How Gresham Handles Trash & Recycling: A Practical Guide
Gresham maintains 113 local ordinances across all categories, and 10 of those deal specifically with trash & recycling. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Gresham falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.
Dumpster Rules
A construction dumpster or roll-off can sit in Gresham's public right-of-way without a permit only briefly and under strict limits: size capped at 20.5 by 8 feet, kept 10 feet from fire hydrants, and never blocking traffic.
Key details: Size limit: 20.5 ft by 8 ft. Fire hydrant clearance: 10 feet. Placement: right-of-way parking area only. Marking required: reflective corner material. Violation remedy: impoundment, GRC Article 8.35.
A drop box or storage container placed in violation of GRC 8.30.030 or GRC 6.35.040 may be impounded under GRC Article 8.35, in addition to a fine up to $500 under GRC 8.30.040.
Yard Waste Collection
Gresham residents must set out yard debris in approved carts, kraft paper bags, or tied bundles under strict size and weight limits for weekly curbside pickup.
Key details: Bundle size limit: 36 in. long, 18 in. diameter. Bundled/bag weight limit: 45 lbs.. 60-gallon cart weight limit: 120 lbs.. Plastic bags: Not allowed. Collection: Weekly curbside.
Yard debris set out in plastic bags, oversized bundles, unlabeled receptacles, or over the posted weight limit can be left uncollected by the licensee under GRC 7.25.445, and repeated non-compliance is reported to the city.
Bin Placement Rules
Gresham requires residential trash and recycling carts at the curb, clear of mailboxes, hydrants, driveways and on-street parking, with special curbside arrangements available for mobility-impaired customers.
Key details: Placement: Curbside for residential carts. Keep clear of: Mailboxes, hydrants, driveways, sidewalks. Mobility exception: Arrange alt. spot with hauler. Multifamily: Enclosures must stay accessible.
Blocking a mailbox, hydrant, driveway or the sidewalk with a cart, or letting a required collection enclosure fall into disrepair, is a code compliance issue the city can act on under GRC 7.25.415.
Bulk Item Disposal
Gresham requires licensed haulers to collect bulky items like appliances, furniture, and large branches for every customer, on a schedule set by agreement but within seven working days of the customer's request.
Key details: Bulky wastes include: appliances, furniture, stumps. Branch threshold: over 4in dia, 36in long. Response time: within 7 working days. Governing section: GRC 7.25.230. Max fine: $500 (GRC 7.25.600).
Unless a specific fine is set elsewhere in the article, a hauler or customer who violates GRC Article 7.25's solid waste rules, including the bulky-waste collection duty, faces a fine up to $500 under GRC 7.25.600.
Holiday Pickup Schedule
Gresham limits residential and multifamily trash, recycling and yard debris collection to 6 a.m.-6 p.m., but its code expressly allows licensees to run outside that window when a holiday schedule requires extended hours.
Key details: Normal hours: 6 a.m.–6 p.m.. Holiday exception: Extended hours allowed. Commercial/industrial areas: No hour limit. Applies to: Residential & multifamily routes.
The code binds licensees, not residents: collection outside 6 a.m.-6 p.m. without a weather or holiday justification is a franchise compliance issue reportable to the city's solid waste program.
Gresham is more permissive than most cities when it comes to holiday pickup schedule. That said, there are still limits.
Recycling Requirements
Every licensed hauler in Gresham must give residential customers weekly curbside recycling pickup, provide multifamily properties shared receptacles, and set up recycling service for every commercial customer too.
Key details: Residential: Weekly curbside recycling required. Multifamily: Shared receptacles, weekly minimum. Commercial: Recycling receptacles for every business. Waiver: City may exempt non-participating business.
A licensee that dumps properly prepared recyclables in with the trash instead of recycling them, per GRC 7.25.220(4)(c), is subject to license revocation by the city.
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Gresham requires customers to load carts so contents fall freely, keep lids closed against overfilling, and bag ashes, pet waste, kitty litter and diapers before setting bins out for collection.
Key details: Fill rule: Waste must fall freely out. Overfilling: Lid must close fully. Ashes/pet waste/diapers: Bag in leak-resistant bag. Lid care: Keep closed against wind, rain.
Improperly loaded or overfilled receptacles give a licensee grounds to refuse collection under GRC 7.25.255 until the customer re-preps the load, with a written notice left at the address.
Illegal Dumping
Dumping trash, debris, or refuse on public or private land without permission is banned citywide, and violations of Gresham's dumping and littering rule are punishable by fines up to $1,000.
Key details: Dumping fine: up to $1,000. Uncovered-load fine: up to $500. Applies to: public and private land/water. Legal basis: ORS 459.108 civil penalty. Evidence rule: owner's name on debris = presumption.
Violating the refuse-hauling covering requirement (GRC 7.27.030) draws a fine up to $500. Violating the dumping/littering prohibition (GRC 7.27.040) draws a fine up to $1,000 per GRC 7.27.110.
Collection Schedule
Every occupied home and business in Gresham must have licensed trash, recycling, and yard debris service, with weekly collection the default for residential customers unless they subscribe to monthly pickup instead.
Key details: Service mandatory for: all occupied properties. Residential frequency: weekly, GRC 7.25.305. Alternative: monthly by subscription. Multifamily minimum: weekly, 14 days compactors. Max fine: $500 (GRC 7.25.600).
Unless another fine applies, failing to maintain required collection service under GRC Article 7.25 can draw a penalty up to $500 under GRC 7.25.600; landlords who don't subscribe on tenants' behalf risk the same exposure.
Mandatory Organics Recycling
Restaurants, grocers, hospitals, schools and other food-handling businesses in Gresham must separate food scraps from the rest of their trash once they generate enough waste to hit the city's weight thresholds.
Key details: Applies to: Covered food-handling businesses only. Group 1 threshold: 1,000 lbs/week food scraps. Exemption: Under 250 lbs/week. Waiver: 12 months, after site visit.
Noncompliance draws a written notice with 14 days to fix it first; an uncorrected violation can bring a citation or civil penalty under GRC 7.25.400(8) and Article 7.99.
The Bottom Line
Gresham's trash & recycling rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Gresham is broadly strict or permissive.
Keep in mind that Gresham can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.