San Leandro's Trash & Recycling: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles trash & recycling a little differently. In San Leandro, California, there are 10 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.

Pickup Rules & Schedules

San Leandro uses exclusive franchised haulers (Alameda County Industries and Waste Management of Alameda County). Carts must be at the curb by 6:00 a.m. on collection day with at least 3 feet between carts.

Key details: Set-out time: By 6:00 a.m. on collection day. Spacing between carts: 3 feet minimum. Franchised haulers: ACI and WMAC (by zone). Self-hauling allowed?: Yes, for own generated waste only. Holiday delays: New Year's Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas (1-day delay).

Hiring an unfranchised hauler violates SLMC §3-6-320 and is enforced under the City's Community Preservation Ordinance: $100 first administrative citation, $200 second, $500 for continuing violations, with a 10-day cure period at each stage (per the City's Enforcement Process). The franchisee may also refuse service after two warnings for improper set-out.

San Leandro is more permissive than most cities when it comes to pickup rules & schedules. That said, there are still limits.

Illegal Dumping

Dumping refuse on streets, sidewalks, storm drains, or private lots is banned citywide under San Leandro's storm water ordinance and solid waste code, backed by misdemeanor and infraction penalties and administrative abatement.

Key details: Core prohibition: SLMC § 3-15-215(a), § 3-6-230(a)(6). Max misdemeanor penalty: $1,000 fine / 6 months jail. First infraction fine: Up to $100. Second infraction fine (1 yr): Up to $200. Repeat nuisance penalty: Treble abatement cost.

Illegal dumping is enforced citywide under Chapter 1-12: a violation is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 and/or up to six months in County Jail under § 1-12-200(b), unless charged as an infraction, which carries fines up to $100 for a first violation and $200 for a second within a year, escalating to a misdemeanor on a third offense within 12 months. A condition of real property in violation is also declared a public nuisance under § 1-12-115, and a second nuisance conviction within two years can result in the court ordering the responsible party to pay treble the abatement cost under § 1-12-200(d).

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

Yard Waste Collection

San Leandro requires every occupied home to subscribe to the city franchisee's green waste service for tree trimmings, grass, and leaves, using the franchisee-provided cart, unless a documented exemption applies.

Key details: Governing code: SLMC § 3-6-100, § 3-6-200, § 3-6-250. Service start deadline: Within 15 days of occupancy. Cart cost: Free for single/multi-family customers. Home composting: Allowed in lieu of full removal. Exemption request window: 15 days, written, documented.

Discarding green waste outside the franchised system, such as burning it (barred by § 3-6-230(a)(4)) or dumping it in a public right-of-way, is a violation of Chapter 3-6, enforceable under Chapter 1-12 as an infraction (up to $100 first offense, $200 second) or a misdemeanor (up to $1,000 fine and/or six months in jail) if charged that way, plus abatement costs for any resulting nuisance.

Bin Placement Rules

San Leandro requires leak-proof, properly sized containers positioned where the franchisee can easily reach them, and bars overloading carts or leaving unauthorized containers in public places.

Key details: Governing code: SLMC § 3-6-250, § 3-6-340. Container standard: Leak-proof, adequately sized. Cart cost: Free for residential subscribers. Unauthorized container notice: Min. 24 hrs before impound. Business hours for notice: 7 a.m.-6 p.m., Mon-Sat.

Overloading or mis-locating a franchisee cart, or placing an unauthorized container in the City, violates Chapter 3-6 and can trigger impoundment under § 3-6-340 plus liability for all associated fines and charges. General code violations are enforceable under Chapter 1-12 as an infraction (up to $100 first offense, $200 second within a year) or a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and six months in County Jail.

Dumpster Rules

San Leandro's zoning code requires refuse storage areas for multi-family, commercial, industrial, and public/semipublic properties to sit behind a six-foot solid wall that matches the main building before the property can be occupied. The Zoning Enforcement Official can waive screening only if the dumpster is not visible from a street or residential district.

Key details: Required screening: Six-foot solid wall on all sides. Wall finish: Must match primary building materials/colors. Applies to: Multi-family, commercial, industrial, public/semipublic. Waiver standard: Not visible from street or R district. Waiver/relief path: Administrative Exception, Chapter 5.06.

Occupying a multi-family, commercial, industrial, or public/semipublic building without the required six-foot screened refuse enclosure, or removing/altering an approved enclosure so it no longer matches the primary building's materials and colors, is a zoning violation the City can address through code enforcement and can hold up a certificate of occupancy until corrected.

Recycling Requirements

San Leandro requires every property that produces solid waste, recyclables, or green waste to subscribe to the City's exclusive franchisee's collection service within 15 days of occupancy, with narrow self-haul exemptions that occupied single-family homes, multi-family buildings, and operating food establishments can never claim.

