are closed.
- Place only acceptable material in the Wet, Dry and/or Customized containers.
- Do not dispose of hazardous waste materials in your containers.
- Visit
www.hhw.org for directions on how to properly dispose of this material.
- Visit
Service information
Collection services guide
Wet/Dry/Customized Organic Material Posters
To create and maintain a successful solid waste program at your business, please see our
Postcards
San José business recycling & waste news
San José rates & schedules
Each year rates are approved by the San José City Council. To determine rates specific to your business, please use the service rate calculator.
Diversion calculator
To estimate the amount of solid waste generated at your facility and the necessary bins and service levels to ensure both proper disposal and compliance, follow the steps below:
Sustainability team
Objective:
To provide a recycling experience of the highest caliber that is mutually beneficial for both City of San José businesses and Republic Services' team of Sustainability Advisors; resulting in a better business partnership, minimization of contamination in the waste streams, and maximum diversion for each account.
How to get there:
- Align each Sustainability Advisor with an area of expertise and create accountability measures that ensures each customer is supported, educated, and is engaged with the purpose of keeping organics and recycling out of the landfill in the City of San José.
- Continually reinforce our message of zero waste, and build relationships with defined goals to increase diversion monthly.
- Promoting a message in line with our mission of diverting more from our landfills, creating zero waste, and making sure all customers understand their options and how to recycle.
Jennifer Flores
Sustainability Advisor
Jennifer is excited to work with the recycling team in the city of San José. She has five years of waste management experience; with four of those years as a Sustainability Advisor for Republic Services in the city of Milpitas. In 2015, Jennifer was nominated as Business Person of the Year by the Milpitas Chamber of Commerce. Jennifer is passionate about saving the environment, educating others about the benefits of recycling, and helping customers meet their landfill diversion goals. Jennifer is responsible for the regions of North and East San José.
Christina Navarro
Sustainability Advisor
Christina joined Republic Services in 2021 and is excited to work with the businesses of West and South San José to achieve the best waste stream setup and decrease landfill accumulation. She has a strong passion for creating a clean and protected environment for future generations. She graduated from San José State University with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies. With nearly a decade of customer-facing professional experience, Christina aims to make proper waste sorting fun and easy for businesses to help keep San José beautiful.
Jasmine Parrish
Sustainability Advisor
Jasmine joined Republic Services in 2018 and is excited to work with the businesses in Downtown San José. She has over a decade of customer service experience and is passionate about protecting our environment. During her time at Republic Services, Jasmine became more spirited about supporting long-term ecological balance. Raised in San José, she feels fortunate to work with the local businesses she frequents. She is happy to bring her knowledge about waste stream sorting to the community and aims to get others on board with saving our environment.
Community Relations Manager
Michael brings many years of experience in the field of sales, particularly when it comes to solid waste and recycling collection. He is an expert in the area of environmental sustainability and can speak to any subject related to collection, processing, recycling, and disposal. Michael oversees the Sustainability Advisors' field activities including customer interactions, Wet/Dry system transitions, educational presentations and organizes staffing at special events as it relates to San José business customers.
Translate/Traducir/Interpretar
- Go To
https://translate.google.com/ - Click the Websites button
- Add this website URL in the box
https://www.republicservices.com/municipality/san-jose-ca - Detect language of English and <> choose your language (Spanish)
- Click the blue and white arrow
- View the website in your language
Note - some images may not appear using this feature.
FAQs
Service, Billing & Collection Guidelines
- Wet (green container) collection service to dispose of non-edible food waste and green waste and compostable material
- Customized (white container, blue lids) collection service to dispose of clean recyclable material, such as paper and cardboard
- Dry (blue container) to dispose of non-compostable, non-recyclable waste
- Self-hauled waste
- Construction and demolition debris
- Donated/sold material
- Medical & hazardous waste
- Confidential shredding services
- Electronic disposal
To ensure that you receive prompt, consistent collection service, follow these easy container set-out guidelines:
- Containers must be accessible by 2 a.m. on your service day. Unlock enclosure gates and containers. For an additional, small fee, Republic Services offers locking services for your convenience.
- Ensure your containers are not blocked by vehicles or other obstructions.
- Make sure your containers are not overflowing and that the lids are closed.
- Place only acceptable material in the Wet, Dry and/or Customized containers. Do not dispose of hazardous, electronic, or medical waste materials in your containers.
- Visit
www.hhw.org for directions on how to properly dispose of this material.
