In San Diego Now You Need Internet Access plus $500/Year to Have Your Trash Picked Up
San Diego Implements Controversial Trash Collection Fee Amid Technical Problems and Legal Challenges
SAN DIEGO — San Diego has launched its first-ever residential trash collection fee system, ending more than a century of free service while residents navigate a problematic online portal and mounting legal challenges to the controversial program.
Fee Implementation and Costs
The San Diego City Council voted 6-3 in June 2025 to implement a new Solid Waste Management fee that charges approximately 226,000 single-family homeowners for trash collection services. The first-year fee is $43.60 per month for a standard 95-gallon trash bin bundle, which totals $523.20 annually.
Starting July 1, 2025, homeowners are charged $43.60 monthly for three 95-gallon containers — one each for trash, recycling, and organics — regardless of how much waste they produce. The fees appear on property tax bills rather than separate monthly charges.
The current fee structure represents approximately double the $23-29 monthly estimate provided to voters when they approved Measure B in 2022, which enabled the city to charge for trash services by overturning a 106-year-old law requiring free collection.
Technical Problems Plague New Portal
Since San Diego launched its Residential Waste Collection Services portal in late July, residents have flooded city offices and newsrooms with questions about determining bin sizes, understanding costs, and navigating the registration system.
Local columnist Inga, writing in the San Diego Union-Tribune, detailed her exhausting experience attempting to set up an account on wasteportal.sandiego.gov, including problems with mobile number input, text notifications, and secondary user registration that required multiple attempts and days to resolve.
Residents must use information from yellow mailers containing an Assessor Parcel Number (APN) and unique code to access the portal. The city began sending out mailers in late July, meaning some residents may wait until month's end to receive theirs.
Container Replacement Program
The city will deliver new gray trash and light blue recycling containers starting in October 2025 through June 2026, replacing existing black and blue bins. Green organic waste containers will remain unless residents request different sizes or quantities.
Residents cannot keep current containers, even if in good condition. The city will collect and shred existing bins, recycling the material for new containers equipped with scannable sensors to track collection services.
The operational efficiency analysis determined that existing bins average 20 years old and are past their service guarantee. New containers will include scannable reader tags to identify customers and notify drivers which containers should be picked up, helping identify missed collections and improve efficiency.
Legal Challenges and Protests
Five San Diego residents filed a lawsuit in May 2025 seeking to block the trash fee, alleging it violates Proposition 218, a state ballot measure that prohibits government agencies from charging more for services than the actual cost of delivering them. The legal complaint accuses Mayor Todd Gloria and others of misleading voters about the true costs.
Of the 226,495 homeowners the fee impacts, the city received around 46,000 protest votes under Proposition 218 procedures. More than 113,000 would have needed to file protests to defeat the measure before it reached the council.
Under Proposition 218, property owners had the right to submit written protests against the fee. If more than half of eligible owners had protested, the City Council would not have been able to implement the trash fee.
Service Enhancements and Comparative Costs
Enhanced services beginning July 1, 2025, include increased service reliability and no additional charges for replacement bins. Future improvements will include weekly recycling collection (currently every other week) and bulky item pickup services.
San Diego's proposed fee is lower than Sacramento ($57.79), Long Beach ($67.63), Oakland ($160.27), and San Jose ($160.35) monthly, according to the city's comparative analysis of California municipalities.
Financial Assistance and Budget Impact
City documents proposed setting aside $3 million for a financial assistance program providing full subsidies for around 2% of customers, 50% subsidies for 3.5% of customers, or 20% subsidies for 10% of customers.
Council President Joe LaCava said before the vote that without passing the trash fee, the city would face an $80 million hole in the budget requiring additional cuts to other services.
Ongoing Concerns
Councilwoman Jennifer Campbell apologized to the public for a $4.5 million consulting fee to complete the required cost-of-service study.
The city continues working to address resident concerns as the September 30 deadline approaches for residents to select their container preferences through the online portal. Those uncomfortable with online registration can call customer service at 858-694-7000.
The implementation marks a significant shift for San Diego, which had provided free residential trash collection since 1919, making it one of the last major California cities to begin charging homeowners for waste management services.
