Los Altos Hills

Los Altos Hills residents are on a quarterly billing cycle. This means you can expect to receive your GreenWaste invoice in February, May, August and November. If you have any questions about your billing, please contact Customer Service.

• Download Residential Rates – Effective Date, July 1, 2024 (PDF)
• Download the Physical Limitations Form

Sorting Resources & Newsletters

• Service Guide
• What Goes Where

Sorting Guidance

• For residents with Yard Trimmings service
  • 3-Stream Sorting Posters
• For residents without Yard Trimmings service
  • 2-Stream Sorting Posters

Newsletters

• 2024 Annual Newsletter
• Spring 2024
• Winter 2023
• Fall 2023

WHERE DO I SET OUT MY CARTS?

Cart set-out locations varies based on the accessibility of your property, the size of the truck servicing your carts, and whether you have requested On-Premise collection (Drive-on and/or Walk-on).

• Standard collection for all services is Curbside, and all GREEN Carts MUST be placed Curbside.
• If you are a customer in a Small-Truck-Only Area, your BLUE and GRAY Carts can be placed On-Street for no additional charge – however, your GREEN Carts MUST be placed Curbside. On-Street collection locations are those locations where carts are set-out on a shared road or driveway that provides access to three (3) or more customers.
• On-Premise Service is not included in Base Services and incurs additional charges. If GreenWaste travels onto your private property, via a driveway that services two or fewer residences, you will incur Drive-on and/or Walk-on charges (as applicable).

Please view the Curbside vs. Small-Truck-Only Area map for more details.

WHAT DOES “CURBSIDE” MEAN?

The “Curbside Service Area” is where the cart set-out location is accessible by a standard, larger (24 yd3 +) collection vehicle and where all carts (BLUE, GRAY and GREEN) are within 10’ of the accessible roadway. At this Curbside location,  all the material can be collected without the driver needing to walk or drive more than 10’ beyond the accessible roadway.

WHAT IS DRIVE-ON SERVICE?

Drive-on Service applies anytime a GreenWaste collection vehicle travels more than 10’ onto a private driveway or road that is shared by no more than two (2) customers. Drive-on Services are available in both in Curbside and Small-Truck-Only collection areas. There are tiers for the applicable Drive-on Service rate based on number of feet from the collection vehicle. The tiers are 11’ – 100’ and then additional charges are incurred for each additional 100’ increment. Drive-on Service is not available for GREEN Carts.

WHAT IS A WALK-ON SERVICE?

Walk-on Service applies when carts are set-out for collection at a location that is greater than 10’ from where a collection vehicle can reasonably access, or where the service is requested by the customer. There are tiers for the applicable Walk-on Service rate based on number of feet from the collection vehicle and also the number of carts beyond Base Services. The tiers are 11’ – 25’, 26′ – 100’ and then additional charges are incurred for each additional 100’ increment. Walk-on Service is not available for GREEN Carts.

WHAT IS THE “GRAY CART SWAP” PROGRAM?

In response to feedback from customers and discussions with the Town, GreenWaste is now offering a program whereby all SMALL-TRUCK-ONLY Area customers and ON-PREMISE customers in CURBSIDE Areas may trade in their two (2) 96-gallon GREEN carts for one (1) 96-gallon GRAY cart for no additional charge. The swapped GREEN for GRAY cart will be processed and all compostable materials will be recovered and turned into compost.

The “GRAY Cart Swap” Program will allow:

• SMALL-TRUCK-ONLY customers to set-out BLUE and GRAY carts at the closest ON-STREET location rather than wheeling the GREEN carts to a CURBSIDE Area, and
• ON-PREMISE customers in SMALL-TRUCK-ONLY Areas and CURBSIDE Areas to continue to receive (or subscribe to) ON-PREMISE services for BLUE and GRAY carts without having to also wheel their GREEN carts to a CURBSIDE or ON-STREET location for collection.

Eligible customers that take advantage of this “GRAY Cart Swap” Program will be subject to the following condition for as long as the Swap is active:

Base Service GRAY cart subscription levels will be frozen at the highest level over the prior six (6) month period. This freeze will only prohibit downsizing of the customer’s Base Service level, but upsizing is permitted.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR THE “GRAY CART SWAP” PROGRAM?

The “GRAY Cart Swap” Program is available for all customers that receive On-Premise services, as well as all customers in SMALL-TRUCK-ONLY Areas. Customers in CURBSIDE Areas that are not receiving ON-PREMISE services are not eligible to participate in the Swap program.

IF I PARTICIPATE IN THE “GRAY CART SWAP” PROGRAM, WHY CAN’T I DOWNSIZE MY GRAY CART BASE SUBSCRIPTION LEVEL?

If GreenWaste were to offer the “GRAY Cart Swap” Program without a freeze requirement, customers could downsize their Base Service level because they would now have a 96-gallon GRAY cart for no additional charge. If customers downsized service, the Base Service revenue (that includes the cost of the no-charge BLUE and GREEN carts) would erode, making this program unsustainable.

IF I PARTICIPATE IN THE “GRAY CART SWAP” PROGRAM, CAN I ORDER EXTRA GREEN CARTS?

