Recycling & Waste Management

Recycling is one of the best ways to have a positive impact on the world in which we live.  We must act fast as the amount of waste we create is increasing all the time.  Recycling is important as waste has a negative impact on the natural environment.  By reducing, reusing, and recycling our waste, we are helping to create a cleaner and healthier community for future generations.

Recycling at home, school, and or at the workplace can be easy and convenient. With single-stream recycling, you can place all your recyclables: newspaper, junk mail, magazines, office paper, milk and juice cartons and cardboard along with your plastic, metal and glass containers into one recycling can or bin.  No sorting of these type of recyclables is required in Visalia.

City of Visalia Waste & Recycling Guide

Remember to set your cans out 3 feet apart - The City of Visalia's solid waste trucks are equipped with automatic arms that pick up the cans to service them.  If cans are too close together or close to other objects, our drivers are unable to provide service, as doing so runs the risk of knocking over other cans, or damaging property.

Our drivers can collect materials more safely and efficiently when your trash, recycle and composting cans are placed 3 feet apart from each other and 10 feet from other objects like vehicles, basketball hoops, mailboxes, etc.  Thanks for helping us to get in and out of your neighborhood quickly and safely! 

Mandatory Commercial Recycling (MCR) - AB-341: Effective July 1, 2012, the State of California passed AB 341 Mandatory Commercial Recycling Program. Its purpose is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by diverting commercial solid waste through recycling.  The law mandates all City of Visalia businesses generating four (4) or more cubic yards of waste per week and multi-family apartments with five (5) or more units must include recycling services.

The State mandate requires qualifying business and multifamily complexes to separate recyclable materials from landfill bound waste.  For more information click on Commercial Recycling & Composting brochure or the Multi-Family / Apartment Recycling brochure.

Mandatory Organics Recycling (MORe) - AB-1826: Effective April 1, 2016, the State of California passed AB 1826 requiring businesses to implement an organic waste recycling program to divert organic waste generated by businesses, including multifamily residential dwellings that consist of (5) or more units. Organic waste means food waste, green waste, landscape and pruning waste, nonhazardous wood waste, and food-soiled paper waste that is mixed in with food waste.  Mandatory recycling of organic waste is the next step towards achieving California’s aggressive recycling and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission goals. For more information please click on Commercial Organic Recycling brochure or click on Organics for a printable poster listing acceptable compostable materials. 

Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCP) - SB-1383: Establishes targets to achieve 50% reduction in the level of the statewide disposal of organic waste from 2014 level by 2020, and a 75% reduction by 2025.  The law provides CalRecycle the regulatory authority to achieve the organic waste disposal targets, and establishes an additional target that not less that 20% of edible food that is currently disposed of is recovered for human consumption by 2025. For more information, please click on SLCP.

Flyers, Posters, and Signs/Stickers - Effective July 1, 2020, MCR and MORe regulated businesses must provide recycling and organics recycling containers at front-of house to collect waste generated from the products purchased and consumed on the premises (AB 827, McCarthy).  These containers must be placed adjacent to trash containers and be visible, easily accessible, and clearly marked.   Businesses and school districts are encouraged to contact the City of Visalia Solid Waste Division or waste hauler for signage, or use CalRecycle's customizable signage by clicking on Educational/Outreach Toolkit.

The City of Visalia is working diligently towards achieving full compliance with the State’s mandatory recycling and organics recycling laws.

For more information on specific recycling services and programs please click the link below.   

Bye Bye Mattress - Mattress Recycling
Tulare County residents can drop off their old mattresses and box springs at no-cost at the City of Visalia Corporation Yard located at 335 N. Cain St. in downtown Visalia, during the regular Household Hazardous Waste hours of operation (8am - 1pm every Saturday). For more information on mattress recycling, please click Bye Bye Mattress.

HOUSEHOLD BATTERIES   - Household batteries make up 10% to 25% of our hazardous waste stream.  Household batteries can contain at least 22 toxic elements plus plastic and steel.  All of these elements can be recovered and used in the re-manufacturing of new batteries and other consumer products, including mercury, lead, cadmium, chromium, manganese, silver, selenium and acids.  The goal of this program is simple-divert as many household (dry-cell) batteries as possible from the landfills and incinerators.  With your assistance, collecting batteries for recycling reduces our exposure to these metals while reclaiming valuable resources. 

The City has numerous drop off locations throughout the City for your convenience.  To find the battery drop off locations closest to you click on Residential Battery Recycling and type your address in the search box. 

Residential batteries including automotive batteries can also be dropped off at the Household Hazardous Waste facility on Saturdays from 8am to 1pm.