Monterey Waste Management District

The Monterey Regional Waste Management District is responsible for managing the Monterey Peninsula’s solid waste by maintaining a sanitary landfill and and a Materials Recovery Facility. These programs help the region comply with the California's mandated goal of keeping 75% of our waste out of the local landfill by the year 2020.

Their facilities are located at:

14201 Del Monte Boulevard
Marina, CA 93933-1670
Phone: (831) 384-5313

Printable Map & Directions

While we all have garbage, recycle, and yard waste collection service provided by Waste Management, a good deal of what WM collects is sent to the Waste Management District. The Waste Management District provides more services intended to reduce the materials that go into the landfill. Together, WM and the District are committed to recycling and landfill diversion. 

Basically, the District both collects waste from WM and the other haulers and also allows locals to deliver reusable goods, recyclables, demolition and building materials, hazardous materials, appliances, electronic waste, and trash in one trip to the Waste Management location. 

The District has many on site programs to assist in these activities, many geared to keeping useable materials out of the landfill:

Household Hazardous Waste--locals within the District can drop off hazardous waste such as latex and oil-based paints, household cleaners, and automotive oil and other products.  About 1 million pounds of this material is dropped off per year. The District will salvage and return useable materials to the community for free under a unique “drop and swap” program developed in partnership with the Last Chance Mercantile in 1990.

Last Chance Mercantile--this innovative store is located on same site. It provides an outlet for the salvaging of reusable goods from incoming loads of trash. The store sells at very low cost products ranging from books to boats, scrap lumber to furniture, clothing and household treasures. Shoppers can also find self-service landscape products, compost bins and supplies, along with free household paint and products, free electronic waste drop off and a recently opened CRV Bottle and Can Buy Back Center.

Landscape, Clean Wood, and Food Waste Composting-- this service collects and accepts green waste and turns it into very high grade compost and wood chips for sale. These materials assist us all in maintaining our low water use/ocean friendly gardens.

Workshops--this facility hosts a variety of green gardening, sheet mulching, composting, and recycling classes.

Gas To Energy Project-- this system collects about 1.5 million cubic feet of gas per day from a 100-acre area containing refuse buried for nearly 40 years. It includes 41 horizontal and vertical gas wells in the active areas of the landfill. This gas is used to fuel generators that produce electricity which is then sold to PG&E, our local utility company.

For descriptions of all of the Monterey Waste Management District's programs, tour and workshop dates, check out the District's website

Organize drop off deliveries with your neighbors to efficiently collect and dispose of reusable and salvageable stuff that you no longer want and that your favorite charity benefit store will not accept.

Last Updated 6/3/16