Disposal

Accepted Items and Disposal Fees

ReGen Monterey accepts nonhazardous solid waste items for recycling, composting, reuse and disposal at facilities located two miles north of the City of Marina and just west of the City of Salinas.

For details about accepted items and rates, view Disposal Fees. (Please note that services and fees are subject to change.)

Over the last 40 years, ReGen Monterey has developed programs dedicated to reuse, recycling and composting that keep millions of tons of reusable material out of the landfill. The landfill is the destination for about 550,000 tons of municipal solid waste delivered annually.

ReGen can only accept batteries, electronics and household hazardous waste from residents and businesses within its service area. Learn more about our household hazardous waste acceptance program.

Together, let’s do more to waste less.

Preparing Your Load

Load coverage: All loads must be properly covered and/or secured. Unsecured loads may be charged double the disposal fee. Uncovered trucks are a primary source of roadway litter and put other drivers at risk. To learn more, or to report litter violations from vehicles, visit KeepMontereyCountyClean.org.

Hazardous waste: ReGen Monterey does not accept hazardous or prohibited materials outside of our Household Hazardous Waste facility, as defined under California law and regulations. This means that all loads destined for recycling, composting or disposal must be free of hazardous waste. All loads will be checked for hazardous waste. Classification is subject to scale house personnel discretion upon acceptance.

Customers are responsible for all costs associated with the management of hazardous materials found in loads. ReGen may also notify state and local regulatory agencies, and the responsible party could face civil and/or criminal prosecution.

Additional services: ReGen offers pull-off/push-off service for regular waste, fumigation and drip plastic, and large trucks, boats, or loads requiring an excavator or the help of multiple employees. This service requires an additional fee and waiver of liability.

A Certified Weight certificate can be obtained at the scales. Weighmasters will give direction on the process upon arrival.

See the Disposal Fees.

Reuse, Recycle and Reduce Your Load

ReGen makes it easy to reuse and recycle household items before disposal at the landfill.

Recycling: ReGen offers a free Recycling Drop-Off center located near the Last Chance Mercantile. We have bins for cardboard, scrap metals, mixed recyclables (paper, aluminum, glass, and plastics #1, 2 and 5) and rigid plastics (plastic lawn furniture, toys, car seats, laundry baskets, etc.). Water heaters (100 gallons or smaller) may be recycled here, but appliances must be taken to the scales. 

Electronic Waste Recycling: Drop off your electronic waste, along with household hazardous products and batteries, at our Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Facility. These materials are separately collected because electronics contain valuable materials that can be recovered and toxic materials that can harm human health and the environment.

It is illegal to place these materials in your curbside trash or recycling carts. They are a major source of fires, can expose workers to hazardous conditions, and pollute our local environment. Learn more about e-waste recycling programs at ReGen’s Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility.

Safety Tips

  1. No smoking
  2. No scavenging
  3. Stay within six feet of your vehicle
  4. Children and pets must remain in your vehicle
  5. Personal protective equipment is recommended (safety vest, hard hat, boots and safety glasses)

Liability Notice

The Monterey Regional Waste Management District (dba ReGen Monterey) and Authority, its Board, committees, officers, employees, agents and volunteers (hereinafter, ReGen Monterey) are and shall not be liable or responsible for any damage to customer’s person or property (vehicle, trailer and/or other equipment or property or pets) while visiting our site. Access to ReGen Monterey’s property and use of ReGen Monterey’s facilities are expressly at the customer’s (your) own risk. ReGen Monterey reserves the right to deny access to anyone violating any site rules or creating a safety hazard of any kind.

Special Waste

Special Waste Requiring Pre-Approval
Special waste materials must be pre-approved by ReGen Monterey prior to acceptance and delivery of the material to the facility. Special waste includes:

  • Sand,
  • Soil
  • Non-friable asbestos-containing materials
  • Burned material
  • Animal waste
  • Oversized waste like boats or mobile homes.

Some materials may require analytical test results or reports. The process typically takes three to five business days once a completed application has been submitted. For more information about special waste, or to find out if your materials require pre-approval, give us a call.

To request special waste disposal services, please see instructions specific to your material type in the Special Waste Screening and Acceptance Program packet and email required forms to SpecialWaste@ReGenMonterey.org. For special waste fees, please see our disposal fees.

Problem Waste

Materials that require special handling or immediate burial are considered problem waste and include:

  • Treated wood waste
  • Fumigation and field plastics used in agriculture
  • Confidential documents
  • Animal carcasses*
  • Non-friable asbestos-containing materials*
  • Oversized waste* such as boats, mobile homes trailers, etc.

Additional fees may apply. For specific fee information, refer to the current Disposal Fee schedule.

*These materials also require approval prior to disposal. See the Special Waste Requiring Pre-Approval section above for more information.