- Visit
- Make sure only the appropriate materials are placed in the appropriate bin. Do not contaminate the waste stream.
Haul it Yourself
Businesses can self-haul some waste to a processing facility such as the
It is important to keep the area around your bins clean because debris attracts more dumping. Call Republic Services at 408-432-1234 to order an extra pickup and
- Store bins/carts in a waste enclosure.
- Keep bins/carts out of sight and only pull them out for service.
- Use locks on bins/carts and waste enclosures.
- Install cameras and motion-activated lighting.
- Post “No Dumping” and “Cameras in Use” signs.
- Post your solid waste bin management procedures in your solid waste area and break room so all employees understand your process.
Republic Services was awarded an exclusive franchise agreement by the City of San José in 2012. Republic's commercial solid waste system provides compliance with state recycling laws, reduced noise and pollution through compressed natural gas trucks (CNG), dedicated representatives that provide recycling assistance to businesses, and the ability to manage your account anywhere at any time using the Republic Services app.
Recycling Questions
Getting Started: Guidelines to creating your waste collection program
Create and maintain a successful waste collection program at your business by providing your team with simple instructions, ongoing education, and reminders why this innovative program is beneficial to both businesses and the environment.
- Business managers set the stage for a successful program. Work with your Republic Services Sustainability Advisor to perform waste assessments to determine if you have the correct level of service. Set the example for your team that participation is the key to creating long-term success.
- Ask your employees to volunteer and join the Green Champion program. By joining this program, employees will be trained by a Sustainability Advisor to learn all there is to know about San José's commercial solid waste system, and how to always be compliant with the program.
- Install Wet, Dry and Customized receptacles throughout your business that align with your Republic-serviced carts/bins. Businesses are required to have indoor containers and signage for customers to toss out Customized and Wet waste.
- Label the receptacles with Wet/Dry/Customized labels and display indoor posters above or next to the receptacles. Labels and posters are provided by our Sustainability Advisor.
- With the assistance of your Sustainability Advisor, provide an interactive training session that educates your team on the proper use of the wet program. It may be necessary to provide more than one session depending on how waste material is handled at your business (administrative staff vs. janitorial staff). Your Sustainability Advisor is available to visit your business for additional training and follow-up waste assessments.
- Use outdoor stickers - your Sustainability Advisor can provide them - to properly label the Wet, Dry garbage, and Customized carts/bins. You can also find posters in the Collection Services Guide or download them from the Resources page.
- Remember to periodically check-in with your team for ongoing education and keep them updated on their efforts in achieving a successful program. Everyone wants to do the right thing by recycling, so consistent positive reinforcement keeps participants on the right track!
- Schedule a tour of the
Newby Island Recyclery so your team fully understands the recycling process for Dry garbage and Customized materials.- Tours take place on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 1:30 p.m. Space is limited and reservations are required! Call 408-586-2260 for availability.
Download a reference guide
Acceptable Materials:
Yard trimmings
• Flower trimmings
• Tree trimmings (twigs/branches must be 4 ft or less in length, and less than 6 inches in diameter)
• Leaves, grass, brush, and weeds
Food-Soiled Paper
• Napkins and paper towels
• Plates, cups, bowls
• Pizza boxes
• Coffee grounds and filters
Food Scraps (raw or cooked):
• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Dairy Products
• Bread, grains, pasta
• Meat & Seafood (including bones)
• Prepared or processed foods (chips, sandwiches, etc.)
Unacceptable Materials for Green Bin/Cart:
• Glass, metal, plastic
• Hot ashes or briquettes
• Large amounts of soil or sod
• Plastic bags, or plastic of ANY kind
• Rocks, concrete, dirt, sand
• Wood that has been treated, coated, or painted
• Particleboard
Download a reference guide
Acceptable Materials:
- Clean cardboard & paper
- Carpet & padding
- Clean wood
- Compostable service ware
- Face masks
- Foam cups & containers
- Glass bottles
- Metal cans
- Packing materials
- Scrap metal
Unacceptable Materials for Dry Bin/Cart:
- Construction debris
- E-waste (electronics)
- Food waste & food-soiled paper
- Hazardous or medical waste
- Helium/propane tanks
- Landscape waste
- Treated wood
Download a reference guide
Acceptable Materials:
- Bottles & cans (empty, clean, dry)
- Cardboard
- Metal cans (empty, clean, dry)
- Mixed paper
- Plastic containers (empty, clean, dry)
- Shredded paper
Unacceptable Materials for Customized Bin/Cart:
- Construction debris
- E-waste (electronics)
- Food waste & food-soiled paper
- Hazardous or medical waste
- Helium/propane tanks
- Landscape waste
- Pallets
- Polystyrene (Styrofoam®) packing peanuts
- Treated wood
Any contaminated material needs to be removed during the sorting process. Some items may also contaminate clean recyclable items (ex. pasta sauce jar with sauce still in it, can soak into clean office paper which is then no longer recyclable).
