Orem's Trash & Recycling: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles trash & recycling a little differently. In Orem, Utah, there are 9 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Recycling Requirements

Anyone who wants to place a collection trailer or container for recyclables anywhere in Orem needs sign-off from the Development Review Committee first. The DRC keeps them off required parking and landscaped areas and checks pedestrian and traffic safety before approving a location.

Key details: Approval needed: Development Review Committee, before placement. Applies: Any zone in the City. Restricted spots: No required parking or landscape areas. Material limit: Only materials the Recycling Advisory Commission approved.

Placing a recycling trailer or container without DRC approval, or in a spot that eats into required parking or landscaping, is a zoning violation under Chapter 22; the City can require relocation or removal of the container and, because it sits within the general Zoning Ordinance enforcement framework, continued noncompliance exposes the property owner to citation and civil penalties alongside the underlying zoning case.

Compared to other cities, Orem takes a harder line on recycling requirements. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Recycling Rules

Orem lets the City or a licensed solid waste contractor run recyclables collection outside the regular receptacle or container service, but the material has to go into containers built specifically for recycling. Cardboard is the one exception: it can wait on the ground next to the recycling container.

Key details: Who may collect: City or an Art. 15-4 licensed contractor. Container rule: Recyclables need a dedicated recycling container. Cardboard exception: May sit on the ground beside the bin. Unlicensed collection penalty: Class B misdemeanor, Sec. 15-1-9.

Collecting recyclables without holding an Article 15-4 solid waste contractor license is unauthorized collection under Section 15-1-8, a Class B misdemeanor under Section 15-1-9 that can be charged for every day the unlicensed collection continues; putting recyclables loose in the regular trash receptacle instead of a dedicated recycling container is also noncompliant with Section 15-1-4(C)'s separate-container requirement.

If you are coming from a city with tighter rules, you will find Orem gives residents more flexibility on recycling rules.

Holiday Pickup Schedule

Orem does not guarantee trash pickup on holidays: Section 15-1-13 lets the Public Works Director or the City's solid waste contractor suspend collection on any holiday they designate, so residents need to check for a shifted schedule rather than assume routine day-of-week service.

Key details: Who decides: Public Works Director or the contractor. Guarantee: At least weekly residential pickup, Sec. 15-3-4. Normal hours: 4 a.m.-8 p.m., Mon-Sat, Sec. 15-1-3. Schedule notice: Contractor must file schedule/changes with City, Sec. 15-3-2.

There is no penalty tied to a holiday suspension itself since it is an authorized administrative action, not a violation; however, a solid waste contractor that fails to notify the City of a schedule change under Section 15-3-2, or that misses the once-a-week minimum collection frequency required by Section 15-3-4, is out of compliance with its Chapter 15 obligations and subject to the City's contractor suspension or revocation process under Section 15-1-10.

The rules around holiday pickup schedule in Orem lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

Bin Placement Rules

Orem residents must set receptacles out in the gutter or at the curb, never earlier than the evening before pickup, and out by 7:00 a.m. on collection day. Empty carts must come back off the curb the same day they're emptied under Section 15-2-4.

Key details: Earliest set-out: Evening before collection day. Latest set-out: 7:00 a.m. on collection day. Cart removal: Same day it is emptied. Deep lots: Bring cart to the street entrance. Penalty: Class B misdemeanor, Sec. 15-1-9.

Leaving a cart at the curb past the same-day removal deadline, blocking a container's access, or failing to clean up spilled waste around a receptacle violates Section 15-2-4 and, like other Chapter 15 solid waste violations, is enforceable as a Class B misdemeanor under Section 15-1-9, with each day the noncompliant condition continues charged as a separate offense.

Bulk Item Disposal

Orem's Chapter 15 treats bulky items like furniture and appliances as waste too large for a standard receptacle, while brush, bushes and tree limbs must be cut to fit inside the cart before collection under Section 15-2-7. Neither category can be left piled up: Section 15-2-8 caps most accumulation at one week.

Key details: Brush prep: Cut to fit inside the receptacle, Sec. 15-2-7. Bulky waste examples: Appliances, furniture, large concrete/asphalt chunks. General accumulation limit: 1 week without written City approval. Excluded-materials limit: 30 days maximum, Sec. 15-2-8. Penalty: Class B misdemeanor, Sec. 15-1-9.