Treated Wood Waste Acceptance

Treated wood waste (TWW) brought to ReGen requires special handling and needs to be declared and reported to the State of California. Treated wood is any wood that has been pressure treated with a chemical preservative. It’s a common building material used in exterior applications, including fence posts, utility poles, railroad ties, pilings, decks and guardrails. If not disposed of correctly, it can have serious negative effects on the environment and human health.

The California Department of Toxic Substance Control requires that customer information be collected when treated wood waste is delivered for disposal. Please complete our Treated Wood Waste Disposal Form prior to arriving at ReGen Monterey to “declare” your load.

Declared treated wood will be charged at the basic sold waste rate plus a $50 service fee per load.

If treated wood is discovered in a load “undeclared,” then the entire load will be charged the problem waste rate plus a $50 service fee per load.

Construction & Demolition

Construction and demolition activity accounts for nearly 30% of the waste generated in California! The California Green Building Code, or CALGreen, requires all permitted residential and non-residential construction, demolition and addition/alteration projects to recycle or salvage at least 65% of nonhazardous project construction materials.

ReGen recycling and reuse programs help contractors, builders and residents meet CALGreen requirements – and work toward LEED Building standards – without breaking the budget.

Contractors are responsible for maintaining weight receipts for the duration of the project. Separated materials are indicated on the weight receipts. Loads are subject to inspection. To maximize your cost savings and diversion rate, separate your loads by material type and do not mix materials together.

Accepted C&D:
  • Asphalt
  • Concrete
  • Gravel
  • Metal
  • Recyclables
  • Roofing tiles
  • Tile (no mesh)
  • Wood
Needs to be Separated:
  • Appliances
  • Carpet (3-foot rolls minimum, clean)
  • Carpet tiles (stacked on pallet)
  • Clean sheetrock
  • Dimensional lumber*
  • Electronics
  • Mattresses
  • Refrigerators (empty)
  • Tree stumps
  • Tires
  • Yard trimmings
Needs Pre-Approval:
  • Burned debris
  • Ceiling tiles
  • Dirt
  • Oversized material
  • Non-friable asbestos
  • Mud
  • Sand
  • Soil
Hazardous Materials – Please take these items to the Household Hazardous Waste facility:
  • Adhesives
  • Batteries
  • Chemicals
  • Mercury-containing products (florescent bulbs, thermostats)
  • Paint
  • Propane tanks
  • Sharps (must be in sharps container)
  • Used oil
  • Vehicle and equipment fluids (drain fluids from all equipment)
Trash:
  • Bagged materials
  • Film plastics (tarps, shrink wraps and bags)
  • Furniture (cabinets, couches, chairs, desks, dressers)
  • Insulation (fiberglass and Reflectix)
  • Items with mesh
  • Textiles (roofing felt, roofing paper, clothing)
  • Treated wood waste (Please complete paperwork prior to arrival at scales).
  • Wood (painted/stained wood, laminated wood, plywood, wood/cal shakes)

Solar panels are not accepted at ReGen Monterey.

Please donate reusable goods, including furniture, tools and clothing, to the Last Chance Mercantile reuse store.

Save Money With Source Separated Loads

To cut costs and boost recycling rates, try source-separating materials at your job site. ReGen Monterey offers discounts for clean loads separated into categories like wood, concrete, asphalt or soil. When you can’t maintain separate dumpsters, our Materials Recovery Facility can sort your recyclables from mixed construction waste at the basic solid waste rate.

CALGreen Diversion Requirements

ReGen Monterey makes monthly calculations of the construction and demolition materials diverted at the Materials Recovery Facility – including the tonnage of material entering the facility, the tonnage diverted from the landfill, and the tonnage disposed in the landfill. Diversion is not tracked on a load-by-load basis.

Please keep Your Scale Receipt as Proof of Diversion. When arriving at our scales, be sure to communicate your needs with ReGen staff. This will ensure all proper information is included on your receipts. Labels on your scale receipt outline the materials brought across ReGen scales and where those materials are directed.

  • Receipts labeled as “15-C&D-MRF” certifiy at least 65% diversion for tonnage delivered on that receipt.
  • Receipts labeled with the following codes mean 100% diversion of that load.
    • 17-KD-Green
    • 372-Clean Sheetrock
    • 91-Aggregates-Clean Asphalt
    • 94-Aggregates-Clean Concrete
    • 101-Clean Oversize/Rebar
    • 95-Clean Soil
  • Receipts labeled as “13-Bulky/Public Accepted at MRF” or “10-MSW” indicate 0% diversion.

You can view ReGen’s CALGreen Diversion figure in our monthly Board agenda under Financial Report. The “12-month rolling average diversion, C&D diversion” figure is the diversion percentage you can use for your project reporting.

For residential and commercial recycling, including collection bins, please contact the curbside service provider in your area.

All loads must be properly tarped and/or secured.

Vehicles arriving at the landfill with loads that are not properly secured are subject to a surcharge of double the disposal fee.