Santa Cruz County dumps, landfills and transfer stations
| Site | Weekdays | Saturday | Sunday | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Lomond Transfer StationBen Lomond | Varies, see page | See page | See page | |
| Buena Vista Drive Sanitary LandfillWatsonville | Varies, see page | See page | See page | |
| City Of Santa Cruz Sanitary LandfillSanta Cruz | Not listed | 7:30 am to 3:30 pm | Not listed | |
| City Watsonville Waste Recycling DropoffWatsonville | Tue to Fri 9 am to 3:30 pm | 9 am to 3:30 pm | Not listed |
What to know in Santa Cruz County
We list 4 public waste sites in Santa Cruz County: 2 landfills and 2 transfer stations. Each one has hours, fees or accepted items taken from the operator's or the local government's own page, with the source linked on the site's page. 2 of them post a plain weekly schedule; of those, 2 open on Saturday and 0 on Sunday.
Weekend options
No Santa Cruz County site on our list posts Sunday hours. For Sunday, the nearest listed site with Sunday hours is Premier Recycling Facility in San Jose, Santa Clara County, about 24 miles from the middle of this county's sites, open 6 am to 2 pm.
Residency and ID rules
4 of the 4 sites restrict who may use them or ask for proof of address:
- Ben Lomond Transfer Station: Identification required to use facilities.
- Buena Vista Drive Sanitary Landfill: Residents from outside the unincorporated County pay a 28% surcharge over the fees paid by unincorporated County residents.
- City Of Santa Cruz Sanitary Landfill: Residents of unincorporated Santa Cruz County and the cities of Scotts Valley, Capitola, and Santa Cruz; proof of residency (driver's license or utility bill) required. City of Watsonville residents not served.
- City Watsonville Waste Recycling Dropoff: Open to Watsonville residents living within the city limits; address verification required; residents must have regularly scheduled garbage collection. HHW accepted for Watsonville residents and small businesses only.
Fees
3 of the 4 sites publish a fee list. Fee lines are copied in full on each site's page, with the unit the operator uses.
Where to take common items
From the accepted and refused lists the sources publish:
- Mattresses: City Watsonville Waste Recycling Dropoff
- Tires: City Watsonville Waste Recycling Dropoff
- Electronics: City Watsonville Waste Recycling Dropoff
- Household hazardous waste: Ben Lomond Transfer Station, Buena Vista Drive Sanitary Landfill, City Of Santa Cruz Sanitary Landfill and City Watsonville Waste Recycling Dropoff; turned away at Ben Lomond Transfer Station, Buena Vista Drive Sanitary Landfill and City Of Santa Cruz Sanitary Landfill
- Yard and green waste: City Watsonville Waste Recycling Dropoff
- Scrap metal: City Watsonville Waste Recycling Dropoff
The sites
Ben Lomond Transfer Station
Transfer station at 9835 Newell Creek Road, Ben Lomond. Hours vary by season or service; the full list is on its page. Takes household hazardous waste. Turns away household hazardous waste. Free: Household hazardous waste drop-off. Official pages disagree about its hours and public access, so call ahead.
Phone: 831-454-2606
Buena Vista Drive Sanitary Landfill
Landfill at 150 Roundtree Lane (Office Address), Watsonville. Hours vary by season or service; the full list is on its page. Takes household hazardous waste. Turns away household hazardous waste. Publishes 1 fee line. Official pages disagree about its hours and public access, so call ahead.
Phone: (831) 454-2430
City Of Santa Cruz Sanitary Landfill
Landfill at 605 Dimeo Lane, Santa Cruz. Open Sat 7:30 am to 3:30 pm. Takes household hazardous waste. Turns away household hazardous waste. Free: Household hazardous waste drop-off. Official pages disagree about its public access, so call ahead.
Phone: (831) 420-6270
City Watsonville Waste Recycling Dropoff
Transfer station at 320 Harvest Drive, Watsonville. Open Tue to Sat 9 am to 3:30 pm. Takes electronics, household hazardous waste, household trash, mattresses, recyclables, scrap metal, tires, wood and yard and green waste.
Phone: (831) 768-3133
Closest sites outside the county
Measured in a straight line from the middle of the county's listed sites:
- Kirby Canyon Recycl.& Disp. Facility 21 mi
Landfill in Coyote (In San Jose), Santa Clara County. Hours vary; see its page. Takes household trash. Has a residency or ID rule. Phone (408) 779-2206.
- Pacific Coast Recycling 21 mi
Transfer station in Gilroy, Santa Clara County. Open Mon to Fri and Sat. Takes construction and demolition debris, electronics, scrap metal and wood. Phone 408-848-6811.
- Z-Best Composting Facility 23 mi
Transfer station in Gilroy, Santa Clara County. Hours vary; see its page. Takes yard and green waste. Has a residency or ID rule. Phone 408-846-1577.