Setting out brush or limbs too long to fit the receptacle, or leaving bulky waste or debris piled on a lot past the one-week (or thirty-day, for excluded materials) limit in Section 15-2-8, is a Chapter 15 violation; the City can order removal, and continuing noncompliance is prosecutable as a Class B misdemeanor under Section 15-1-9 with each day treated as a separate offense.

Illegal Dumping

Orem City Code 15-2-9 makes it unlawful to place, deposit, bury or dump solid waste on any lot, street, alley, or into any water, waterway or container not meant for that use anywhere in the city. Section 15-1-9 turns every violation into a Class B misdemeanor, with each day it continues charged as a separate offense.

Key details: Governing section: Orem City Code 15-2-9. Penalty: Class B misdemeanor, 15-1-9. Continuing offense: Separate offense each day it continues. Correction window: 3 days after written notice (15-2-12). Hazardous waste: Separately banned under 15-2-10.

Dumping solid waste on a lot, street, alley or waterway not intended for that use is a Class B misdemeanor under Section 15-1-9, with a new offense charged for each day the violation continues. Illegally disposing of hazardous waste or unmarked barrels under Section 15-2-10 is separate grounds for criminal prosecution and can cost a licensed solid waste contractor its City permit and business license.

This is one of the stricter rules in Orem's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

Pickup Rules & Schedules

Orem limits when solid waste contractors can run pickups: containers may be emptied only between 4:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday, under City Code 15-1-3 and 15-3-1. Any pickup within 700 feet of a residential area must additionally wait until 7:00 a.m. and finish by 8:00 p.m., at the least disruptive time available.

Key details: Citywide window: 4:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Mon-Sat. Near-residential rule: No earlier than 7 a.m., 15-3-1. Distance trigger: Within 700 feet of residential area. Schedule filing: Contractor must file schedule with City. Enforcement: Permit suspension under 15-1-10.

Running pickups outside 4:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (or before 7:00 a.m. near homes) is enforced under Chapter 15's general penalty, Section 15-1-9, as a Class B misdemeanor, with each day of noncompliant scheduling a separate offense. The Public Works Director can also suspend or revoke a contractor's solid waste permit and business license under Section 15-1-10 after a show-cause hearing.

Collection Schedule

Orem's solid waste system is not opt-in: City Code 15-1-2 makes the City responsible for ensuring every residential, commercial and multi-dwelling property is serviced, and Section 15-3-4 requires removal at least once a week from all residential premises. Section 15-1-5 charges receptacle-service fees regardless of whether an owner wants the service.

Key details: City's duty: Must service every premises, 15-1-2. Residential minimum: At least once a week, 15-3-4. Mandatory fee: Owed even if service unwanted, 15-1-5(D). Accumulation cap: No more than 1 week, 15-2-8.

Letting solid waste sit for more than a week without written City approval violates Section 15-2-8 and, like other Chapter 15 violations, is a Class B misdemeanor under Section 15-1-9, with each day of continued accumulation a separate offense. Unpaid receptacle-service fees under Section 15-1-5 are also collectible as a civil debt to the City.

Dumpster Rules

In Orem, a dumpster or trash container of one and one-half cubic yards or more can't sit inside a building, within 5 feet of a combustible wall or roof eave, or in a front or side street-facing setback, under the site plan improvement standard in City Code Section 22-14-20(G)(1).

Key details: Trigger size: 1.5 cubic yards or more. Combustible wall buffer: 5 feet minimum clearance. Street setback rule: No placement in front/side street setback. Governing section: Orem City Code 22-14-20(G)(1). Enforcement: Class C misdemeanor, up to $500 fine (22-1-6).

A dumpster placed inside the five-foot combustible-wall buffer or in a street-facing setback is a site plan deviation under Section 22-14-20, and Development Services can require relocation before signing off on an occupancy or building permit. Because departing from an approved site plan is a Chapter 22 violation, the property owner faces the City's general zoning penalty under Section 22-1-6: a Class C misdemeanor, up to a $500 fine ($1,000 for a corporation), and up to three months in jail, with each day a separate offense.

The Bottom Line

Orem'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 Orem is broadly strict or permissive.

Keep in mind that Orem 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.