"Dump near me" has a shorter answer in the San Fernando Valley than most people expect: one landfill takes public drop-offs from anywhere in the Valley, a few others only take waste from their own service areas, and two nearby sites don't take the public at all. This guide lists each one, what it costs where the price is published, and the free options that often beat a dump run.
The short list
| Site | Can Valley residents use it? | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Sunshine Canyon Landfill, Sylmar | Yes, no appointment[1] | One-ton minimum on every load[2] |
| Calabasas Landfill, Agoura | Restricted to its wasteshed[3] | Call to confirm eligibility |
| Simi Valley Landfill, Simi Valley | Check with the operator | Takes trash, C&D and green waste[4] |
| Scholl Canyon Landfill, Glendale | Only for Glendale, Pasadena and a few nearby areas[5] | Not for Burbank or City of LA loads |
| Chiquita Canyon, Castaic | No, closed to waste since Jan. 1, 2025[6] | |
| Burbank Landfill #3 | No, City of Burbank Public Works only[7] | |
| S.A.F.E. Centers (Sun Valley, Northridge, LA–Glendale) | Yes, free for LA County residents[8] | Paint, chemicals, batteries, e-waste only |
LA County Public Works keeps the official list of landfills operating in the county and tells users to call a landfill before delivering, to confirm hours and any wasteshed restriction.[9] Gate rules and prices change, so treat everything below as a starting point and call ahead.
Sunshine Canyon Landfill (Sylmar)
Sunshine Canyon is at 14747 San Fernando Road, Sylmar, CA 91342.[1] CalRecycle lists it as an active landfill, run by Browning-Ferris Industries of California, part of Republic Services.[10] The main line is (818) 362-2124.[1]
Who can use it. Public customers can drop off during business hours without booking a time.[1] The landfill takes non-hazardous waste from homes and businesses in LA County. It prohibits hazardous and liquid waste, untreated medical waste, car batteries and whole tires.[11]
Hours. Monday to Friday, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 7 a.m. to noon; closed Sunday.[1] On weekdays, loads you unload by hand must be on the scales by 5 p.m.[1] The site's pages give conflicting Saturday cutoffs for hand-unloaded loads, so if you're planning a Saturday trip, call first and arrive early.
Paperwork. The landfill asks drop-off customers to bring a completed Origin Report Form.[1]
What it costs
Sunshine Canyon's posted rates are dated July 1, 2024, so confirm them before you go.
| Charge | Posted rate |
|---|---|
| Minimum on every load | One ton[2] |
| Household trash (municipal solid waste) | $120 per ton[2] |
| Environmental fee | $19.71 per load[2] |
| Untarped load | $175 extra per load[2] |
| Appliances | $115 each[2] |
| Computers and monitors | $85 each[2] |
| Hard-to-handle or bulky items | $275 each, plus disposal[2] |
The one-ton minimum is the number that matters most. A pickup bed with a couch, a few chairs and some bags weighs far less than a ton, but it's billed as if it were a full ton.
Tarp and tie down every load. At Sunshine Canyon an untarped load costs $175 more,[2] on top of the risk of losing junk on the freeway.
Free days for some nearby residents
LA County pays for free disposal at Sunshine Canyon for residents of certain unincorporated communities: Sunland, Kagel Canyon, Lopez Canyon, West Chatsworth, Westhills, Oat Mountain/Twin Lakes and Lake Manor. Eligible households get one free bulky item and up to four tires a year, plus two free disposal days a year of up to a ton each, with proof of residence such as a driver's license.[12] The list names only those unincorporated communities, so most Valley addresses, which are in the City of LA, don't qualify.
West Valley options: Calabasas and Simi Valley
Calabasas Landfill is at 5300 Lost Hills Rd. in Agoura and is run by the LA County Sanitation Districts.[3] The County's landfill list marks it as having a wasteshed restriction, meaning only waste from certain areas is accepted; its phone is (818) 889-0363.[3] The County locator lists it as open Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.[3] Which West Valley neighborhoods fall inside its wasteshed couldn't be confirmed for this guide, so call before you load up in Woodland Hills or West Hills.
Simi Valley Landfill & Recycling Center is at 2801 Madera Road in Simi Valley, operated by Waste Management.[13] It's open Monday to Saturday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed Sundays, with an extra opening from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the third Sunday of each month.[4] It takes construction and demolition debris, household trash and green waste, but not hazardous waste.[4] It's across the county line in Ventura County, so ask the operator about self-haul rules for LA County loads.
Scholl Canyon Landfill (Glendale)
Scholl Canyon is at 3001 Scholl Canyon Road, Glendale, CA 91206,[14] just north of the 134, and the LA County Sanitation Districts manage it.[5]
It isn't a general option for the Valley. A Glendale ordinance limits disposal to waste generated in Glendale, La Cañada Flintridge, Pasadena, South Pasadena, San Marino and Sierra Madre, plus the unincorporated communities of Altadena, La Crescenta and Montrose and a few areas near San Gabriel, Arcadia and San Marino. Burbank and the City of Los Angeles aren't on the list.[5]
If you do live in the wasteshed:
- Hours differ by source. The Sanitation Districts page lists weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.,[5] while the County locator lists weekdays only.[15] Call (818) 243-9779 before a Saturday visit.[14]
- Pricing is by the ton with a one-ton minimum, and bulky items are billed at a higher per-ton rate than regular trash. The landfill's information site doesn't show an effective date for its prices,[16] so ask for the current rate when you call.
