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Upper Valley
Disposal & Recycling Services

Frequently asked questions

If you have a question about Upper Valley Disposal & Recycling services, please review these FAQs before calling our office.

Compostables (yard waste & food scraps)

If you are a home owner or multifamily tenant with your own service and you pay your own bill, you can email us through the inquiry form or call the office (707) 963-7988.

If you are a multifamily tenant with shared services and the property pays the garbage bill, you can ask your property manager to call us to request pails.

Exposed food scraps will tend to attract fruit flies, ants, and other insects if left uncovered.

There are several ways to manage this problem. Below are a few tips.

  • Try keeping your cart in a cool dry place layering dry materials (leaves, paper, and straw) and wet materials (food waste and grass clippings will help keep the cart clean and will also help with odors.
  • Cover your food scraps with grass clipping or other yard debris
    Put your food scraps in paper bags or wrapping them in other compost-safe paper (brown paper, butcher paper, and possibly newspaper)
  • Put your food scraps in BPI certified approved compostable kitchen bags.

 

As of January,1, 2022, it is the law that food scraps and food soiled paper cannot go in the garbage (landfill) containers. This is to help reduce the harmful gasses that these materials release when landfilled and instead allow them to be used to make a beneficial and nutrient filled soil amendment, compost.

For more information this law, visit our Recycling Laws page.

Organics are defined as food scraps, food soiled paper, yard trimmings, clean wood waste, cardboard, and paper. At UVDS, we refer to organics as compost because that is what the material is turned into.

Unfortunately, we cannot accept compostable plastic packaging in the compost (green).

Upper Valley Recycling produces compost from local yard trimmings and residential food scraps. Because it is listed by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) for organic farming applications and participates in the US Composting Council Seal of Testing Assurance program, it cannot accept any plastics at all even those labeled as “compostable” or “biodegradable”. All compostable/ bio-based plastic packaging should be placed in the gray garbage (landfill) bin.

ONLY BPI CERTIFIED compostable bags are allowed in the compost carts. 

Upper Valley Disposal & Recycling have been composting at their facility south of St Helena since 1966. The material arrives at the facility and the loads are checked for contamination. Any materials that are not accepted in the composting program are removed. The material is then loaded into a large grinder and the pieces are blended and reduced to a size smaller than 3 inches. The cleaned and ground material is then placed into what’s called a Covered Aerated Static Pile system, CASP for short. A large plastic pipe with small holes is laid down and the fresh ground organic waste is piled onto of the pipe. One end of the pipe is capped and the other end of the pipe is linked to a large blower. The top of the pile is covered with finished compost and moistened with recycled water, reducing the impacts of odors from escaping while the organic waste breaks down into compost. Air is forced into the pipe daily for 45 days. Temperatures reach 140—155 degrees. After 45 days the organic material has cycled into compost. It is screened and large pieces and any missed contaminants is removed. Large wood pieces that might still be present are called overs; they are returned for another composting cycle. Want to purchase some compost for your garden? Visit our Compost Sales page.

Garbage

Please email us through the inquiry form or call the office (707) 963-7988. and we can let you know. In general, we try and service each city and town on a different day of the week but it really depends on your service address.

We have on board computers and cameras to verify if a driver was at your property. If our driver skips your collection, please call our office within 2 business days to report the miss. We will do our best to send the driver back the following day to empty the containers that were missed. If we cannot do this, we may ask you to place out extra bags the following week on your collection day at no cost to you.

We are all human and may accidently forgot to set-out our carts for collection. If this happens, please call our office hours and let us know. We can offer a one-time courtesy fee waiver and allow you to set out an extra bag the next pick-up day equal to your missed collection without charge. If you cannot wait until the next week to set-out extra garbage, we can go back and empty the cart(s) for an additional $25 per cart.

recycling

Please break down the box as best as you can and place the pieces inside your recycling cart. Make sure that the other recyclables can easily be dumped out of the cart and into the truck Alternatively, you can drop the boxes off at no charge at Clover Flat Resource Recovery Park.
Our buyback center is currently closed but should open soon. You can drop these materials at no charge at Clover Flat Resource Recovery Park or place them in your recycling carts.

House hold hazardous wastes, like batteries, paints and cleaning products, can be taken to the Napa County Hazardous Waste Facility.

There are also HHW drop-off events throughout the year. Please check our calendar for these dates and details.

  • Electronic wastes, like computers, TVS, printers and microwaves can be taken to Clover Flat Resource Recovery Park.
  • There are also E-waste drop-off events throughout the year. Please check our calendar for these dates and details.
  • If you are a residential customer, you can request e-waste collection as part of the bulky item program.

No, these materials must be placed in your garbage (landfill) cart or disposed of at the landfill.

No. Plastic bags clog our sorting machine when placed in your curbside container. Please only put these in the gray landfill cart. Some grocery stores will take back clean plastic bags at designated locations.

Yes, please keep the caps on your bottles and jars.
Yes, cartons and aseptic containers can be recycled and processed at our facility. Please places these empty containers in your blue recycle cart.
If the item is still useful, we suggest that you try and find a reuse center that will take it as a donation. If you are a home owner or multifamily tenant with your own service and you pay your own bill, you can email us through the inquiry form or call the office (707) 963-7988 to request a bulky item collection. You are allowed 2 collections per year at no charge. Once these are used, items can be collected for a fee per item. If you are a multifamily tenant with shared services and the property pays the garbage bill, you can ask your property manager to call us to request a collection for the property.

General

Have your contacts changed? Please call the office to make sure we have the correct phone number and email address.

Compost can be purchased from Upper Valley Recycling year-round. Upper Valley Disposal & Recycling also sponsors a compost give-away event in the fall. Check our calendar for the dates of all events.

Upper Valley Waste Management Agency (UVWMA) is purchasing compost on behalf of up valley jurisdictions as part of UVWMA’s compliance with State Law SB 1383.  This compost will be free of charge to government agencies, non-profits, green businesses, residents, and commercial businesses on a first come first served basis. Help close the loop and use compost produced up valley in your vineyard or garden! To find out if you qualify, please fill out the Free Compost Inquiry form.

We have on board computers and cameras to verify if a driver was at your property. If our driver skips your collection, please call our office within 2 business days to report the miss. We will do our best to send the driver back the following day to empty the containers that were missed. If we cannot do this, we may ask you to place out extra bags the following week on your collection day at no cost to you.

We are all human and may accidently forgot to set-out our carts for collection. If this happens, please call our office hours and let us know. We can offer a one-time courtesy fee waiver and allow you to set out an extra bag the next pick-up day equal to your missed collection without charge. If you cannot wait until the next week to set-out extra garbage, we can go back and empty the cart(s) for an additional $25 per cart.

Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) are considered hazardous waste and can be taken to the Napa County Hazardous Waste Facility for proper disposal.

Incandescent lightbulbs can be put in your garbage bin or brought to the facility for recycling.

If the cart is broken due to general wear & tear, we will exchange it with a new one at no charge to you. Just email us through the inquiry form or call the office (797) 963-7988.
If you break the cart or damage, the cart can be replaced for a fee. Just email us through the inquiry form or call the office (707) 963-7988.

It is permissible for residents and businesses to self-haul; however, if you live in Yountville, you must have service with UVD&R. There are some rules for self-hauling though.

  • Residents and businesses must separate organic and recyclable materials from garbage and haul waste to a facility such as Clover Flat Resource Recovery Park.
  • Businesses are required to keep records of receipts and weight tickets. CalRecycle has developed a recordkeeping tool for commercial self-haulers. LINK TO DOWNLOAD
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