SIDEBAR: How to Sign Up for San Diego's Trash Portal
Deadline: September 30, 2025
Portal Website: wasteportal.sandiego.gov
Required Information (from yellow city mailer):
- 10-digit APN (Assessor Parcel Number) - same number found on tax bills
- 10-digit unique code - combination of letters and numbers generated specifically for the portal
- Both numbers are required to access the system
Step-by-Step Process:
- Create Account
- Visit wasteportal.sandiego.gov
- Set up account with your own password
- Sign in using your 10-digit APN and unique code from the mailer
- Select Container Sizes
- Choose from bundle options or customize:
- Bundle 1: Three 35-gallon containers
- Bundle 2: Two 95-gallon + one 65-gallon container
- Bundle 3: Three 95-gallon containers (standard)
- Add extra containers if needed from pricing chart
- Choose from bundle options or customize:
- Optional Features
- Input mobile number for text updates
- Add secondary user (spouse/household member)
- Secondary users must create their own separate account with different password
- Confirmation
- Review selections and costs
- Receive email confirmation of choices
- Secondary users receive separate emails with their own unique codes
Important Notes:
- If you don't select: You automatically receive one 95-gallon gray trash container and one 95-gallon light blue recycling container
- Payment: Fees appear on property tax bills, not separate monthly charges
- Credits: Customers selecting smaller trash containers receive credits on fiscal 2027 property tax bill
- Alternative: Call 858-694-7000 for phone registration assistance
Container Delivery:
- New containers delivered October 2025 through June 2026
- Old containers will be collected and recycled
- Green organic waste containers remain unless you request different size
Sources
- City of San Diego Adopts New Trash Fee | Inside San Diego
https://www.insidesandiego.org/city-san-diego-adopts-new-trash-fee - TRASH FEE APPROVED: Garbage collection now comes at a cost in City of SD | 10News
https://www.10news.com/news/local-news/san-diego-news/trash-fee-approved-garbage-collection-now-comes-at-a-cost-in-city-of-sd - Updated Trash Fee and Cost-of-Service Study for Collection Services | Inside San Diego
https://www.insidesandiego.org/updated-trash-fee-and-cost-service-study-collection-services - San Diego City Council passes controversial new trash collection fee | NBC San Diego
https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/san-diego-trash-collection-fee-vote/3843904/ - Have Questions About the Proposed Trash Fees? | Inside San Diego
https://www.insidesandiego.org/have-questions-about-proposed-trash-fees-city-responds-common-questions-paying-waste-collection - San Diego City Council to consider setting date for trash fee discussion | KPBS
https://www.kpbs.org/news/politics/2025/04/14/san-diego-city-council-to-consider-setting-date-for-trash-fee-discussion - San Diego residents navigate new trash portal signup process after launch | CBS 8
https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/local/working-for-you/san-diego-residents-navigate-new-trash-portal-signup/509-0cab836f-edc2-440a-9b6c-f6bdf04636b1 - Let Inga Tell You: As the trash bins turn — a continuing soap opera | San Diego Union-Tribune
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/08/04/let-inga-tell-you-as-the-trash-bins-turn-a-continuing-soap-opera/ - How a decades-old state law can stop a trash fee for San Diegans | KPBS
https://www.kpbs.org/news/politics/2025/03/12/how-a-decades-old-state-law-can-stop-a-trash-fee-for-san-diegans - A Group of San Diego Home Owners Sue to Block Trash Fee | OB Rag
https://obrag.org/2025/05/a-group-of-san-diego-home-owners-sue-to-block-trash-fee-allege-its-an-illegal-tax/ - San Diego trash fee could be stopped by a decades-old CA law | inewsource
https://inewsource.org/2025/03/12/california-law-could-stop-trash-fee-san-diego/ - Let Inga Tell You: Still fighting the good fight against new trash fee | San Diego Union-Tribune
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/05/26/let-inga-tell-you-still-fighting-the-good-fight-against-new-trash-fee/ - Homeowners ask judge to block proposed San Diego trash fee | San Diego Union-Tribune
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/05/19/homeowners-ask-judge-to-block-proposed-san-diego-trash-fee-calling-it-an-unlawful-tax/ - How does the protest vote work for San Diego's proposed trash fee? | FOX 5 San Diego
https://fox5sandiego.com/news/local-news/how-does-the-protest-vote-work-for-san-diegos-proposed-trash-fee/ - Here's the Notice and Instructions of How to Protest San Diego Trash Fee | OB Rag
https://obrag.org/2025/04/heres-the-notice-and-instructions-of-how-to-protest-san-diego-trash-fee/ - San Diego City Council passes controversial trash collection fee | NBC 7 San Diego
https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/san-diego-trash-collection-fee-vote/3843904/ - City of San Diego Official Website - Trash Service Fee Calculator
https://www.sandiego.gov/environmental-services/trash-service-updates/fee-calculator - City of San Diego Official Website - Containers
https://www.sandiego.gov/environmental-services/collection/general/containers - City of San Diego Official Website - Background on Measure B
https://www.sandiego.gov/environmental-services/trash-service-updates/measure-b - City of San Diego Official Website - Households Transitioning to City Trash Service
https://www.sandiego.gov/environmental-services/trash-service-updates/transition-to-city - Let Inga Tell You: As the trash bins turn — a continuing soap opera – San Diego Union-Tribune
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