Moving Out or Clearing Out?

If you are planning to move soon, or if you’re clearing out unwanted items, make a plan for unwanted household goods, furniture and clothing. Check out our webpage for info on how to donate, sell or give away unwanted reusable materials. 

Dumpsters are for trash, not for donations. Plan ahead and make sure your first option for getting rid of unwanted household items, clothing and furniture is NOT a dumpster.

Local thrift stores usually accept a wide variety of reusable goods. Please call individual stores to verify drop-off times and if they can currently accept your items.

Big Blue Barn Thrift Store, Yolo County Central Landfill 

44090 County Road 28H, Woodland | 530-666-8727

Donations accepted seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.



Goodwill Donation Xpress

417 Mace Boulevard | 530-231-5111

Donations accepted seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Goodwill Thrift Store

1640 E. 8th St., Davis | 530-564-4474

Donations accepted seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Yolo County SPCA Thrift Store

920 3rd St., Davis | 530-758-0544

Donations accepted Tues. - Sat. from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Please be responsible as you are moving or clearing out, and do not leave items on the street, sidewalk or in your front yard. Leaving furniture, mattresses and other household items in front of your property or on the street and sidewalk is a violation of City Code and may be a safety hazard for bicycles and pedestrians. See our webpage for ways to recycle or reuse your unwanted stuff.

Mattress Recycling

Of all the things you can recycle, who knew you could recycle a mattress and box spring?!

Mattresses and box springs can be recycled for FREE at the locations listed below.

• Recology Davis, 2727 2nd Street, Davis (530-756-4646) Mattresses can be dropped off for recycling during the CRV center buy-back hours: Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Limit 10 per customer.

• Yolo County Central Landfill, 4090 County Road 28H (530-666-8727) Monday thru Saturday, 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Futon mattresses are accepted for recycling, but the mattress must separate from the futon frame or base. Items not accepted: sleeping bags, pillows, unattached mattress pads and mattress toppers (even items with resilient filling intended to be used with or on top of a mattress), car beds, crib or bassinet mattress, juvenile products or the pads used for such juvenile products, waterbeds, air mattresses that contain no upholstery material (such as a camping mattress) and sofa beds. Mattresses and box springs that are severely damaged, twisted, wet, soiled or mattresses with bed bugs or other organisms cannot be recycled and must be taken to the landfill.

More information on how to reuse or recycle large household items.  

Got Stuff? Use Your Bulky Waste Voucher!

The City and Recology are offering a one-time Bulky Waste Landfill Voucher again this year. This voucher was mailed at the end of May to all Davis residents. The voucher is your ticket for the program, so be sure to hold onto it and bring it with you when you go to the Yolo County Landfill.

The voucher will allow Davis residents to dispose of one free load of bulky waste at the Yolo County Central Landfill. The voucher has details on material acceptance and will be valid only for City of Davis residents; commercial haulers and business materials will not be accepted.

For more information or questions, please contact Recology Davis’ website.

Summer Irrigation Reminders

With summer well underway and irrigation systems on, now is a good time to check your irrigation system to ensure everything is working properly.

Inspect your irrigation system. Test your irrigation system to make sure it's functioning properly as issues are not always visible unless the system is running. Look for broken and/or misaligned sprinkler heads (to avoid water on driveways and sidewalks) and leaking pipes. Check drip irrigation for broken and/or missing emitters, breaks in the drip lines and any other damage. Other helpful tips to manage your irrigation systems (and water use!):

Late nights or early mornings are best for watering. Run your irrigation system in the early morning or late at night to prevent evaporation so that water can soak into the soil.

Check your irrigation controller. Be sure to check the batteries in your irrigation controller every six months and replace as needed to ensure your controller continues to run properly. Irrigation controllers sometimes revert to factory settings after even a brief power outage. If you have an irrigation controller connected to an app, check for any app updates and ensure that any updates have not modified your irrigation settings

Convert your landscape. Consider removing all or part of your turf and replacing it with low water-use plants. For your existing plants, add a layer of 3 to 4 inches of mulch around your plants to retain moisture, protect against the summer heat and suppress weeds.

Don’t forget your trees. During the summer months, don’t forget to deep water your trees as needed. Watering needs in the heat depend on the age of your tree, as young and mature trees have different watering needs, and the temperature. The City’s urban forestry webpage at Trees.CityofDavis.org has more details on tree watering.

Find more tips at SaveDavisWater.org

Pest or Partner: Spiders

Whether stationary in a web or crawling around on all eight legs searching for prey, spiders can effortlessly incite our most irrational fears. However, more often than not spiders are providing an ecological benefit as they help control pest populations naturally.

Jumping spiders (Salticidae) are common garden partners known to skillfully pounce up to five times their body length, as they stalk and ambush prey. Jumping spiders actively hunt during the day, consuming a variety of small insects without the use of intricate webs. They can be found in the most unsuspecting places, hiding in and around your garden.

Black widows on the other hand, are often considered unwanted guests due to their toxic and painful bite. You can discourage black widows with the following tips: 

• Clear away clutter and landscaping material to reduce their hiding spots
• Seal up cracks and crevasses to prevent a new spider from taking up residence inside your home
• Reduce moisture sources by fixing leaky pipes or through ventilation
• Eliminate potential food sources (other insects)

More information on managing black widow spiders.

Moving and Responsible Pet Ownership

In August, many people in Davis find themselves moving from one home to another in town, or sometimes leaving town altogether. Sadly, this is the time of year we also find domesticated pets that have been abandoned in and around town.

Domesticated pets such as cats, dogs, guinea pigs, rabbits, birds and other pets rely on the care of humans to thrive. Most are not able to survive outdoors and will die when abandoned. While it may seem like setting your fish or turtle free in a local pond will give it a better life, chances are that your pet will likely either starve or become another animal’s meal.

Some animals, like cats, turtles and snakes can survive without humans for a short period of time, but their well being will decline and without supplemental feeding they can suffer a tragic end. These abandoned pets also negatively impact native wildlife by eating them or the resources they depend on.

If you or someone you know is moving and cannot bring the pet to a new house, please surrender the pet to an animal shelter or animal rescue organization.

Save the Date: Creek Clean-up

Mark your calendars - The 41st annual California Coastal Cleanup Day will be Saturday, September 20, from 9:00 a.m. to noon.

Every year on the third Saturday in September, people join together at sites all over California to take part in the State's largest volunteer event. The event is part of the International Coastal Cleanup, organized by the Ocean Conservancy, which is the largest volunteer event on the planet!

We will have more info in the September Greener Davis newsletter on clean-up locations in Davis and how to sign up.

Waste Collection Earlier Start Times on Hot Days

In order to protect their employees from heat-related illnesses on days that are forecasted to be 95 degrees or hotter, Recology Davis will start residential collection at 6 a.m., instead of the standard 7 a.m. This earlier start time will only occur between the months of June to September.

To make sure your carts are serviced, have your trash, recycling and organic waste carts out at the curb no later than 6 a.m. on your collection day.

Questions? Contact Recology Davis