Trash & Recycling in Lakewood, CA

If you live in Lakewood or are thinking about moving there, trash & recycling are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Lakewood has 9 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of trash & recycling, and some of them might surprise you.

Recycling Requirements

Lakewood requires every single-family household to automatically subscribe to the city's three-container curbside system under Municipal Code Section 5351: recyclables go in the Blue Container, food scraps and yard waste in the Green Container, trash in the Gray Container. Only carts the city's contractor supplies may be used, and mixing materials between containers is a violation the Public Works Director enforces, separate from the Sheriff's Department that handles Lakewood's contract-city policing.

Key details: Container system: Blue (recycling), Green (organics), Gray (trash). Subscription: Automatic for single-family households. Cart source: City's contractor only, no substitutes. First contamination: Educational cart-tag notice. Self-haul 3rd violation: $500 fine, license revoked 1 year.

Under Section 5359(C)(3), a first Prohibited Container Contaminant draws an educational cart tag; a repeat contamination in the same calendar year lets the city assess an administrative fine plus a hauler-billed contamination processing fee. Section 5359(A) separately fines self-haul contractor violations at $100 for a first offense with a permanent self-haul ban, $200 for a second with a six-month building-permit ban, and $500 for a third with one-year business-license revocation. Other Part 5 violations may draw a citation under Section 4900 et seq., an infraction, misdemeanor prosecution, or civil action.

Illegal Dumping

Dumping refuse on someone else's property without consent, or on public property outside a designated dump, is banned by Municipal Code Section 5331 and prosecuted as a misdemeanor under the City's general penalty section.

Key details: Core prohibition: No dumping without owner consent. Governing section: Municipal Code Sec. 5331. Abatement notice period: 5 days to abate. Lien interest rate: 6% per annum. Default charge: Misdemeanor under Sec. 1200.

A Section 5331 dumping violation is prosecutable as a misdemeanor under Section 1200, punishable by up to six months in County Jail, a fine at the state misdemeanor maximum, or both, with each day the dumped material remains a separate offense. Alternatively, a peace officer or authorized City employee may cite it as an infraction under Section 1205. Unabated dumping also exposes the property owner to nuisance-abatement costs and a lien under Sections 5339.2 through 5339.4 if the Director's 5-day notice to abate is ignored.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Lakewood actively enforces its illegal dumping requirements.

Collection Schedule

Lakewood runs an exclusive, mandatory municipal refuse system: the City and its contractor are the only ones allowed to collect trash from any address, and every occupant must be served at least once a calendar week under Municipal Code Section 5335.

Key details: Minimum service: At least once per calendar week. Who may collect: Only City or its contractor. Refuse accumulation limit: 7 days (30 days noncombustible). Governing section: Municipal Code Sec. 5322, 5335. Enforcement: Public Works Director.

Failing to subscribe or letting refuse sit past the 7-day (30-day noncombustible) limit in Section 5333 is a declared public nuisance that the Director can order abated after written notice, with abatement costs and a 6% annual interest lien placed on the property under Sections 5339.1 through 5339.4 if unpaid. Because Chapter 2's general penalty (Section 1200) also applies code-wide, a violation of this chapter can independently be prosecuted as a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail, a fine at the state misdemeanor maximum, or both, with each day of continuing violation a separate offense.

Pickup Rules & Schedules

Lakewood requires residents to use only the City-issued wheeled carts for trash and recycling, keep them clean, and bundle greenwaste separately, under Municipal Code Section 5332's storage and accumulation standards.

Key details: Trash/recycling container: City/contractor wheeled cart only. Greenwaste container size: 20 to 40 gallons, max 50 lbs. Bundled trimmings max: 4 ft long, 1.5 ft diameter, 50 lbs. Extra capacity: Rent additional cart from hauler. Governing section: Municipal Code Sec. 5332.

Using an unauthorized container, overflowing a cart on a regular basis without renting an extra one, or leaving carts dirty violates Section 5332's storage requirements and can be charged under the Chapter 2 general penalty at Section 1200: a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail, a fine at the state misdemeanor cap, or both, with each day of continued violation counted as a separate offense. The condition can also be treated as a public nuisance subject to City abatement and a cost lien under Sections 5339 through 5339.4.

Bin Placement Rules

Lakewood requires wheeled trash and recycling carts to sit curbside with wheels behind the curb, and limits how long they can stay out: no earlier than 4 p.m. the day before pickup, and pulled back within 12 hours after being emptied, under Municipal Code Section 5336.

Key details: Earliest set-out time: 4 p.m. day before collection. Cart storage deadline: Within 12 hours after emptying. Cart position: Wheels in front of curb or alley. Storage requirement: Not visible from public right-of-way. Governing section: Municipal Code Sec. 5336.

