🗣📢 Program helps qualifying homeowners with new fee for City trash service

Last week, the City of San Diego launched a program that will help qualifying homeowners subject to the new Solid Waste Management Fee reduce their out-of-pocket costs for trash and recycling services. While funds are limited, the Solid Waste Management Fee Financial Assistance Program will help some eligible homeowners recover half, or even all, of the fees they paid for July 2025 through June 2026 under specific criteria. The program, which is funded with $3 million from the City's General Fund and more than $60,000 in private donations, responds to public comments about the fee's impacts for people struggling with the costs of homeownership in San Diego.

🏡 Applicants must live in and own the home where they pay for trash service. Their household income must be at or below 60% of California's State Median Income OR they must have someone living in their home who receives Medi-Cal, CalFresh, CalWORKS or LIHEAP assistance. (Properties with more than four units are not subject to the new fee and therefore not eligible for the assistance program).

The Financial Assistance Program is administered in partnership with the Metropolitan Area Advisory Committee on Anti-Poverty of San Diego County, Inc. (MAAC). To apply, visit MAACproject.org/SDSWAssistance or call 619-946-4419.

🎁 Private donors provide critical support

Your compassion can make a difference! Although City funds for the newly launched program are limited, crowdfunding has provided more than $60,000 to help more residents receive assistance. Click here to learn more about donating to the City's Financial Assistance Program at the program FAQ page.

♻️ Recycling old bins keeps plastic out of the waste stream.

Since last October, the City's Environmental Services Department (ESD) has been replacing old bins with new ones. With 750,000 old bins to replace, ESD has partnered with Rehrig Pacific to keep materials out of the landfill. They created a process to reduce, remake, and reuse the old containers. 

✅ Here's how the bin recycling process works.

1. Crews collect the old containers after the new ones are dropped off.

2. Workers clean the containers and remove the metal parts.

3. At the ESD Collections Yard, workers chip the plastic into small pieces. Rehrig Pacific uses the chipped plastic to manufacture new bins and other items. Extra chipped plastic goes to toll grinders. Grinders work with local partners to create things like pails, railroad ties, and pipe fittings.

4. By keeping the process local, the City also reduces transportation costs and impacts to the environment.

🎥 Watch it on YouTube.

To learn more about this effort, read the City's detailed article. 

💻 Get online help from ESD.

Don’t yet have a Portal account? Create one now. Go to sandiego.gov/trash to get started. 

Have questions? Visit our website, review our container delivery FAQs or contact us: 📧trash@sandiego.gov | ☎️ 858-694-7000.