If our drivers notice a lot of contamination in your Customized cart or bin, we may not be able to service it as recycling.
Customers will be responsible to remove all contamination and pay a return fee to have the container serviced.
Zero Waste Tips You Can Feel Good About
Achieving zero waste is not just a philosophy; it's a daily commitment to our customers and community. Yet, it's still important to find ways to reduce the amount of waste that is generated. The less we generate, the closer we are to zero waste. These tips will help you achieve zero waste:
Reduce
- Order items with minimal packaging.
- Print, copy, and write on both sides of a sheet of paper when possible.
- Use dry-erase boards and overhead projectors for presentations instead of handing out copies.
- Make training manuals and company information available electronically, instead of in printed books and binders.
- Encourage your staff to use reusable coffee mugs, dishes, and utensils.
- Adopt an environmentally preferable purchasing policy.
Reuse
- Use refillable toner cartridges for printers. Non-refillable cartridges contain between two and three pounds of plastic and metal!
- Send documents between offices and departments in reusable envelopes.
- Reuse corrugated boxes for shipping supplies between offices.
- Buy refillable pens and mechanical pencils. Pencils and the outer casings of pens can come in a variety of reclaimed materials, such as recycled newspaper, plastic, rubber, and even recycled dollar bills.
- Use the blank side of printouts as scratch paper or to take notes.
Donate
- Donate unwanted office supplies to nonprofit organizations, charities, schools or used materials exchanges.
- Give excess building materials and supplies from renovations to low-income housing developers or non-profits such as Habitat for Humanity.
- Donate cafeteria leftovers.
PAPER (clean and unsoiled)
• Paperback books
• Boxes, packages (please flatten)
• Carbonless paper
• Cardboard
• Catalogs
• Colored & construction paper
• Computer paper
• Copy paper
• Coupons
• Detergent boxes
• Envelopes with metal clasps
• Envelopes (plastic windows OK)
• Gift Wrap (non-metallic)
• Junk mail
• Magazines
• Manila folders
• Newspapers and inserts
• Office paper
• Paper bags
• Paper packaging with remnant tape
• Paperboard boxes (cereal & shoe boxes)
• Paper towel and toilet paper tubes
• Post-its
• Shredded paper (placed in a paper bag)
• Telephone books
METAL (empty, clean, and dry)
• Aluminum cans
• Aluminum foil (clean)
• Aluminum pie plates
• Cookie sheets
• CRV beverage cans
• Food cans (clean)
• Pet food cans
• Steel cans
• Scrap metal (pots & pans, cupcake pans, utensils / silverware, metal water bottles, and small (5 gal or smaller) metal buckets).
GLASS (empty, clean, and dry)
• Rinsed; all colors; lids, caps
• Bottles
• CRV beverage containers
• Jars
PLASTIC (empty, clean, and dry)
• Containers only; empty; rinsed
• Rigid plastics
• Bleach bottles
• Buckets without handles
• CRV beverage containers (soda, water, juice)
• Detergent bottles
• Food containers
• Household cleaning containers (empty)
• Lids and caps
• Milk jugs
• Prescription bottles (empty)
• Salad dressing bottles (rinsed)
• Shampoo and conditioning bottles
• Tub containers
Outreach
California's Mandatory Commercial Recycling and Organics Waste Recycling Law
State law enacted by Senate Bill (SB) 1383 requires a statewide reduction in organic waste disposal and recovery of surplus food. Starting in 2022, all California jurisdictions must provide organic waste collection services to all residents and businesses and recycle these organic materials. As California collects and recycles organic materials, local governments are required to use the products made from this recycled organic material, such as renewable energy, compost, and mulch. Starting in 2022, some food service businesses must donate edible food to food recovery organizations, with others starting in 2024. This will help feed the almost 1 in 4 Californians without enough to eat. California has a 2025 goal to redirect 20% of edible food currently thrown away to those most in need.
Businesses are required to have solid waste collection through San José’s exclusive franchised hauler Republic Services. To comply with SB 1383 and help fight climate change, San José businesses and institutions must follow all requirements listed for businesses on
