The Solid Waste Recycling & Composting page is your ultimate resource for thoughtful consumption, recycling, composting and garbage information for the City of Madera. Find your garbage, recycling and composting pickup schedule, a detailed list of what goes in each container, service options and more.
Mid Valley Disposal
Phone: (559) 237-9425
Starting or stopping service?
Contact City of Madera Utility Billing
Phone: (559) 661-5459
E-Mail: utilitybilling@madera.gov
The Citywide Curbside Cleanup program assists residents in the removal of excess trash, rubbish, and other bulky items not collected during normal weekly service.
View 2023 Curbside Cleanup Flyer (English & Spanish)
This event is limited to single-family homes located inside the city limits of Madera and does not include unincorporated areas of Madera County, multi-family dwellings, or commercial businesses.
Residents can begin placing debris in the street in front of their residence up to 3 days before their scheduled cleanup date. The maximum size of discard piles should not exceed 5’x5’x10’ (roughly the size of one truckload) and be placed at least 6 inches away from the curb to avoid blocking sewer vents, water inlets, mailboxes, and fire hydrants. Please separate your debris, appliances, mattresses, electronics, green waste, and general trash. Please relocate any outdoor basketball hoops left curbside at your residence until the cleanup program in your neighborhood has concluded. All loose debris must be bagged or boxed.
The following ineligible items will not be collected as part of the curbside cleanup program:
• Lawnmowers or any other two-stroke motors
• Auto parts
• Construction or demolition material
• Light bulbs / Fluorescent Tubes
• Flammable or hazardous material including motor oil, grease, coolant
• Acids, oxidizers, and bases. Includes pool chemicals and cleaners
• Pesticides and herbicides
• Compressed gas cylinders, and propane tanks used for BBQ
• Hypodermic needles or Medical waste
• Paint, paint thinners, lacquers, or wood stains
• Any Liquids
• All types of batteries or any item containing batteries
• Dirt, rock, sod, asphalt
• 50 gallons drums
• Tires
• Any item over 4’ in length
• Any item over 150 lbs.
Ineligible items will be left at the curbside and must be removed by the residents within 24 hours after the scheduled cleanup date. For disposal of Household Hazardous Waste contact Madera County Fairmead Landfill: (559) 665-7300. For questions about the program, please contact Mid Valley Disposal (MVD) at (559) 567-0621.
The city has been divided into three cleanup zones. A detailed zone map will be mailed to residents and posted here at least one week prior to the start of service in each designated zone. Detailed neighborhood zone maps will not be published more than two weeks before service begins in scheduled areas.
Zone 1: East Madera
Zone 2: N.W. Madera
Zone 3: S.W. Madera
Please be advised that certain construction and demolition projects will be required to recycle or reuse at least 65% of the construction and demolition debris generated from projects. The City of Madera’s Municipal Code § 5-3.30 Construction and Demolition Debris Recycling was adopted in an effort to keep these materials out of the landfill as required by AB939 and the California Green Building Code (CALGreen).
For more information, please see the Building Department Fact Sheet or the CALGreen Construction Waste Management Requirements. To visit the CalRecycle website, click the link below:
The Fairmead Landfill is open to self-haulers and Commercial Franchises. The facility is owned by Madera County and operates under contract with Red Rock Environmental Group.
Fairmead Landfill Facility
21739 Road 19, Chowchilla, CA 93610 • (559) 665-1310
Monday - Friday • 8:00 am to 4:30 pm
Saturdays 7:00 am to 2:30 pm
Closed on Sundays and Holidays
Household Hazardous Waste Facility
Open for Residents: Saturday 9:00 am to 1:00 pm
Businesses: By Appointment Only. For an appointment, call (559) 665-1310
Closed on the following holidays:
July 4 Independence Day
Memorial Day
Labor Day
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Day
New Year's Day
The City of Madera provides all residential customers with a GRAY garbage container, a GREEN yard waste/organics container and a BLUE recycling container.
The GRAY waste cart is only for household garbage. Use your GRAY waste cart for household garbage only. Please do not fill it with extra-heavy items such as large quantities of dirt, rocks, concrete, asphalt, lumber or construction debris. Do not fill it with bulky items such as furniture or appliances. Do not put hazardous waste, televisions, hot ashes, or other flammable materials in your container. Do not place yard waste in your gray waste cart, place it in your green compost container see section below.
