Account Login/Pay My Bill
START SERVICE
RECYCLING PICKUP CALENDAR
BACK TO TOP

Holiday Information & Service Updates

Collection holidays

Mill Valley Refuse Service provides collection service year-round, with the exception of Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

When a holiday affects your regular collection day, service will be delayed according to the holiday schedule. Please check the schedule below for any changes to your collection day.

Mill Valley Refuse Holiday Information

Office holidays

Our office is closed on the following holidays. If you need to contact us on a holiday, please use our Contact Us form.

  • New Year’s Day – January 1 (also a non service day)
  • Memorial Day – the last Monday of May 
  • Independence Day – July 4
  • Labor Day – the first Monday in September 
  • Thanksgiving Day – the fourth Thursday of November 
  • Christmas Day – December 25 (also a non service day)

Modified Office Hours

Our office is open limited hours on the following holidays. 

  • Martin Luther King Day – the third Monday of January; office hours 7am – noon
  • President’s Day – the third Monday in February; office hours 7am – noon
  • Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples Day – the second Monday of October; office hours 7am – 3pm
  • The Day After Thanksgiving – the fourth Friday of November; office hours 7am – 11am

2026/2027 Holiday schedule change

The only days we do not collect garbage, recycling, and compost are Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

For the 2026/2027 holiday season, only Friday collections will be delayed by one day. Monday through Thursday collections will remain on their regular schedules.

Christmas Week

  • Friday, December 25: No collection.
  • Friday collections will move to Saturday, December 26.

New Year's Week

  • Friday, January 1: No collection.
  • Friday collections will move to Saturday, January 2.
icon of Christmas tree paper in a recycling symbol

CURBSIDE CHRISTMAS TREE PICKUP: JANUARY 4–15, 2027

Christmas trees don’t belong in the landfill! MVRS will collect and compost natural Christmas trees from January 4–15, 2027.

Place your tree at the curb on your regular green compost cart pickup day during the collection period. After January 15, 2027, additional fees may apply.

If you need to drop off your tree for recycling, Zero Waste Marin provides a list of drop off locations.

  • Remove all stands, ornaments, decorations, tinsel and lights.
  • Cut trees into pieces no longer than four feet. Oversized pieces will not be collected.
  • No plastic trees (they go in garbage)
  • No flocked trees (they go in garbage)
  • To schedule a pickup for a plastic or flocked tree, call our office. A special pickup will be required, and an additional fee will apply.
Images of ribbons, wrapping paper, glitter bags, plastic packaging and Styrofoam that go in trash

put these holiday items in the right cart

Before you toss anything, remember that reusing items is crucial—it helps reduce waste, conserve resources, and protect the environment.

MVRS Garbage Cart Thumbnail
  • Ornaments & Tinsel
    These go in trash.
  • Wrapping Paper
    Gift wrapping paper (any kind) is not recyclable and should go in your trash. Please consider using sustainable alternatives like cloth, paper bags, magazines, old paper maps, or newspaper for wrapping instead. Reusable bags or boxes are great too!
  • Ribbons and/or Bows
    Ribbons and bows are not recyclable and unfortunately should go in the trash. The good news is they are very easy to reuse, so stash them with your leftover wrapping paper for next year!
  • Stretchy Plastic
    Mailer envelopes, plastic bags, and bubble wrap all go in trash.
MVRS Compost Cart Thumbnail
  • Tissue Paper
    Plain tissue paper should be composted - put it in your green compost cart. Since most tissue paper is already made up of recycled paper, it can be difficult to recycle.

How to Gift or Tip Your Driver

Tipping garbage, recycling, and compost collectors during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays is a long-standing tradition for some. The drivers really appreciate and are thankful for these generous gestures.

However, gifts left on carts at the street have become targets for “scrooges” who are known to drive or walk along the streets snatching them before the collectors arrive. Unfortunate, but true.

The two best ways to give gifts are:

  1. If you feel comfortable, you may hand your directly to your drivers/collectors. They’ll be happy to meet you!
  2. Send a gift card, check or package to our office.
    • If you send a check, please do not make it payable to Mill Valley Refuse Service. Instead, call our office at (415) 457-9760 so we can provide you with the name of your collectors. Or simply specify on your envelope which driver (trash, recycle or yard waste) you want your gift to go to, and include your address so our collectors can identify from whom the gift came.
    • If you want to tip more than one collector, please send separate gifts (one envelope is okay) so we can give your gift directly to the driver(s).
    • Please send gift cards or packages to:

Mill Valley Refuse Service
Attn. Nicole
112 Front St.
San Rafael, CA 94901