If you've loaded a pickup and searched "dump near me" from the Valley, you've probably seen three canyon names: Sunshine, Scholl and Chiquita. Only one of them is a realistic option for most Valley households, one is limited to specific cities, and one has stopped taking waste altogether. Here's the map, with the details that matter before you drive.
The short answer
| Site | Where | Takes a Valley load? |
|---|---|---|
| Sunshine Canyon | 14747 San Fernando Road, Sylmar[1] | Yes: non-hazardous waste from homes and businesses in LA County[2] |
| Scholl Canyon | 3001 Scholl Canyon Road, Glendale[3] | Generally no; limited to listed cities and areas[4] |
| Chiquita Canyon | Castaic | No; stopped taking waste January 1, 2025[5] |
| Burbank Landfill No. 3 | 1600 Lockheed View Drive, Burbank[6] | No; open only to Burbank Public Works[7] |
Sunshine Canyon: the Valley's public landfill
Sunshine Canyon City/County Landfill in Sylmar is an active landfill operated by Browning-Ferris Industries of California, which is Republic Services.[8] Members of the public can drop off during business hours without an appointment,[1] and the site asks drop-off customers to bring a completed Origin Report Form.[1]
Hours. Monday to Friday 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 7 a.m. to 12 p.m., closed Sunday.[1] If you're unloading by hand, you have to be on the scales by 5 p.m. on weekdays.[1] The site's own pages disagree on the Saturday cutoff, so call (818) 362-2124 before a weekend trip.[1]
What it won't take. Hazardous or liquid waste, untreated medical waste, car batteries and whole tires are all excluded.[2]
What it costs. This is where small loads get expensive. Every load pays a one-ton minimum, and the posted rate for municipal solid waste is $120 per ton, as of July 1, 2024.[9] On top of that:
- $19.71 environmental fee per load[9]
- $175 if the load isn't tarped[9]
- $115 per appliance and $85 per computer or monitor[9]
So a half-full pickup bed of old furniture is billed as if it weighed a full ton. Tarp the load before you leave home; that single step saves the largest avoidable charge on the list.
A free option for a few neighborhoods. Residents of certain unincorporated areas near the landfill, including Sunland, Kagel Canyon, Lopez Canyon and West Chatsworth, get free disposal of one bulky item and up to 4 tires per residence per year, plus two free disposal days a year, with proof of residence.[10] Note that this is tied to those unincorporated areas; it isn't a City of LA program.
Scholl Canyon: a Glendale-side landfill with a guest list
Scholl Canyon sits in Glendale just north of the 134 and is run by the LA County Sanitation Districts.[4] It's one of the landfills the County marks as having a wasteshed restriction.[11]
That restriction is the key fact. A Glendale ordinance limits Scholl Canyon to waste generated in Glendale, La Cañada Flintridge, Pasadena, South Pasadena, San Marino and Sierra Madre, plus certain unincorporated areas like Altadena, La Crescenta and Montrose. Burbank and the City of Los Angeles are not on the list.[4] In practice, that means a load from North Hollywood or Van Nuys isn't a Scholl Canyon load.
For people who do qualify, Scholl Canyon lists $85.91 per ton for municipal solid waste and $100.91 per ton for bulky items, each with a one-ton minimum.[12] The scales take cash, debit, pre-arranged credit and only some credit cards (MasterCard, American Express and Discover), and no checks.[4] Because it's an unlined landfill, it may not accept disaster-related waste such as burnt debris, and an undeclared burnt load draws a $500 fine.[13] Call (818) 243-9779 before you go.[3]
Chiquita Canyon: closed to waste
Chiquita Canyon Landfill in Castaic stopped accepting waste on January 1, 2025; December 31, 2024 was its last day.[5] Older search results and maps can still list it, so if a site in Castaic comes up for a Valley load, it isn't Chiquita.
The other names you'll see
Calabasas Landfill (5300 Lost Hills Rd, Agoura) is another Sanitation Districts landfill with a wasteshed restriction.[14] Check whether your address qualifies before driving out.
Simi Valley Landfill & Recycling Center (2801 Madera Road, Simi Valley) is run by Waste Management and accepts construction and demolition debris, municipal solid waste and green waste, but not hazardous waste.[15],[16]
Sun Valley Recycling Park (9227 Tujunga Ave) is a Waste Management transfer station, not a landfill.[17] Its page doesn't say whether the public can self-haul there,[17] so call before counting on it.
The County's own list of operating landfills tells users to call a landfill before delivering,[11] which is good advice for all of these.
Before you drive: cheaper stops for specific items
A landfill is the most expensive place to take some things. City of LA residents have a few free options first:
- Bulky items: LASAN's free monthly Saturday drop-off events at the East Valley yard in Sun Valley and the West Valley yard in Northridge, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The remaining 2026 dates are October 10, November 21 and December 12.[18]
- Tires: up to 4 a year, rims off, at those same yards on weekday mornings.[19]
- Paint, chemicals and electronics: a S.A.F.E. Center, free for City and County residents.[20]
- Scrap metal: SA Recycling's Sun Valley yards take large appliances.[21]
When a haul beats a trip to Sylmar
A self-haul makes sense when you've got a full, heavy load, a truck of your own and a free weekday morning. It makes less sense for a partial load that still pays the one-ton minimum, or when the time to load, tarp, drive, wait at the scales and unload eats a whole day. Our junk removal vs. DIY truck rental guide runs through that trade-off, and the full list of sites is in our guide to dumps and landfills near the San Fernando Valley.
If you'd rather skip the trip, Legacy is a family-run crew based on Victory Blvd in North Hollywood. We load everything ourselves. Loading, hauling, disposal and sweep-up are included. Same-day service most days when you reach us by early afternoon; next-morning slots are common. Send photos of the pile for a price by text.