Use your GREEN compost cart for yard waste/organics container for all of your yard trimmings, grass and food scraps. Acceptable materials include: grass clippings, prunings, and leaves. The following materials are unacceptable and must be placed in your GRAY waste cart: household garbage, large tree branches, palm fronds and yucca plants. If you continually place unacceptable materials in your green compost cart you may be subject to a fine.
Use your BLUE recycling cart for all your recyclable material. Acceptable materials include: all paper products, all cardboard, flattened cereal and dry food boxes, all plastics, all metal, small appliances and glass. DO NOT place diapers, rubber hoses, carpets, clothing, Styrofoam, food, soiled paper, batteries, hazardous waste, televisions, hot ashes or other flammable materials in your BLUE recycling cart. DO NOT overfill your container.
If you continually place unacceptable materials in your blue waste cart you may be subject to a fine.
Household Hazardous Waste Info Sheet
Did you know that household products such as cleaning fluids, drain cleaners, oven cleaners, paints and automotive supplies contain hazardous chemicals that can be harmful to you and your family? Products such as these, which are marked "caution", "warning" or "danger", can also pose a threat to the envoirnment.
What is Household Hazardous Waste (HHW)?
Many common household items contain chemicals that can create environmental hazards if not handled properly. These waste include old paint, TVs, computer monitors, batteries, fluorescent lights, thermometers and thermostats, waste oil and gasoline, and pesticides.
Why are TVs and computer monitors hazardous?
Computer monitors and TVs may contain mercury paste and gas along with leaded glass. Deliver your household's old TVs and computer monitors to the Fairmead Landfill, 21739 Road 19, Chowchilla, 559-665-3099. Televisions and computer monitors are now accepted free of charge at the Fairmead Landfill.
What are mercury-containing wastes?
Mercury is an essential component in fluorescent lamps, and may be found in thermometers and thermostats. If these items are broken or not recycled, they can release harmful levels of mercury into the environment. You can give your old thermostat to your heating contractor to return to their wholesaler for recycling. Remember to buy low-mercury lighting fixtures, and mercury-free thermometers and thermostats.
What can I do with old paint?
First, if the paint is still usable, you may be able to find a school or non-profit organization that can use the oil paint. If not, take the cover off of the paint can and place it outside to dry out. Once the paint is dry, place it in your gray garbage container. You can also add the old paint to kitty litter so all the liquid is absorbed. Put the kitty litter in a couple of trash bags, then add the paint and dispose with your regular household refuse. Remember to buy latex paint whenever possible.
There are also vendors that collect up to 5 gallons of latex and oil-based paint, stains and varnish. In Madera, you can drop off old paint at the following location:
The annual City of Madera leaf cleanup is a program designed to help residents dispose of leaves in a convenient and environmentally-friendly way. On assigned dates, residents can place their leaves in a designated area at the curb for pickup by city crews. The leaves are then taken to a composting facility, where they are converted into nutrient-rich compost. Public Works personnel typically begin the program in early January.
The City randomly does audits and tracks additional containers. If any part of your container is broken please contact Mid Valley Disposal at 1-800 706-5779.
Click on the map above for a detailed view of your neighborhood collection day.
The City contracts with Mid Valley Disposal for garbage disposal service. This includes the following service: 96-gallon grey container for trash, a green container for green waste/compost, and a blue container for recycling. In order to assure service, containers must be placed at the curb or in the alley the night before your day of service. The City of Madera Municipal Code requires that containers must be removed from the street or alley within 12 hours of service and stored on your property.
You can reach Mid Valley Disposal by calling: 1-800-706-5779
Depending on when a holiday falls during the week, garbage pick-up days for the week would be serviced the following day.
Mid Valley Disposal observes the following holidays when they land on regularly scheduled days of service (weekdays):
New Years Day Memorial Day July 4th | Labor Day Thanksgiving Day Christmas Day |
Why recycle used motor oil?
