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.

Keeping Irrigation Efficient

With the majority of water use in summer months being used for irrigation, checking your irrigation to prevent water waste is essential.

Here’s some tips to make sure your irrigation is running in top form:

• Check your irrigation system (spray or drip) thoroughly for leaks to keep it as efficient as possible.
• Check that spray heads are not missing or cracked.
• Check drip irrigation for cracks and holes in the drip line and for any missing or clogged emitters.
• Check that all hoses and pipes are connected well.
• Check that water is staying on your landscape and not running onto paved surfaces.
• Check your irrigation controller programming and consider installing a WaterSense-labeled irrigation controller.
•  If your controller has a back-up battery option, check the back-up battery to protect against power outages causing an irrigation controller reset.
• Cut back on irrigation days or times. Decrease each watering station (zone) of your irrigation by a minute or two to conserve water. If your plants are doing well with the reduced timing, consider cutting back even more. Although running spray irrigation three days per week is allowed under the current water use restrictions, this is a maximum amount of irrigation each week. Consider dropping irrigation to two days per week and see how your landscape does. If needed, the third day can be added back in during extended heat waves.

Find more tips on the City’s Water Conservation Irrigation page

Reduce Irrigation Run-off: Slow the Flow of Pollutants from Your Yard

Harmful runoff can occur when water (either rain or irrigation) comes into contact with and washes off pesticides, fertilizers, soil or other products used around your home into storm drains and waterways. You can help reduce harmful runoff and protect local waterways by using less toxic products and slowing the flow of pollutants from your yard and garden.

A simple way to help keep pesticides out of local waterways is to reduce the amount of chemicals you apply to your yard. To do this and continue to manage pest problems effectively, you can use Integrated Pest Management (IPM), which focuses on low‐ to no‐pesticide methods of pest control, such as:

• Preventing pests from becoming a problem in the first place
• Using alternatives to pesticides for pest control, such as traps, physical removal, natural deterrents and/or natural predators
• Treating pesticides as a last resort, and using the least toxic options available

If you are unsure about how to safely manage your pest problem, it may be time to hire a professional to take care of the problem for you. If pesticides or fertilizers must be used, be sure to follow these landscaping tips to help keep water and chemicals on your property and out of our local waterways:

• Read the labels and apply pesticides using only the recommended amounts and application methods. More is not always better.
• Avoid overwatering and any overspray that will lead to increased runoff that can wash away the pesticides and fertilizers you apply. More information about how to irrigate responsibly.
• Use gravel, stones or pavers to allow water to soak into the soil in areas where you don’t have plants. Consider adding mulch to your garden to keep your soil moist, reduce evaporation and restrict weed growth. Check out these additional landscaping tips!
• Plant vegetation naturally found in California ecosystems that requires little to no watering since this will reduce the potential for harmful runoff. Find native plants for your garden by using this Calscape tool.
• Time it right. Wet and windy weather can spread pesticides and fertilizers to unintended places. Be sure not to apply pesticides or fertilizers (especially sprays) on windy days or right before a rainstorm. Learn more about safely applying pesticides.
• Never dispose of unused pesticides down the drain. Expired or unused pesticides should be taken to the Yolo County Household Hazardous Waste Facility. Do NOT recycle OR rinse out pesticide containers. Residents should place empty pesticide containers in the trash.

Summer Fun and Learning Via Online Environmental Video Games

Try the City’s online games and put your conservation knowledge to the test!

Save Davis Water Games

Are you a master at stopping water waste? Find out by finding and fixing water leaks around town in the “Plug the Leaks” game. Test your knowledge of water conservation facts in the “Match the Facts” game.

Zero Waste Games

Can you sort waste into the correct bin before it piles up too high? Try the “Zero Waste Sorting Game” to find out! If you’re struggling to figure out what goes in each bin, try out the “Zero Waste Matching” game first to get tips on what goes where.

Stormwater Games

Do you know what it takes to make sure you’re your everyday actions prevent pollution from entering local waterways? Test your knowledge by playing “Find It & Fix It” or “Protect or Pollute” to learn the impacts our everyday choices have on polluting or protecting out local waterways. Careful—this is trickier than you might think and even adults struggle to get the right answers!

Play the City's online environmental games!

Wildlife Spotlight: Coyote

Coyotes are originally native to the central and western United States. Due to their intelligence and adaptability, and the decline of larger predators, coyotes have successfully expanded their range. They are now found in all states except Hawaii and have successfully established themselves in every urban ecosystem across North America.

Also known as the “song dog,” coyotes are gray-brown to yellow-gray in color with buff or white throat and bellies and reddish-brown legs, feet and muzzle. Coyotes have long legs, small paws, large pointed ears and a pointed snout. Weighing between 15 to 40 pounds, their long legs and thick fur make them appear larger than they actually are.

Like the domestic dog, coyotes are opportunistic omnivores and will eat just about anything they can capture or scavenge. They play an important role as top predators in our local ecosystem, preying on turkeys, geese, squirrels, mice, rabbits, rats, gophers and other small animals. They will also eat fruits and nuts. Coyotes can be highly beneficial to have around since rodents make up a majority of their diet. When coyotes are present, ranches and urban transition areas often report a decrease in property damage by rodents, geese and other pest species.

Urban sprawl, as well as both intentional and unintentional feeding have brought humans and coyotes in close proximity. Unintentional feeding can occur when a coyote feeds on food left behind by humans, such as pet food left out for an outdoor cat that becomes a coyote's meal, dumpsters that are left open or fallen fruit on the ground under a fruit tree.

While coyote attacks on humans are very rare, pet-related incidents and media attention have given coyotes a reputation as a dangerous animal to be feared. It’s important to keep in mind that coyotes have been in and around the Sacramento Valley, interacting with people, for at least the last 100 years. They will, however, capture and eat cats and other small domestic animals, so it is important to keep those pets safe by keeping them indoors or in predator proof outdoor containment areas.

More information on coexisting with coyotes

Is My Food Expired?

We’ve all seen the “Best if Used By, “Sell By” and “Use or Freeze By” dates on food products. There’s even some that only list a date with no explanation of what that date means. So, when do we actually need to toss something out?

The USDA has a handy flier that explains this nicely, but in a nutshell, except for infant formula, food date labels do not indicate food safety, just freshness. For example, “Best if Used By” really just means that—the food is at its peak freshness at that date.

For more details on how long food can be stored safely, please see the links below.



• USDA: Food Product Dating
• USDA: Freezing and Food Safety
• USDA: Leftovers and Food Safety
• USDA: Storage Times for Refrigerated Foods
• USDA: Shelf Stable Food Storage Chart