Choosing bins for green waste instead of on-the-street pickup saves each eligible resident $3 per month. But if residents want to put their green waste into bins instead of on the street for pickup, it’s not guaranteed they’ll receive bins from the city. That’s because the city is using two separate green-waste pickup systems and bins are not currently available to all residents.

However, residents can use the following information to encourage the city to bring bins to their neighborhood.

How do I tell the city I want to use bins?

Call 311 to inform the city that you want to put your green waste in containers, Utilities Department spokeswoman Jessica Hess said. You can also make a request for city employees to come to your neighborhood association meeting and explain the bin system, according to Hess. Make your request for a neighborhood presentation by calling the Utilities Department at 916-808-4931.

Another way to express your preference for bins is to fill out this online form. 

How much does it cost to use bins?

The bin program is cheaper than on-the-street pickup. This means your bill would go down if you use bins. Bin pickup costs $9.37 monthly, while on-the-street pickup is $12.41 per month. Learn more about the differences in the costs here. 

Why are bins not available to all residents?

The city must provide on-the-street pickup because Sacramento voters banned bins in 1977. Because residents passed an ordinance that said the city couldn’t set rules for bin use, the city’s bin program is voluntary, according to the Utilities Department.

A Nov. 24 Utilities Department report notes that about 85,000 people in the city have chosen to use bins. 

Certain criteria is used by the city to decide if a neighborhood should be part of the bin pickup system, according to Hess. When making the decision to offer the service, the city considers the number of houses on a block that are interested in the program, she said. The city also examines the neighborhood’s proximity to an existing route that uses the bin system, she said.

The interest of neighborhood leaders and members of the City Council are among other factors that impact the city’s decision, according to Hess.

Councilman Steve Cohn and a staffer for Councilman Rob Fong recently said they support the idea of giving all residents the choice to use bins instead of on-the-street pickup.

This Jan. 4 story explains how to opt-out of the bin system if you want to maintain on-the-street pickup.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.