Recycling used motor oil conserves a natural resource (oil) and is good for the environment too! Motor oil poured onto the ground or into storm drains, or tossed into trash cans (even in a sealed container) can contaminate and pollute the soil, groundwater, streams, and rivers. Recycling your used motor oil reduces this pollution threat. When you take your used oil to a certified center for recycling, you are protecting the environment, conserving a valuable resource, and getting paid for it. That's a winning combination!
City of Madera residential customers can recycle both their used oil and used oil filters at local Certified Used Oil Collection Centers. Follow the link below to find the closest oil collection center near you:
CalRecycle Used Oil Collection Centers
Alternatively, used oil can be recycled at the Fairmead Landfill located at 21739 Road 19, Chowchilla, CA 93610, Saturdays only between 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. No appointment is required. Contact Fairmead Landfill at (559) 665-1310 for disposal pricing.
STATE MANDATES
AB 341 - Mandatory Non-Organic Commercial Recycling
AB 1826 - Mandatory Commercial Organics Recycling
RECYCLE. IT’S GOOD FOR THE BOTTLE. IT’S GOOD FOR THE CAN. IT'S GOOD FOR THE EARTH.
Californians bought more than 18.2 billion carbonated and non-carbonated drinks in aluminum, glass, plastic and bi-metal containers last year. More than 10.6 billion of those containers were recycled, saving natural resources, conserving energy and extending the life of our landfills. Imagine what we’ll accomplish if we recycle the other 7.6 billion!
Find a Recycling Center Near You
GREENWASTE RECYCLING
NO: Plastic Bags • Garbage • Animal Waste • Tires • Household Hazardous Waste • Dirt • Rocks • Flower pots • Palm Fronds • Pampas Grass
RECYCLING MARKET DEVELOPMENT ZONE
The Recycling Market Development Zone (RMDZ) program combines recycling with economic development to fuel new businesses expand existing ones, create jobs, and divert waste from landfills. This program provides attractive loans, technical assistance and free product marketing to businesses that use materials from the waste stream for their manufacturing. To participate a business must be located in a RMDZ Zone.
For more information regarding RMDZ Zones, please visit the following sites:
The Madera County RMDZ Administrator,
Madera County Economic Development Commission.
![]() Do not over fill your containers. If you would like an additional garbage or yard waste container please call the City Finance Department at 661-5454. The City randomly does audits and tracks additional containers. If any part of your container is broken please call the Solid Waste and Recycling Division at 661-5406. If your GRAY or GREEN container is missing the City can provide you with your serial number to help locate your container. Please call the Solid Waste and Recycling Division at 661-5406 for further information. |
![]() In order to assure service, containers must be placed at the curb or in the alley the night before your day of service. The garbage truck has automated arms that grab your container to empty it. You must leave three (3) feet of distance between each container and any other object such as telephone poles, mailboxes, and vehicles. |
The City of Madera Municipal Code requires that containers must be removed from the street or alley within 12 hours of service and stored on your property.
Click here to view the City of Madera SB-1383 Information Guide.
What is SB-1383?
Senate Bill 1383 (SB-1383) is a law enacted by the State of California that builds on the State’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. SB1383 requires all businesses, multi-family communities, and single-family residences to divert organic materials (food waste, yard waste, & soiled paper products) from landfills. It also requires the State to increase edible food recovery by 20% by 2025.
When does this go into effect?
Beginning January 1, 2022, all businesses, schools, multi-family communities, and single-family residences will be required to divert food scraps, soiled paper, & yard waste into an organics bin or cart.
Beginning January 1, 2024, regulations may require local jurisdictions to impose penalties for non-compliance.
How does it work?
The City of Madera provides three trash bins to single-family residences. Gray bins are for trash. Blue for recycling. Green for yard waste, soiled paper, and food scraps.
The goal is that food and yard scraps make their way into the proper trash bin.
Tips on properly disposing of food waste
Tips on keeping cart clean and helping to reduce odor
Fill a spray bottle with vinegar and water mix and spray inside the organics cart to help keep pests away and the cart clean. Add your favorite essential oil to the bottle mix to reduce odor.
For more information about what items should go into each trash cart, please view: madera.gov/home/departments/public-works/trash-collection/#tr-gray-green-blue-containers-2397011
To learn more on how to best implement SB 1383 in your household, please watch: https://youtu.be/qMXdgXOHR2M