Modesto promotes bulky-item pickup, mattress recycling and Go Modesto app to fight dumping

City of Modesto staff urged residents to use existing services to prevent illegal dumping and reduce blight, describing a menu of options intended to make proper disposal easier.

Colton Pacheco, solid waste code enforcement supervisor, explained residents are "allowed two" bulky-item pickups through their franchise hauler and can schedule a date; haulers provide acceptable-item lists and staff collect items curbside. He said the city also operates a mattress recycling center that is available for residents and accepts mattresses and box springs.

Officials described grant-funded programs aimed at reducing hazardous waste in the environment: a used-oil pickup program in which residents notify the solid-waste department and haulers collect oil at no cost, and tire vouchers that let residents dispose of tires at transfer stations for free. "All of that grant funding gives us great programs that we can offer our residents to make sure we're properly disposing of this blight," Allison Van Gilder said.

Staff pointed listeners to the Go Modesto app as the primary reporting tool. "When you see something, say something," Van Gilder said, explaining that photos and location data from the app help staff triage and identify trends so crews can target problem areas more quickly.

City staff encouraged residents to use these services before enforcement, noting the illegal dumping fine is $1,000 but stressing education and access to disposal options as the preferred first step.