Free Document Shredding
To help Palm Desert residents and businesses dispose of sensitive documents such as tax records, bank statements, and legal documents safely and securely, the City of Palm Desert and Burrtec Waste and Recycling Services offer two free document shredding events per year.

Acceptable items include stapled and bound office and/or glossy paper, file folders, envelopes, and paper clips. Binders and notebooks will not be accepted. The event will be held at the Palm Desert Civic Center, located at 73510 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert, California 92260. 

No appointment is necessary. Residents and businesses are limited to 10 boxes per day. Boxes and bags will not be returned.

Free Document Shredding Events For 2026

• Friday and Saturday, May 1 and 2, 2026
• Friday and Saturday, November 20 and 21, 2026

Shredding begins at 7:30 a.m. ends at 11:30 a.m. each day or when the truck is full, whichever occurs first. 

Free Electronic Waste Recycling Event
Every year on the third Saturday in September at Palm Desert City Hall, 73510 Fred Waring Drive, the City holds  a free electronic waste drop-off event between 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.

Acceptable items include anything with a plug or circuit board.

Note: Large appliances such as refrigerators, stoves, washing machines, and dryers will not be accepted at the event.

Free Electronic Waste Recycling Event For 2026

• Saturday, September 19, 2026

E-Waste collection begins at 7:00 a.m. ends at 11:00 a.m. each day or when the truck is full, whichever occurs first. 

Contact
Please call the Special Programs Department for additional information at (760) 776-6342, or email recycle@palmdesert.gov

There is a wide range of energy efficiency and sustainability related rebates and incentives available to Palm Desert residents and businesses.

Public agencies and utility companies offer rebates on all sorts of items including: pool pumps, evaporative coolers, electric vehicle chargers, HVAC systems, and much more.

Additionally, some agencies offer programs for A/C tune-ups, refrigerator recycling, and incentives for purchasing or leasing new or used electric vehicles.

Click on the agency below to view a list of current available rebates, incentives, and programs. Phone numbers are listed to call for more information.

• Coachella Valley Water District - (760) 398-2651
• Imperial Irrigation District - (760) 396-5656
• Southern California Edison - (800) 655-4555
• Southern California Gas Company - (877) 238-0092
• Southern California Air Quality Management District - (909) 396-2000

Southern California Air Quality Management District's (AQMD) AB 2766 Subvention Fund Program provides a funding source for cities and counties to develop clean transportation programs and reduce vehicle emissions.  Currently, Palm Desert and the other cities in the Coachella Valley contribute 75% of their AB 2766 funds annually to a Regional PM-10 Street Sweeping Program managed by the Coachella Valley Association of Governments.  This program helps create cleaner, healthier air for residents and tourists in the Coachella Valley by reducing PM-10 (particulate matter of less than 10 microns) which comes from dust generating activities such as vehicles traveling over paved or unpaved streets and construction activities.

The remaining AB 2766 funds go towards City specific programs and purchases.  Some recurring programs include the City's Employee Rideshare Program, which rewards employees who carpool or use alternative transportation to commute to work, and Sunline Transit Agency's Student Art Contest Bus Wrap Sponsorship.  This annual program encourages students from K-12 to submit sustainability themed artwork for the chance to have it displayed on a hydrogen electric fuel cell bus or a local bus shelter in the Coachella Valley.  In the past, the City has also used these funds to purchase Chargers and the City is currently planning to use funds to purchase and install bike racks throughout Palm Desert.

To find out more about AB 2766 or AQMD's other programs, please visit their website at aqmd.gov. For further information about Palm Desert's air quality efforts, please call Public Works at (760) 776-6473.

In 2019, transportation accounted for the largest portion (29%) of total U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Transitioning to alternative modes of transportation, including electric vehicles, will have a major impact on reducing GHG emissions.

To help facilitate this transition, the City of Palm Desert has installed eight electric vehicle charging stations throughout the community and upgraded four existing charging stations at the Civic Center Complex.

This work was funded by the AB 2766 program, a matching grant from the Southern California Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), and the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee (MSRC).

By partnering with various property owners and public agencies, the City will continue to improve and expand its charging station infrastructure throughout the community to benefit electric vehicle drivers and the environment.