Key details: Governing sections: SLMC §§ 3-6-200, 3-6-210, 3-6-220, 3-6-250. Service start deadline: 15 days of occupancy. Never-exempt properties: Occupied single/multi-family homes, food establishments. Fee collection: Billed by franchisee; City can lien property. Container source: Franchisee-supplied, free for residential.

Failing to subscribe or improperly claiming an exemption exposes an owner to City-directed franchisee service plus back charges, and a franchisee may refuse or discontinue pickup after two warnings for materials not properly set out, at which point the accumulation itself can become an abatable nuisance under the Community Preservation Ordinance, enforced through Chapter 1-12's notice-of-violation and administrative penalty process.

Mandatory Organics Recycling

San Leandro's Organics Reduction and Recycling ordinance (SLMC Ch. 3-24) requires every household and business to subscribe to compost, recycling, and landfill collection and sort waste into the right bin, with fines up to $500 per violation for repeat offenders.

Key details: Governing chapter: SLMC Chapter 3-24. Adopting ordinance: Ord. No. 2021-012, 11/15/21. First violation fine: $50–$100. Third+ violation fine: $250–$500. Notice-to-comply window: 60 days.

Section 3-24-1100 lets the enforcement agency, which is the Alameda County Waste Management Authority acting for the City, issue a notice of violation giving 60 days to come into compliance before pursuing an administrative citation and fine; other remedies including civil action or misdemeanor or infraction prosecution remain available. Penalties escalate from $50 to $100 for a first violation, $100 to $200 for a second, and $250 to $500 for a third or later violation of the same requirement, and a cited party may appeal by requesting a hearing within the time stated on the citation. Enforcement against single-family generators, food recovery organizations, and commercial edible food generators began January 1, 2024; enforcement against commercial businesses and haulers began January 1, 2022.

Collection Schedule

San Leandro requires every property that generates solid waste to subscribe to the city's exclusive franchisee within 15 days of occupancy, with putrescible waste removed at least once every seven days.

Key details: Governing code: SLMC § 3-6-200, § 3-6-240. Minimum removal frequency: Every 7 days. Service start deadline: 15 days from occupancy. No exemption allowed for: Occupied homes, food establishments. Franchise award authority: City Council, sole discretion.

Failing to subscribe or maintain required service, or discarding materials outside the franchised system, violates Chapter 3-6 and is enforceable under Chapter 1-12 as an infraction (up to $100 first violation, $200 second within a year) or a misdemeanor (up to $1,000 fine and/or six months in County Jail). Accumulated waste from a customer who ignores at least two set-out warnings can also be declared an abatable nuisance under § 3-6-310(f).

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. San Leandro actively enforces its collection schedule requirements.

Bulk Item Disposal

San Leandro residents cannot set large items like furniture, mattresses, appliances, or tires out with regular trash. The city's exclusive franchisee handles bulky waste only as a special on-call service, billed as an extra fee outside the normal weekly collection.

Key details: Governing code: SLMC § 3-6-100, § 3-6-310(d). Collection method: On-call special service, not curbside. Cost: Special fee charged by franchisee. Debris box response: By end of next business day. Max misdemeanor fine: $1,000 / 6 months jail.

Setting bulky items curbside without scheduling the paid special service, or dumping them in a public place, violates § 3-6-230. Enforcement runs through Chapter 1-12: a first violation may be charged as an infraction (fine up to $100, $200 for a second violation within a year) or, per § 1-12-200, prosecuted as a misdemeanor (fine up to $1,000 and/or up to six months in County Jail). Repeat nuisance violations can trigger treble abatement costs.

Recycling Rules

Once recyclables are set out for pickup, San Leandro makes them the property of the City's franchisee and bars anyone else, including the person who set them out, from taking them back or placing an unauthorized collection container in the City.

Key details: Governing sections: SLMC §§ 3-6-320, 3-6-330, 3-6-340. Ownership of set-out recyclables: Transfers to City franchisee immediately. Scavenging penalty: Infraction or misdemeanor per § 3-6-330(d). Unauthorized container removal: 24 hrs after posting, or 6 business hrs after phone notice. Self-haul carve-out: Owner may haul own waste under § 3-6-320.

Taking recyclables from the curb or running an unauthorized collection route is a violation of Chapter 1-12: § 3-6-330(d) makes a conviction an infraction or misdemeanor, meaning fines of $100 to $200 for a first or second offense within a year, rising to a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 and six months in jail for a third violation of the same section.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. San Leandro actively enforces its recycling rules requirements.

The Bottom Line

San Leandro is tougher than many cities when it comes to trash & recycling. Out of the 10 rules covered here, 3 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in San Leandro, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

Keep in mind that San Leandro 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.