- Payment at the scales is cash, debit, or MasterCard, American Express or Discover. No checks.[5]
- No burnt debris. Scholl Canyon is unlined and can't accept fire-related waste; undeclared burnt loads draw a $500 fine and have to be taken back out.[17]
Closed, or not open to the public
Chiquita Canyon (Castaic) has not accepted waste since January 1, 2025.[6] Older directory listings and maps may still show it, so skip it.
Burbank Landfill Site No. 3 is still an active landfill run by the City of Burbank,[18] but LA County's fact sheet says it's only open to the City's Department of Public Works.[7] Burbank residents have other routes: City bulky pickup and the Recycle Center Drop Zone, covered in the Burbank bulky pickup guide.
Palmdale and Lancaster also have landfills with posted hours,[19],[20] but they're in the Antelope Valley, a long drive from most of the SFV.
Transfer stations in Sun Valley
Waste Management's Sun Valley Recycling Park at 9227 Tujunga Ave. is a transfer station[21] listed as open Monday to Saturday, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.[21] It takes household trash, green waste, recyclables and food waste, not hazardous waste, and it accepts credit and debit cards.[21] Its page doesn't say whether members of the public can self-haul there, so call before you drive over with a load.
Where hazardous waste and electronics go
No landfill in this guide is the right place for paint, batteries or a TV. California bans electronics such as TVs, monitors, laptops, printers and phones from the trash,[22] and it's illegal to put hazardous waste in the garbage, down a storm drain or on the ground.[22] Instead, use a S.A.F.E. Center, free for City of LA and LA County residents:[8]
| S.A.F.E. Center | Address | Open |
|---|---|---|
| East Valley (Randall Street) | 11025 Randall St., Sun Valley | Sat–Sun, 9am–3pm[23] |
| North Valley (Nicole Bernson) | 10241 N. Balboa Blvd., Northridge | Sat–Sun, 9am–3pm[23] |
| Los Angeles–Glendale | 4600 Colorado Blvd., Los Angeles | Saturday only, 9am–3pm[23] |
They take paint and solvents, cleaners, pesticides, pool chemicals, propane cylinders, fluorescent bulbs, batteries, used motor oil and electronics.[24] You can bring up to 15 gallons or 125 pounds per visit,[24] and the LA–Glendale site checks for a state photo ID at the gate.[25] They don't take explosives, radioactive material or medical waste.[24]
Glendale residents can also use the City's own hazardous waste facility at 780 Flower St., open Wednesdays and the second Saturday of each month.[26]
Refrigerators and freezers need special handling too. California requires refrigerant and certain other materials to be removed before a major appliance is crushed or disposed of,[27] and federal rules make the last stop in the chain, such as a scrap yard or landfill, responsible for making sure the refrigerant was recovered.[28]
Scrap metal and bottles and cans
Some loads are worth money, or at least cost nothing to drop off.
- SA Recycling has two Sun Valley yards: 8250 Tujunga Ave., open weekdays 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays 7 a.m. to noon,[29] and 9754 San Fernando Rd., open weekdays 7 to 4 and Saturdays 7 to 1.[30] They take ferrous and non-ferrous metal and large household appliances, but not CRV containers, cardboard, propane tanks, oil, fuel or antifreeze.[29] Bring a government-issued photo ID to sell scrap.[29]
- CRV bottles and cans go to certified recycling centers, which you can find with CalRecycle's official locator.[31] In North Hollywood, CalRecycle lists A & H Recycling at 6140 Lankershim Blvd.[31] and ABG Recycling at 6631 Laurel Canyon Blvd.;[31] in Van Nuys, JD Recycling at 14411 Victory Blvd.[31]
Free city options that can replace a dump run
Before renting a truck, check whether your city will take the load for free:
- City of LA: LASAN picks up bulky items free on trash day for the homes it services,[32] and it runs monthly Saturday drop-off events at its Sun Valley and Northridge yards, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.[32] Up to four tires a year can go to LASAN yards at no charge.[33] Details are in the LA bulky pickup guide.
- Glendale: homes with 1 to 4 units get City bulky pickup; see the Glendale guide.
- Burbank: City bulky pickup, with a per-item fee on appliances, mattresses and tires.
Before you drive to a landfill
- Call ahead to confirm hours, prices and whether your load is allowed.[9]
- Tarp the load and tie it down.[2]
- Fill in Sunshine Canyon's Origin Report Form.[1]
- Pull out paint, chemicals, batteries and electronics for a S.A.F.E. Center.[24]
- Pull out whole tires and car batteries, which Sunshine Canyon refuses.[11]
- Bring a photo ID, and cash or a card that the scale house accepts.[5],[29]
- Plan to reach the scales by 5 p.m. on a weekday if you're unloading by hand.[1]
When hauling it yourself isn't worth it
A dump run looks cheap until you add it up. With a one-ton minimum,[2] a half-full pickup pays the same disposal charge as a full one. A couple of appliances or an awkward bulky item add per-item charges on top,[2] and forgetting a tarp costs more than the trash does.[2] Then there's the truck rental, the gas to Sylmar, the Saturday closing at noon, and the lifting at both ends.
Leaving the load somewhere else isn't a shortcut. Dumping waste on a public road or on someone's property without consent is unlawful in California,[34] with a first-conviction fine of $250 to $1,000.[34]
Paying a hauler usually makes sense when:
- the load is mixed: furniture, bags, an appliance, some scrap;
- the heavy lifting is the problem, like stairs, a garage packed to the door or a backyard shed;
- you don't have a truck, or don't want your own vehicle full of junk;
- you need it gone on a weekday while you're at work.
Legacy Junk Removal is a family-run crew out of North Hollywood, rated 5.0 on Google across 463 reviews. The crew loads everything and handles the drive. Same-day service most days when you reach us by early afternoon; next-morning slots are common. Text a few photos for a price.