To find out more about AB 2766 or SCAQMD's other programs, please visit their website at aqmd.gov. For further information about the City's electric vehicle projects, please call Public works at (760) 776-6473.

While it might not be a favorite topic, trash service, like sewer service, is a necessary municipal function that helps keep Palm Desert neighborhoods clean, healthy, and beautiful. To guarantee that waste is regularly removed from all homes, whether residents remember to pay their trash bill or not, the Palm Desert City Council has approved Tax Roll Billing for residential individually billed trash collection service.

Palm Desert residential customers are no longer billed quarterly for their trash service (excluding master-billed communities). Instead, property owners will see a separate fee included on their Property Tax Bill for trash service from July through June each year. 

FAQ

Q. I am a new resident. How do I set up service?
A. New residents should contact Burrtec at (760) 340-2113 to establish service as soon as possible and setup a service level that best fits their needs; otherwise, Burrtec may establish service based on the service provided to the previous customer, what is common in the area, or the default service level (64-gallon container). Regardless of whether or not residents call Burrtec to establish service, the trash fee will be reflected on the Property Tax Bill.

Q. Do I have to have trash service?
A. Yes. The City’s Municipal Code (Ordinance Section 8.16.020) requires every person in charge of a residence or residences in Palm Desert, to have trash service.

Q. When will I receive my bill?
A. In Riverside County, property tax bills are mailed during the first week of October with the first installment due November 1. The County considers property tax bills delinquent if they are not paid by 5 p.m. on December 10. Payments received after this date will be assessed a 10% penalty. The second installment is due February 1 and delinquent if not paid by 5 p.m. on April 10. If either December 10 or April 10 falls on a Saturday, Sunday or County holiday, the delinquency date is the next regular business day.

Q. I only live in Palm Desert part time. Do I have to pay for a full year’s trash service?
A. The City’s agreement with Burrtec includes a provision that allows part-time residents to stop trash service for a period of up to four months. Prior to leaving town, part-time residents should call Burrtec to stop service. Burrtec will issue a refund for the time when service was discontinued. The four months of stop service can be for four consecutive months or it can be split into two two-monthly periods. Please note that a service fee to restart service will apply.

Q. I received my tax bill from the County assessor and was surprised to see that my trash collection bill has been added to it. Is this right?
A. Yes, in May 2015, Palm Desert City Council voted unanimously to place fees for trash service on property owner’s tax bills.

Q. Is it legal to bill me this way?
A. Yes, many of California’s cities and counties collect the fee for waste services this way.

Q. When did all this happen and was the public notified?
A. The City Council held a noticed public hearing about tax roll billing on May 28, 2015. Property owners received a letter about the proposed change from the City prior to the public hearing.

Q. This bill is for the entire year and is for service I haven’t even received yet. Why should I have to pay for it all at once?
A. Property owners do not have to pay the full bill all at once. The Assessor provides the option of paying in two installments, one in the fall and the other in the spring.

Q. I own a rental property. Do I have to pay the bill if it is vacant?
A. The City’s Municipal Code (Ordinance Section 8.16.020) requires every person in charge of a residence or residences in Palm Desert, to have trash service. Because the City and Burrtec are unable to determine or track when a rental property is occupied, vacated, and then reoccupied, service must be established. The City’s agreement with Burrtec includes a provision that allows property owners to stop trash service for a period of up to four months. Burrtec will issue a refund for the time when service was discontinued. Please note that a service charge to restart service will apply.

Q. I own a rental property. How do I get my tenants to pay for the trash collection bill if it is on my property tax bill?
A. As the property owner, you will need to decide whether the cost of service is absorbed or passed on to the tenant.

Q. I live in a gated community and my homeowners association pays for my trash service. Will I still be assessed the fee on my property tax bill?
A. No. Those property owners that pay for trash service through their homeowners association are exempt from tax roll billing.

Q. I still have questions. Who can I call?
A. For questions regarding trash service, modifications, or billing information, please Contact Burrtec (760) 340-2113. Please call the Special Programs Department for additional questions at (760) 776-6342, or email recycling@palmdesert.gov.