Setting a cart out earlier than the 4 p.m. day-before window, or leaving it visible from the street more than 12 hours after emptying, violates Section 5336(D) and is enforceable the same as other Code violations, chargeable as a misdemeanor under Section 1200's general penalty, punishable by up to six months in jail, a fine at the state misdemeanor maximum, or both, with the Director authorized to designate collection conditions under Section 5337 where practical difficulties arise.

If you are coming from a city with tighter rules, you will find Lakewood gives residents more flexibility on bin placement rules.

Bulk Item Disposal

Lakewood provides bulky-item disposal only through City-designated "Clean-Up" programs under Municipal Code Section 5335.2, covering discarded furniture, appliances, and plumbing or heating fixtures within the same weight and length limits that apply to regular refuse.

Key details: Bulky item service: Only during designated Clean-Up programs. Items covered: Furniture, appliances, plumbing/heating fixtures. Size limits: Carry over from Sec. 5332 where possible. Who designates program: City Council or the Director. Governing section: Municipal Code Sec. 5335.2.

Setting out bulky items for collection outside a designated Clean-Up program, or exceeding the weight and length limits carried over from Section 5332, is treated the same as any other unauthorized refuse placement and can be enforced as a nuisance under Sections 5339 through 5339.4, or prosecuted as a misdemeanor under the Chapter 2 general penalty, Section 1200, punishable by up to six months in jail, a fine at the state misdemeanor maximum, or both.

Recycling Rules

Lakewood commercial businesses and multi-family properties must subscribe to the City's three-container collection service and sort waste into Green, Blue, and Gray containers under Municipal Code Section 5352. Businesses must post color-conforming, labeled containers in customer areas, train employees and tenants on sorting, and allow City inspectors and remote-monitoring equipment to check for contamination.

Key details: Who must comply: Commercial businesses & multi-family dwellings. Containers required: Green, Blue, and Gray three-container system. Labeling deadline: New containers labeled since Jan. 1, 2022. Tenant notice: Sorting instructions within 14 days of move-in. Waiver option: De minimis waiver via Public Works (Sec. 5353).

Under Section 5359, the City issues a Notice of Violation for noncompliance, requiring correction within 30 days before penalties begin; self-haulers who fail to hold a valid permit or comply face fines starting at $100 for a first violation, $200 for a second, and $500 for a third or subsequent violation within 12 months, plus permit bans, building-permit holds, and business-license revocation for repeat offenders. Contaminated containers can draw an administrative fine plus the hauler's separate contamination processing fee.

Yard Waste Collection

Lakewood requires greenwaste to go in a resident-owned 20- to 40-gallon galvanized metal, heavy-duty plastic, or pressed-fiberboard container weighing no more than 50 pounds, per Municipal Code Section 5332. Cardboard boxes and plastic bags are banned as greenwaste containers. Branches and trimmings must be bundled to no more than 4 feet long, 1.5 feet in diameter, and 50 pounds, and set out no earlier than 4 p.m. the day before collection.

Key details: Container size: 20-40 gallon container, under 50 pounds. Bundle limit: 4 feet long, 1.5 feet diameter, 50 pounds. Set-out window: No earlier than 4 p.m. day before pickup. Cart pickup: Removed within 12 hours after emptied. Accumulation limit: 7 days max before public nuisance (Sec. 5333).

Allowing refuse or greenwaste to accumulate on a property for more than 7 days is declared an unlawful public nuisance under Section 5333. Violating any provision of the Municipal Code, including the greenwaste container and bundling standards, is a misdemeanor under Section 1200, punishable by a fine up to the state misdemeanor maximum, up to six months in County jail, or both, with each day of a continuing violation charged as a separate offense; the City may instead cite it as an infraction under Section 1205.

Dumpster Rules

Lakewood requires every commercial, industrial and institutional property, plus apartment complexes of five or more units, to store dumpsters in a City-approved trash enclosure. Bins need at least three cubic yards of capacity for trash and recyclables, two for organics, and cannot sit in an alley or right-of-way without Public Works sign-off.

Key details: Minimum solid waste bin size: 3 cubic yards. Minimum organic waste bin size: 2 cubic yards. Enclosure wall height: 5 feet minimum. Roll-off in right-of-way: requires encroachment permit. Governing section: Municipal Code § 9920.

Violating any Municipal Code provision, including the bin storage and enclosure standards, is a misdemeanor under § 1200 punishable by a fine up to the state misdemeanor maximum, up to six months in County Jail, or both, with each day of continued violation charged as a separate offense; the City Manager and City Attorney may instead designate a violation an infraction under §§ 1200-1204. Under § 9920(E)(4)(c), a property that fails to build a required enclosure as part of new construction or a tenant improvement will have its new or renewal business license withheld until it complies, on top of any code enforcement action.

The Bottom Line

Lakewood'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 Lakewood is broadly strict or permissive.

This guide is based on Lakewood's current municipal code. Local rules can and do change, so check the individual ordinance pages for the latest details, penalties, and FAQs.