California
Landfill
Watsonville (Santa Cruz County) landfill
Hours, sticker price, who can use it, item fees, hazardous waste options, and holiday notes for Buena Vista Landfill (County of Santa Cruz).
Last verified from official sources: 2026-11-09
Who can use it
Proof of residency is required for all loads. Fees in the county schedule are for loads from unincorporated Santa Cruz County and the City of Scotts Valley; loads from Capitola, Santa Cruz, Watsonville and outside the county pay a 28% surcharge.
Hours
- Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
- Wednesday 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
- Closed Sunday
Sticker or permit
Required: No (see notes)
Price: No separate sticker price was established on the linked page; the eligibility and item fees below still apply.
Where to buy: Contact the facility about access requirements before loading.
Per-item fees
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Garbage (household and business refuse, upholstered furniture, painted lumber, dirt, stable waste) | $105.50 per ton ($31.50 minimum) |
| Clean sorted wood and yard waste | $70.00 per ton ($22.50 minimum) |
| Food scraps | $103.50 per ton ($31.00 minimum) |
| Contaminated garbage (over 5% recyclables) | $202.50 per ton ($55.25 minimum) |
| Sheetrock | $57.75 per ton ($23.50 minimum) |
| Clean concrete, asphalt, base rock, brick, tile (1 cubic yard per trip, hand unload) | $103.00 per ton ($30.75 minimum) |
| Carpet and pad, clean, rolled in 6 ft sections | $57.50 per ton ($22.25 minimum) |
| Tires 27 inches or less | $9.50 each |
| Appliances without Freon | $17.50 each |
| Appliances with Freon | $30.75 each |
| Propane tanks, 1-5 gallons | $18.50 each |
| Mattresses or box springs from households (limit 15) | Free |
| TVs and monitors | 5 free per day |
| Uncovered or unsecured load | $30.75 per load |
| Special handle refuse (ag plastics, large metal items, dead animals, rancid waste) | $172.50 per ton ($45.25 minimum) |
Hazardous waste
Household hazardous waste is taken free from eligible residents at the on-site Buena Vista HHW facility (Wednesday 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.).
Holiday closures
Closed Thanksgiving (Thursday, November 26, 2026), Christmas (Friday, December 25, 2026) and New Year's Day (Friday, January 1, 2027); open 7:30-11:30 a.m. on Christmas Eve (subject to change).
Holiday schedule last verified 2026-11-09 from official sources .
Other notes
- Fee schedule effective July 1, 2026. Discounted recycling rates apply only when markets support recycling; call 831-454-5153 for the current rate.
- Unloading must be finished within 15 minutes after closing or the Special Handle rate may apply.
- Seniors 65 and older get $2.00 off per load of self-hauled residential refuse or yard waste.
- It is against county law to mix recyclables with refuse. Hot ashes, recyclables and e-waste may not go in the garbage. Mobile homes, trailers, cars, boats and other VIN-bearing items are not accepted.
- Hazardous waste is prohibited in the trash; loads may be checked and haulers pay all costs for hazardous items found.
- Treated wood waste must be declared at the scale, pre-sorted and hand-unloaded.
- Payment: cash, checks and major credit cards. A 3% credit card fee began October 1, 2026.
- Bring dead animals between 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., double bagged.
Nearby California towns
Sources
Every fee and hour above was taken from these official pages or PDFs on 2026-11-09. If something conflicts, trust the town.