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Trash & Recycling
The information on this page is for residential trash service only. Business owners, please visit the Commercial Trash and Recycling page.
Trash Collection
The City has a franchise agreement with Athens Services to provide trash and recycling services for all residential and commercial customers in Temple City.
To start or stop trash service, or for questions about your trash bill, please contact Athens directly at (888) 336-6100. Additional information about Athens services is available on the Athens website or by calling Athens.
Trash is collected once per week. Please view the Trash Service Schedule to see when the trash is collected in your neighborhood.
Trash collection service is not provided on the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. Trash will be collected the day after your regularly scheduled pick-up day. Please see this flyer for more information on how your trash service may be affected on holidays.
Trash cans may be placed curbside starting at 5 p.m. the day before collection and should be placed no later than 6 a.m. on collection day. All cans must be removed no later than 10 p.m. on the day of trash collection.
Separating Waste
Per State Law, customers must separate trash into three separate containers provided by Athens: regular waste, yard/green waste, and recyclables. Containers come in three sizes: 32-gallon, 64-gallon, or 96-gallon. The default containers provided by Athens are 64-gallons, please contact Athens if you would like to downgrade or upgrade your containers.
Click here for more information on what goes into each container.
Black containers are landfill containers, which are for non-recyclable trash such as bathroom waste, candy bar wrappers, ceramics/porcelain, chip bags, cigarette butts, diapers, disposable gloves, foam to-go containers and cups, juice pouches, packaging peanuts, palm fronds, paper or boxes soiled with grease or food residue, pet waste, succulents and cacti, yucca leaves and other solid waste materials considered to be no longer of use.
Green containers are for green waste and organics. The green container is for the collection of compostable green waste only including plant matter, food scraps, food-soiled paper, tree trimmings, and yard trimmings.
Note on bagged food scraps:
Bags (Petroleum Plastic or Bioplastic) In Athens Organics Container
Acceptable Bags: Petroleum plastic and bioplastic “compostable” bags are accepted in the organics container, but they must be CLEAR and contents inside the bag must be visible. Although Athens will “accept” these bags, they will be ripped open to liberate the contents, and the bags will not be recycled or composted. No matter the material type or certification, bioplastic “compostable” bags will not be composted. Other bio-plastic products (such as food-ware) are not accepted in the organics container. (Non-coated paper bags are acceptable in the organics.)
NOT Acceptable Bags: Black bags or any petroleum plastic and bioplastic that are not clear and contents are not visible.
Please note that the following are not allowed to be placed in green containers:
- Building materials
- Cacti, succulents, or yucca plants
- Concrete
- Dirt
- Palm fronds
- Pet waste
- Sand
- Stones
- Tree trimmings larger than four inches in diameter or four feet in length
Blue containers are for recyclables. The blue container is for the collection of commingled recyclables such as aluminum/tin foil and trays (clean); aseptic containers, juice boxes and milk cartons; cans (aluminum, bi-metal, and tin); cardboard; envelopes; glass bottles and jars; junk mail; magazines; all metal; newspaper; office paper; paperback books; paper grocery bags; all clean plastic bags and film plastic (grocery, dry cleaning, packaging, etc.); plastic containers (1-7); shredded paper (bagged); and wrapping paper (with no metal).
Please note that the following are not allowed to be placed in blue containers:
- Food waste
- Liquids
- Organics
- Packaging peanuts
- Pet waste
- Yard Trimmings
Hazardous Waste
Hazardous waste materials include but are not limited to paints, pesticides, fertilizer, pool chemicals, motor oil, and other petroleum products, pharmaceuticals, electronic appliances and computers, fluorescent light bulbs and tubes, batteries, and tires.
Athens does not pick up electronic (e-waste) or household hazardous waste. It cannot be placed in the trash. If Athens staff identifies hazardous waste in household trash, it will be tagged as hazardous and will not be collected. Please visit the Household Hazardous Waste page for information on how to properly dispose of hazardous waste.
Bulky Items
To schedule a pick-up, please call Athens Services at (855) 557-1007, or complete a Request Services form and select “Bulky Item Pick-Up.”
Larger bulky items such as appliances and furniture can be placed curbside (not in the street) for disposal on your scheduled pickup day. For safety reasons, please secure or remove all appliance doors before placing curbside.
Multifamily Properties - If your trash service is provided by your landlord or property manager, please contact them to arrange for a bulky item pickup.
Dumping items on public or private property without scheduling a pickup is considered illegal dumping and is subject to citation.
Illegal Dumping
Dumping of any waste on a street, alley, public or private property, or in a trash bin belonging to someone else is illegal. Any person illegally dumping waste is subject to citation. Illegal dumping includes but is not limited to any of the following items:
- Appliances and electronics
- Furniture and mattresses
- Hazardous materials
- Garbage or recyclable items of any kind
- Construction materials
- Plants and yard waste
- Dirt, sand, and rocks
- Animal carcasses