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Welcome to the neighborhood! So the black bin is for regular trash — anything that can't be recycled. The blue bin is for recycling — paper, cardboard, plastic bottles, and cans. Make sure you rinse out the containers before tossing them in, otherwise the whole batch can get rejected.

Trash pickup is every Tuesday, and recycling is every other Tuesday. You can put your bins out the night before after six p.m., but you need to bring them back in by the end of the day on Tuesday. The HOA will actually send you a warning if you leave them out too long. Oh, and make sure the lids are closed — if stuff is sticking out, they won't take it.

For bulky items, you need to schedule a special pickup through the city's website or call three-one-one. It's usually free once or twice a year, but after that there's a fee — I think it's around twenty-five bucks per item. They'll give you a pickup date and you just leave it by the curb that morning. Some people also post free stuff on Facebook Marketplace or put it on the curb with a 'free' sign — it's usually gone within an hour around here.

No no no, definitely don't do that — it's actually illegal in most states to throw electronics in the regular trash. Batteries especially are considered hazardous waste. Best Buy and Staples both take old electronics for free. For batteries, most grocery stores have a drop-off bin near the entrance. The city also does free e-waste collection events a few times a year — there's one coming up next month I think.

That means something in your recycling bin shouldn't have been there. Common mistakes are putting in plastic bags — those can't be recycled curbside. Also greasy pizza boxes, food-stained containers, or Styrofoam. When the recycling truck spots contamination, they sometimes reject the whole bin or flag your address. First time's usually just a warning, but if it keeps happening they can fine you or even take away your recycling bin.

Super common mistake — don't feel bad. Plastic bags jam the sorting machines at the recycling facility, so they can't go in the curbside bin. Most grocery stores like Walmart, Target, and Trader Joe's have a plastic bag drop-off right by the entrance. Just collect them and bring them next time you go shopping. Honestly, the best move is to switch to reusable bags — a lot of cities are banning plastic bags anyway.