By Brian White / CBS8 / October 7, 2025
San Diego’s residential trash system has hit a delay. The city’s long-anticipated rollout of new garbage bins was set to begin this week, but delivery of the new bins has been pushed back.
This delay comes as the city plans to replace the old black trash bins with new gray ones, as part of a citywide effort to modernize waste collection. Residents will also eventually see their current blue recycling bins replaced with a lighter blue version in the months to come.
The city’s Environmental Services Department confirmed the rollout has been pushed back. As of last Tuesday’s deadline, fewer than half of San Diego’s 225,000 trash customers had selected their preferred bin size.
Because of that, anyone who did not choose a size will automatically receive the largest available bin, a 95-gallon container, which comes with the highest monthly fee of $43.60.
People who have not selected their trash bin sizes can still make changes, even if the large bin shows up on your curb. Residents will have 30 days to request a different size, so it’s important to create your online account for trash collection so you can make those selections. If you opt for a smaller one, the city says you’ll receive a credit on next year’s tax bill.
A spokesperson for Environmental Services told CBS 8 the scope of the project — delivering new bins to hundreds of thousands of customers — makes this a major logistical undertaking. The updated timeline now calls for a phased rollout, beginning next week and continuing neighborhood by neighborhood into 2026.
More details about the rollout plan, including what to do with your old trash bins, are expected to be released by the city later this week. Customers will be notified directly about what to expect and how to prepare. For the most updated information, visit the City of San Diego’s trash update webpage.
On Friday, October 10th at 1:30p on the sixth floor of the Hall of Justice in courtroom #75 we should know the outcome of the City’s trash program. This is the hearing when Judge Mangione will decide whether we stop this program from going forward. The court hearing will most likely take less than a ½ hour and then our attorneys, Michael Aguirre and Maria Severson will hold a short debriefing on next steps.
Let’s fill the courtroom to support our outstanding attorneys who are representing the citizens of San Diego against this city boondoggle.
(hat tip to Lisa M)
Even if you are one of the few who selected smaller bin size, to save a little money on the annual fee, if you look at your newly available property tax bills online, you’ll see the maximum amount has been assessed.
Yes, Honesty. If you read the fine print it says you’ll get a rebate for choosing a smaller black bin once it’s delivered to your home. Whenever that may be.
Yes, thanks, but not holding my breath. But ooh! how efficient!
What a scam this has turned out to be. The scumbags that run this city are criminals. Fraud at the polls or the people that waited a month to count the votes in their favor. They allowed everyone to vote on this not just the people it affects. There have also been complaints that the protest ballots mailed out were made to look like junk mail rather than official mail in ballots which people mistakenly ignored until it was too late and non-voters were counted as yes votes. I wonder if the vote tally would have been different if this tax was being imposed on the entire county with everyones trash service being the same?!. We weren’t even given the option of paying for service ourselves like those who voted on our behalf. Even worse the tax will increase more than $100 next year!!How much will it be increased every year in the future?
Are the people that are suing the city only suing due to higher taxes on the trash than the city claimed on their ballot?
The 250,000 people in the city are being wrongfully robbed while the officials give themselves bonuses and raises at our expense.
How does this not violate prop 13?
I believe a huge class action suit against the city is a must.
The whole thing is a huge mess and needs to be investigated fully.
They haven’t even considered the fact that homeowners insurance has become unaffordable and many have been cancelled due to the new Cal-Fire maps which the Mayor insisted would not affect insurance. Nothing but money grabbing liars.
Seems like another way to steal homes from san diego residents that cant afford to pay extra taxes.
Sanitation is their responsibility and is already included in property taxes. The city streets are littered with trash and they are obligated by the laws that have been in place and paid for by the people for a century. Let them take a cut in pay and increase their tax, leave the rest of us alone.