Your garbage bill, and how to cut it
Recology South Bay has the exclusive contract for Cupertino, so every house uses it. You choose one thing: the size of your garbage cart. That choice sets your price.
Last checked Oct 20, 2026 · Rates effective Feb 1, 2026
What you pay
The price covers all three carts. Recycling (blue) and organics (green: food scraps and yard waste) are included at no extra charge. Recology bills you directly every three months.
| Garbage cart | Curbside / month | Per year | Walk-up / month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 gallon | $43.48 | $522 | $66.44 |
| 32 gallon | $46.24 | $555 | $69.22 |
| 64 gallon | $89.00 | $1,068 | $134.91 |
| 96 gallon | $131.75 | $1,581 | $200.61 |
| Each extra garbage cart | $42.75 | $513 | $65.70 |
Walk-up means the crew fetches carts from your side yard. Low-income rate (households on PG&E CARE): 24 gal $21.01, 32 gal $23.77 curbside.
The one change that saves the most
Go from a 64-gallon to a 32-gallon garbage cart
Saves $513 a yearThe 64-gallon cart costs almost double the 32. Most houses that move recycling and food scraps into the free carts fit in 32 gallons. On a heavy week, an extra bag tag costs about $12, so you'd need more than 3 overflow bags a month for the big cart to pay off.
How: call Recology South Bay at 408-725-4020 or email RecologySouthBay@recology.com and ask to change your garbage cart size. Recology doesn't publish a fee for the swap, so ask when you call.
Going from 96 to 64 gallons saves another $513
32 to 24 gallons saves only $33 a year. Do it only if your 32 is rarely half full.
Free things most people don't use
2 bulky pickups a year
3 large items plus a 4×4×8 ft pile, twice a year. Put items on your driveway apron, not in the street. Extra pickups cost a fee: ask Recology.
Extra green carts
Additional organics carts are free. Useful in leaf season instead of paying for garbage space.
Batteries and oil at the curb
Batteries in a sealed clear bag on top of the blue cart. Used motor oil in a sealed jug next to your carts.
Environmental Days
Free document shredding and e-waste drop-off at De Anza College, several Saturdays a year. Bring ID showing a Cupertino address.
Holiday tree pickup
Dec 26 to Jan 31. Cut into pieces under 5 ft, no stand, no tinsel.
Hazardous waste, paint, mattresses
Free county drop-off by appointment (hhw.org, 408-299-7300). Paint is free at PaintCare sites. Mattresses are free through Bye Bye Mattress.
Rules that can cost you
- Timing: carts out by 7 AM on pickup day, no more than 24 hours early, and back in within 24 hours (12 hours if they sit in a bike lane). Cupertino Municipal Code 6.24.070.
- Placement: 24 inches apart, at the curb, not on the park strip or in the bike lane.
- You must have service. Every occupied house pays at least the minimum. Sharing a cart with a neighbor isn't allowed, and an ADU counts as a separate unit.
- Late payment: 1.2% a month on the overdue balance.
How Cupertino compares
| City | Hauler | Who bills you | ~32 gal / month | 64 gal / month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cupertino | Recology South Bay | Recology, every 3 months | $46.24 | $89.00 |
| Sunnyvale | Specialty Solid Waste | City utility bill, every 2 months | $49.84 (43 gal) | $57.67 |
| Mountain View | Recology Mountain View | City utility bill | ~$53.30 | ~$106.61 |
Mountain View's 2026 numbers are estimated: last year's rates plus the approved 6.5%. Sunnyvale uses split carts (garbage on one side, food scraps on the other), so its sizes differ.
Who sets the price
The City Council approves Recology's rates under a 10-year franchise agreement. Recology collects the money and pays the city a franchise fee. In Sunnyvale and Mountain View the city bills you and pays the hauler. In all three, a rate increase needs a mailed notice and a public hearing, where owners can protest under Prop 218.
Facts are checked against the public sources listed on each page. Rates change every year; each page shows when it was last checked. Individual bills are confidential in California, so personal numbers are estimates from public rates. Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.