(510) 537-0757
Reduce Your Waste Size Program
*** As of July 1, 2023, the Reduce Your Waste Size Program is temporarily on hold.
What is the Reduce Your Waste Size Program?
Bill payers may request a downsize by calling Alameda County Industries (ACI) at (510) 483-1400 with the following information:
- Name on the Service Account
- Your Name (maybe the same as the Name on the Service Account, or the name must be listed on the bill as a contact in order to make changes to the account)
- Service Address
- Account Number
- Your Phone Number (so that a Customer Service Representative can call back if there is a question)
Benefits of reducing to a 20-gallon garbage cart:
- “Right-sizing” your garbage cart to better represent what you actually send to landfill.
- Saving money on your garbage collection services bill. Your next bill will be prorated from the date your request was confirmed with ACI.
- Receiving a one-time $50.00 credit on your next ACI bill.
CUSTOMER
Who is eligible: CVSan single-family customers (4 units or less) are eligible. The $50.00 incentive will be credited to the bill payer of the single-family customer account. Tenants may discuss the incentive with the bill payer.
Who may call to request the change: Bill payers or those whose names are on the account to make changes may call ACI at 510-483-1400.
MIGRATION
What kind of migration is eligible:A downsize of a garbage cart from a 32, 64, or 96-gallon cart to a 20-gallon garbage cart is eligible. In the case of 2-4 units, the number of garbage carts currently on the account that downsizes is eligible.
- Eligible example: 4-unit townhouses who share 2x32-gallon carts may migrate down to 2x20gallon carts and receive 2x$50.00 incentives, totaling $100.00.
- Not eligible for example 4-unit townhouses who share 2x64-gallon carts desire to migrate down to 4x20-gallon carts. This migration does not warrant 4x$50.00 incentives, totaling $200.00. Under this program, the 4-unit townhouses are only eligible to migrate from 2x64-gallon carts to 2x20-gallon carts and receive 2x$50.00 incentives, totaling $100.00. If the property migrates the 2x64-gallon carts down to 3 or 4x20-gallon carts, they can do so, but the migration is not eligible for the incentive.
What type of cart exchanges will take place: In addition to residents requesting cart migrations down to 20-gallon carts, customers may also request an increase from a 64-gallon recycling or organics cart to a 96-gallon recycling or organics cart at no additional charge. There is no financial incentive for a customer to increase a recycling or organics cart to a 96-gallon cart. There is a possibility of up to three (3) cart exchanges (one each for recycling, organics, and garbage) taking place per each residence/unit at one time.
TIMEFRAME
When will the program be in effect: Callers may request a downsize and be eligible for the incentive starting May 1, 2019. The incentive will not be retroactive for requests made April 30, 2019, or earlier.
When will cart exchanges begin: Cart exchanges began May 1, 2019, and will be scheduled by appointment with ACI.
How will the cart exchange appointment be confirmed: A confirmation email or verbal confirmation of the date of the scheduled cart(s) swap will be sent/given to the customer.
What day will cart exchanges take place: Cart exchange(s) will take place on the day of regular service (for example, an exchange on a Wednesday service day) by appointment.
What time will cart exchanges take place: Cart(s) must be placed curbside by 6:00 a.m. on the scheduled cart exchange day. Carts will be exchanged full or empty – carts should not be removed from the curb if they have been emptied before the cart exchange team arrives.
When cart exchanges will end: Incentivized downsizing will end when the settlement funds have been exhausted or until CVSan determines that the program will no longer continue.
INCENTIVES / FINANCE
How and when will the incentive come: Incentives will be in the form of a credit on the next quarterly ACI bill (issued the third week January, April, July, and October of each year). Due to the timing of processing, the credit may not appear on this upcoming quarterly bill, but the next.
How and when will the downsize savings come: Savings between the rate of the 32-, 64-, or 96-gallon cart and the 20-gallon cart will be effective the date the Customer Service Representative receives a request. Bills will be prorated from that date and the bill payer will see the change to the rate on their next quarterly ACI bill, regardless of the date that the cart exchange is scheduled.
What is the fee for migrating: Each customer may exchange one (1) garbage cart, one (1) recycling cart, and one (1) organics cart per calendar year at no additional charge. Exchanges over one per year will incur a fee.
CALL CENTER
Who do I call to request the change: Residents may call ACI at 510-483-1400 to schedule an exchange.
OVERAGES
How do I handle occasional overages:A customer who has an occasional garbage overage while transitioning down to a 20-gallon cart may purchase Extra Service Tags from ACI or CVSan offices.
CONTAMINATION
How will contamination be addressed: Recycling or organics carts that are used to dispose of garbage overages are considered contaminated, are tagged with an ACI notification tag, collected as garbage, and billed by ACI for extra garbage service.
Please note: Castro Valley Sanitary District (CVSan) reserves the right to make changes and/or adjustments to this program at any time for any reason. The questions and answers on this page are not exhaustive but have been provided to help clarify or answer anticipated frequently asked questions, and maybe updated. CVSan reserves the right to discontinue or alter this program at its discretion.