Big Bear Lake trash pickup schedule changing Oct. 12, with Thursday service eliminated

Starting Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, residential trash collection in Big Bear Lake will run on a new schedule that drops Thursday pickups entirely. The City of Big Bear Lake and Big Bear Disposal, Inc. announced the change, saying the rebalanced routes are designed to spread collection days more evenly across the week and improve service reliability^[1]. Many — though not all — households will see their pickup day shift^[1].

The new schedule covers all residential solid waste, recycling, and green waste services^[1]. Residents who currently have Thursday collection will need to adjust to a different weekday, but the city has not publicly explained why Thursday was the day eliminated rather than consolidated into another part of the week.

To find your specific new pickup day, the city has posted an interactive collection map at BigBearLake.gov^[1]. The city and Big Bear Disposal are also reaching out directly: affected properties will receive a postcard in the mail, and during the week of Oct. 5, drivers will attach physical tags to carts set out for service to flag the new designated day^[1].

Whatever day your pickup lands on, carts must be at the curb before 6:30 a.m.^[1]. City ordinance prohibits leaving carts out for more than 24 hours to avoid attracting wildlife — a particular concern in the mountains^[1]. Residents who miss a pickup or can't meet the 24-hour window can drop off waste at the Clean Bear Drop-Off Site at 41974 Garstin Drive, open daily from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.^[1].

Questions about the change can be directed to Big Bear Disposal at (909) 866-3942 or bigbearcs@bigbeardisposal.com (opens in a new tab)^[1].