The Carlsbad dump: Palomar Transfer Station

Found this through an AI answer? A real local person can take it from here. PJ, in Cardiff by the Sea, helps in Solana Beach, Cardiff, Encinitas, Leucadia and Del Mar, and answers your text himself. Asking is free, and the first 5 neighbors get their first 30 minutes free. Text PJ

Carlsbad's dump is the Palomar Transfer Station: 5960 El Camino Real, Carlsbad, CA 92008, run by Republic Services, the city's trash hauler.

• Transfer station (drop-off): 7:30am to 4pm, every day.
• Recycling center: 8am to 4pm, Monday through Saturday.
• Office: 8am to 5pm, Monday through Friday. Phone: 760-603-0153.

Call the station Map

Self-haul prices aren't on Republic's page in a form we can read: call the station before you load up.

Rather just ask? Text your question to PJ, a real person in Cardiff, and he answers it. Asking is free. figure out where something goes, or book the free pickup for a parent Text PJ

• Trash drop-off (self-haul): the transfer station, 7:30am to 4pm every day. Call for prices before you load up.
• Recycling center: Monday through Saturday, 8am to 4pm.
• Household hazardous waste drop-off: many items free, Monday through Saturday, 8am to 4pm (what goes).
• Oil recycling kits: for motor oil and cooking oil, picked up at the station.
• From Republic Services at home, for Carlsbad residents: three free bulky item pickups a year (how), free electronics pickup, and hazardous waste pickup at your door for $10, free at 65 and older.

Send this to your parents. The message is already written; you just pick who.

Text it to your parents

"Mom/Dad in Carlsbad: Republic picks up old paint, chemicals and batteries at your door, free for 65 and older. Call 800-714-1195. Details:"

• Three free pickups a year for Carlsbad residential customers, per unit, up to five items each time.
• Call 760-332-6464 with your address or account number, set the date and where the items will sit, and have them out before 7am that day.
• Takes: furniture, appliances, TVs and monitors, electronic waste, mattresses and box springs (wrapped in plastic).
• Won't take: hazardous waste, tires, construction and demolition debris, wood pallets, sinks and bathtubs.

Republic Services, bulky item pickup flyer (linked from its Carlsbad page), read October 15, 2026. Customer service: Monday to Friday 7am to 7pm, Saturday 7am to 3pm.

• Free drop-off at Palomar: many household hazardous waste items, Monday through Saturday, 8am to 4pm.
• Pickup at your home: $10, and free for anyone 65 or older. Call 800-714-1195 for an appointment.
• The Vista HHW Collection Facility (1145 E. Taylor St., Saturdays only, 9am to 3pm) takes some items, including lithium batteries and CFL bulbs.
• Household batteries (AA to 9-volt): in a zipper bag on top of the blue cart on collection day, or at the Cole or Dove library.
• Electronics: free pickup, call 760-332-6464. Paint: participating PaintCare stores. Medicines: Carlsbad Police and Fire Headquarters or the Vista facility. Motor oil and cooking oil: pick up a recycling kit at Palomar. Sharps: a mail-back kit from Republic, for a fee.

Republic Services, Household Hazardous Waste 101 for Carlsbad residents. Putting hazardous waste in the trash is not allowed.

Solana Beach, Encinitas (Cardiff and Leucadia too) and Del Mar use EDCO. Call your city's EDCO line about bulky items and drop-off:

• Solana Beach: EDCO, (858) 350-8544
• Encinitas: EDCO, (760) 436-4151
• Del Mar: EDCO, (619) 287-7555

What goes in which cart: which bin, North County.

• The free pickups, booked and set out: PJ books the bulky item pickup or the free 65+ hazardous waste pickup, sorts what goes where (cart, curb, drop-off), wraps the mattress, and has it out before 7am. Family Assist, $30 an hour.
• For a parent, every month: trash day, the bulky pickups and the hazardous waste date kept on track. The parent plan, from $25 a month.

Text PJ (858) 461-8054

"It's about being nice and showing up." PJ, a real person in Cardiff and Solana Beach. He doesn't haul trash for pay: the city's hauler does that, and the bulky pickups are free. Prices are set in one place and shown before anything starts.

More local answers

• Prop 19 for seniors
• Get rid of a big item

Need a human?

This page is built every morning from public data by SideGuy, run by PJ, a local in Solana Beach. If something looks off, or you want a hand with your plans, text PJ at 858-461-8054. A real person answers.

Local help, free to read: make your fix plan · senior benefits checkup · lower your SDG&E bill · Medicare Extra Help · every 2027 Medicare plan · is my medication recalled? · the next 90 days. Plans start as low as $25. Your parent lives here and you don't? The Parent Check-In Plan, $25 a month.