Additional GREEN carts will not be available for participating Swap customers, even for an additional charge. The issue of GREEN cart collection locations is a primary driver of why the “Gray Cart Swap” program is offered, and therefore customers may not participate in both services.

IF I PARTICIPATE IN THE “GRAY CART SWAP” PROGRAM, CAN I GET ADDITIONAL GRAY CARTS COLLECTED ON-PREMISE?

Yes, any eligible customer that participates in the “GRAY Cart Swap” Program may order additional GRAY Carts for an additional charge. Additionally, all customers that receive ON-PREMISE service and participate in the “GRAY Cart Swap” will be offered a 25% discount on Additional GRAY carts from GreenWaste. The purpose of this discount is to incentivize customers that are not receiving ON-PREMISE services to utilize these services that further keep carts off the streets and help to offset the cost of additional GRAY carts that are required as part of this service.

During the implementation of the Swap Program, Town Staff and GreenWaste received several inquiries from Small-Truck-Only customers who require more than the one “swapped” 96-gallon GRAY cart. These customers expressed concerns about the cost of the additional GRAY cart/s and asked Town Staff to evaluate potential rate relief.  Staff received approval from Council to provide a 50% subsidy on the price of a second 96-gallon GRAY cart.  The Town Subsidy Program will allow:

Customers in Small-Truck-Only areas who are also participating in the Swap Program to receive a 50% discount, with the full subsidy provided by the Town.

ON-PREMISE Swap Program customers, already receiving a 25% discount on a second GRAY cart from GreenWaste, to receive a supplemental 25%  discount provided by the Town, bringing their full discount to 50%.

I HAVE EXTRA YARD TRIMMINGS, WHAT CAN I DO?

You have several options.

• Take advantage of monthly Fire Prevention yard waste drop off events hosted by the Los Altos County Fire District that occur on the 3rd Saturday of each month (unless otherwise notified).
• Take advantage of the Town-wide Clean-up Events that occur three (3) times each year (dates are determined annually, and are included in newsletters and posted online). 
• Take advantage of the two (2) on-call clean up events provided each year at no additional charge. These are scheduled at your convenience and include up to three (3) personal containers (up to 96-gallon) and/or bundles of clean yard trimmings (bundles must not exceed three (3) feet, by three (3) feet, by three (3) feet.
• Utilize your four (4) yard trimmings vouchers provided annually at no additional charge. These vouchers are mailed to customers with the February invoice.

WHAT IS THE PROPER WAY TO RECYCLE CARDBOARD?

• INSIDE CARTS: All materials must be placed in carts loosely enough that when carts are flipped over, the contents are able to fall out, not wedged so tight that the cart doesn’t empty when serviced (this goes for all materials in all carts). This is always important, but ESPECIALLY important now with COVID-19 and directives for GreenWaste drivers to minimize touching materials to protect their safety.
• BESIDE CARTS: Cardboard can be placed in secured bundles (tied, taped, boxed, etc.) that are no larger than 3’x3’x3’. The size requirement is in place so drivers can pick up the bundles and lift them over the sill of the hopper.

SHORT-LIVED CLIMATE POLLUTANT REDUCTION STRATEGY: California Senate Bill 1383, effective January 1, 2022, requires all Californians to subscribe to their jurisdiction’s organics curbside collection service. Residents are required to properly sort their organic waste into the correct containers.

For Los Altos Hills residents, GreenWaste provides both a mixed organics stream (Gray Cart) and a source separated organics stream (Green Cart). Food scraps, food soiled paper, and other organics are recovered from the Gray Cart at the GreenWaste MRF, which serves as a high diversion organic waste processing facility.

Sorting Guidance

• What Goes Where
• For businesses with Yard Trimmings service
  • 3-Stream Sorting Posters
• For businesses without Yard Trimmings service
  • 2-Stream Sorting Posters

MANDATORY RECYCLING: California Assembly Bill 341 (AB 341) became effective July 1, 2012. AB 341 mandates recycling for all businesses producing 4 cubic yards or more of garbage per week. Subscribing to recyclable materials collection services through GreenWaste will help ensure compliance with AB 341.

MANDATORY ORGANICS RECYCLING: California Assembly Bill 1826 (AB1826) was signed into law in 2014, mandating organics recycling for businesses in California. All businesses in California producing 2 cubic yards or more of total generated material per week are required to subscribe to organic material collection services. Since GreenWaste processes the Mixed Compostables, all businesses are automatically compliant with this regulation.

SHORT-LIVED CLIMATE POLLUTANT REDUCTION STRATEGY: California Senate Bill 1383, effective January 1, 2022, requires all Californians to subscribe to their jurisdiction’s organics curbside collection service.

For Los Altos Hills businesses, GreenWaste provides both a mixed organics stream (Gray Cart) and a source separated organics stream (Green Cart). Food scraps, food soiled paper, and other organics are recovered from the Gray Cart at the GreenWaste MRF, which serves as a high diversion organic waste processing facility.

Businesses are required to provide properly labeled and/or color-coded containers in all areas where disposal containers are provided, except in restrooms. Annually, businesses must educate employees, contractors, customers, and tenants on how to properly sort organic waste, and all of these users are required to properly sort these materials into the correct containers.