How to get rid of bulky junk in Los Altos, CA

Mission Trail Waste Systems

• The included service collects up to four cubic yards of trash and three large items once every six months. Book as far ahead as possible; appointments are taken in order received.
• Two 4-by-4-by-4-foot bags, each holding up to two cubic yards, are delivered before collection. Fill them in the curbside street location because full bags may be too heavy to move.
• Accepted bulky examples include mattresses, sofas, dishwashers and water heaters. One e-waste item, such as a TV or computer monitor, may replace one bulky item.
• Appliances containing Freon carry a charge; the amount is not published in the checked program text. Remove or tape/strap refrigerator/freezer doors shut. Have everything ready before 6 a.m.; rescheduling or repeat trips may cost extra.
• No toxic, poisonous, flammable or hazardous materials; no liquids, automotive batteries/fluids, tires or infectious waste in the cleanup bags. The free allowance is specifically for single-family homes; apartment terms need confirmation.

Sources: City of Los Altos: trash pickup and recycling · Mission Trail: Los Altos cleanup program · last checked 2026-11-08

Free mattress recycling: a regional option at Zanker Site 2

GreenWaste Zanker’s official facility page says California residents may drop off up to four mattresses or box springs free. Site 2 is at 675 Los Esteros Road, San Jose; call 408-263-2384 before driving. This is a regional option, not necessarily the nearest site to Los Altos. Wet, heavily soiled or bedbug-infested units are excluded, as are items such as toppers, pillows, sofa beds and attached futons. Keep other paid waste separate.

Confirm first: the same operator’s gate sheet lists a $21 mattress inbound charge and its general fee text mentions a $60 vehicle minimum. Do not treat those as a charge on qualifying free resident units, or assume nonqualifying units are free: ask how the program and any mixed-load fees apply. The website and rate PDF also disagree on Site 2 weekend hours, so no weekend opening is promised here.

Sources: GreenWaste Zanker: materials, mattress program and facilities · Zanker gate-tier rate sheet, effective July 1, 2026 · last checked 2026-11-08

County Household Hazardous Waste: free, appointment required

For Los Altos households, the County of Santa Clara provides free HHW drop-off by appointment. Book through the County page or call 408-299-7300; bring proof of residency. Permanent facilities are in East San Jose and San Martin, plus temporary events. The exact address is given only after scheduling; do not drive to an assumed site.

The County names auto fluids, batteries, electronics, fluorescent/LED bulbs, garden chemicals, cleaners and paint as common HHW. Follow the appointment’s packaging and acceptance instructions and keep waste in the rear/trunk. Business waste does not use a household appointment. Do not confuse an HHW facility with a general furniture dump.

Sources: County of Santa Clara: free household hazardous waste appointments · last checked 2026-11-08

SMaRT Station: address-specific eligibility, not a countywide free dump

The City of Sunnyvale explicitly lists Los Altos as eligible for paid garbage/self-haul disposal at the SMaRT Station, 301 Carl Road, Sunnyvale. Published hours: 8 a.m.–5 p.m. daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day (Pacific Time). Bring a driver’s license proving residence (businesses need proof of operating location).

The city lists household discards, appliances, fixtures, furniture, green waste, construction/demolition debris, concrete/dirt/sod, clean wood, asphalt, brick/pavers and tires as accepted waste categories. No hazardous waste, liquids or treated wood. Rates depend on material and cubic yards or large items. Current disposal dollar rates unverified: the fetched city text links a rate document but does not expose its amounts; call 408-752-8530. A verified $15 uncovered-load fee buys a tarp, so cover and secure the load before arrival.

Important: Los Altos eligibility for paid garbage does not confer the free general recycling or paint-drop-off services reserved by the city table for Sunnyvale and Mountain View. Use your own local recycling/HHW program.

Sources: City of Sunnyvale: SMaRT Station eligibility and disposal · last checked 2026-11-08

GreenWaste Zanker: public bulky-material disposal, not a flat household dump fee

Zanker is open to the public and lists Site 2 (675 Los Esteros Road, San Jose) for bulky items including couches, chairs, tables and furniture. The official July 1, 2026 gate-tier sheet lists bulky items/miscellaneous at $173.25 per ton and trash at $147 per ton. The facility page states a $60 minimum per vehicle for paid disposal. These are published categories, not a guaranteed total for a pickup-truck load: ask about the applicable tier, load measurement, material classification, minimum and separate item charges.

No hazardous waste, wet garbage or food waste. The rate sheet lists Freon-containing items separately at $52.50 each; confirm whether charges combine with other disposal fees. Separate qualifying free mattresses as described above. Website/PDF hours differ, so call 408-263-2384 for the correct site and current arrival window.

Sources: GreenWaste Zanker: materials, mattress program and facilities · Zanker gate-tier rate sheet, effective July 1, 2026 · last checked 2026-11-08

LoadUp: national published starting prices, not a local guaranteed quote

LoadUp’s own mattress-removal page currently lists in-home pickup from $85, curbside from $80, and same-day from $95 when booked before 2 p.m., subject to local availability. Multi-item add-ons start at +$15; that is not a guaranteed price for every extra item. Final pricing depends on ZIP code, mattress size, access and pickup conditions. Confirm service at your Los Altos address and the written total before booking. Wet/waterlogged mattresses are excluded, and bedbugs must be disclosed.

Sources: LoadUp: published mattress removal starting prices · last checked 2026-11-08

Bay Junk: local quote-based comparison

Bay Junk describes itself as locally owned, lists Los Altos in its service area, and publishes pricing factors rather than a fixed dollar tariff: volume, weight and accessibility. It says quotes include labor, transportation, taxes and disposal. No published local dollar rate verified. Request an itemized written quote and confirm address coverage. A company’s insurance or recycling claims are its own, not an independent endorsement by HaulGuide.

Sources: Bay Junk: quote-based pricing · Bay Junk: San Jose and listed service areas · last checked 2026-11-08

Check authorization, weight and add-on charges

Mission Trail offers additional bins for construction/demolition, landscaping and other projects. Get a project-specific quote; free cleanup bags and a roll-off box have different rules.

• Get included tonnage, load measurement and per-ton overage in writing; heavy debris can reach a limit before a bin looks full.
• Ask how many rental days are included, and the extra-day, delayed-pickup or failed-access/trip charge.
• Identify restricted-item, mattress, tire, refrigerant-appliance, contamination and disposal surcharges.
• Confirm delivery/pickup, taxes, cancellation, any street-placement permit, and whether the supplier is a broker or the actual hauler.
• Keep the written quote and request a scale ticket if an overweight charge is disputed.

Search-index excerpts of public BBB dumpster complaints describe customers disputing weight-based charges after pickup. These are customer allegations, not verified findings about any company; they illustrate why written terms matter. Direct BBB-page retrieval was unavailable during this check. HaulGuide does not call any provider a scam.

Sources: City of Los Altos: trash pickup and recycling · Mission Trail: Los Altos cleanup program · BBB: dumpster billing complaint excerpts (allegations, not findings) · last checked 2026-11-08