How West Jordan Handles Trash & Recycling: A Practical Guide

West Jordan maintains 120 local ordinances across all categories, and 8 of those deal specifically with trash & recycling. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where West Jordan falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Collection Schedule

West Jordan's contracted hauler collects household solid waste, green waste, and recyclables only under an executed City contract, and City Code section 5-5-3(A) sets the deadline: your container must be at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on the assigned collection day. If construction or another obstruction blocks your normal spot, the container moves to the nearest accessible point instead.

Key details: Curbside deadline: 7:00 a.m. on your assigned collection day. Governing section: City Code § 5-5-3(A). Service basis: Executed City contract, not resident choice. Obstruction rule: Move to nearest accessible collection point. No street access: City Administrator arranges alternate pickup.

Missing the 7:00 a.m. cutoff does not carry its own fine: the crew simply will not stop, and a missed pickup must be rescheduled through the City. Code violations under Title 5 with no penalty of their own default to a Class B misdemeanor under section 1-14B-1, and unpaid collection fees can be pursued through all other remedies, legal and equitable, including remedies found in Title 16, per section 5-5-4(C).

Bulk Item Disposal

West Jordan's regular curbside service will not take large appliances or furniture: City Code section 5-5-3(B)(1)(a) bans collection of "bulky waste," meaning stoves, refrigerators, water tanks, washing machines, furniture, and similar items too heavy or bulky for the standard solid waste container. Placing them in the City-issued container is unlawful.

Key details: Governing section: City Code § 5-5-3(B)(1)(a). Banned items: Stoves, refrigerators, water tanks, washers, furniture. Weight cap: 250 lbs total per container, § 5-5-3(B)(1)(g). Placement ban: Unlawful to load banned items into City container. No curbside bulk program: Not covered by regular chapter 5-5 service.

Placing bulky waste, a large dead animal, hazardous material, stable matter, construction debris, or hot ashes into a City container is unlawful under section 5-5-3(B)(2), separate from any weight-limit violation once the container exceeds 250 pounds under subsection B1g. Title 5 violations without a stated penalty default to a Class B misdemeanor under section 1-14B-1.

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

Yard Waste Collection

West Jordan defines green waste narrowly: compostable tree and plant trimmings, grass cuttings, dead plants, leaves, weeds, chips, shavings, and sawdust under City Code section 5-5-1. Like mixed waste and recyclables, it can only be picked up curbside through the City's contracted hauler, and collected green waste goes to the Trans-Jordan Cities Landfill under section 5-5-5(A).

Key details: Governing section: City Code § 5-5-1 (definitions). Included materials: Plant trimmings, grass, leaves, weeds, sawdust. Collection basis: City-contracted hauler only, per § 5-5-2. Disposal site: Trans-Jordan Cities Landfill, § 5-5-5(A). City oversight: City representative sits on landfill board.

Placing material outside the green waste definition, such as bulky branches or construction debris, into a container is treated the same as other prohibited-item placements under the chapter, and Title 5 violations without a stated penalty default to a Class B misdemeanor under section 1-14B-1.

Dumpster Rules

West Jordan requires every dumpster to be screened citywide under City Code section 13-14-3(C), which sits in the fencing and screening chapter that applies to all zoning districts. Dumpsters, mechanical equipment and loading areas must be sunk below grade or fully enclosed with masonry fencing, solid metal gates and landscaping, or another material the planning commission finds equally durable.

Key details: Governing section: City Code § 13-14-3(C). Applies to: All zoning districts citywide. Required screening: Below grade or masonry fencing + gates + landscaping. Loading area rule: Must be fully screened during load/unload. City Center zone add-on: §13-5I-11(A): no view from plazas/dining areas.

Dumpster and loading-area screening is enforced through the site plan and building permit process under sections 13-1-8 and 13-1-9: no permit issues for a use that conflicts with title 13, and it is unlawful to occupy a building before a certificate of occupancy and zoning compliance confirms the approved screening was actually built. An unscreened dumpster discovered after occupancy is a zoning compliance failure the city can require corrected before further permits or a certificate renewal are issued.

Recycling Requirements

In West Jordan, recyclable materials cannot be picked up curbside on your own arrangement: City Code section 5-5-2(A) makes collection of recyclables, green waste, and mixed waste from single-family homes, duplexes, and mobile homes unlawful except under an executed contract with the City. The City Administrator's designee runs the program and bills through the fee resolution.

Key details: Governing section: City Code § 5-5-2(A). Covered dwellings: Single-family, duplex, mobile home subdivisions. Service basis: Executed contract with the City required. Materials defined: Per City recycling collection/processing contract. Billing: Rides with solid waste fee under § 5-5-4.

Arranging recyclables collection outside the City's contracted program is unlawful under section 5-5-2(A). Solid waste chapter violations without their own stated penalty default to a Class B misdemeanor under section 1-14B-1, and the City can pursue unpaid service charges tied to the contracted program through all other remedies, legal and equitable, including remedies found in Title 16, under section 5-5-4(C).

Recycling Rules

West Jordan defines recyclables by contract, not by a fixed list in the code: City Code section 5-5-1 covers "discarded household items acceptable for recycling as described in the City current recycling collection and processing contract." Once collected, section 5-5-5(C) requires that material go to "an appropriate and approved recycling facility" rather than the landfill used for mixed and green waste.

Key details: Governing sections: City Code §§ 5-5-1, 5-5-5(C). Materials list source: Current City recycling contract, not the code. Contract access: On file at City Recorder's office. Disposal path: Approved recycling facility, not the landfill. Collection basis: Mandatory City contract under § 5-5-2.

Recyclable materials collection outside the City's contracted program remains prohibited under section 5-5-2(A), the same mandatory-service structure covering mixed and green waste. Title 5 violations without a stated penalty default to a Class B misdemeanor under section 1-14B-1.

Bin Placement Rules

West Jordan tells residents exactly where and when a solid waste container can sit on the street. City Code section 5-5-3(D) requires curbside placement on the driveway's edge opposite the mailbox, at least three feet from any obstruction, and bans parking within ten feet of a set-out container; section 5-5-3(E) limits set-out to no earlier than the day before collection.

Key details: Placement spot: Curb edge opposite mailbox, § 5-5-3(D). Obstruction clearance: At least 3 feet from obstructions. No-park zone: 10 feet around a curbside container. Earliest set-out: Day before scheduled collection, § 5-5-3(E). Removal deadline: No later than the day after emptied.

Parking within ten feet of a curbside container is unlawful under section 5-5-3(D). Leaving an empty container on the street beyond the day after collection, or setting it out earlier than the day before collection, violates section 5-5-3(E). Title 5 violations without a stated penalty default to a Class B misdemeanor under section 1-14B-1.

Pickup Rules & Schedules

West Jordan's collection crews only empty solid waste that is entirely inside the City-issued container, wheels facing away from the street, lid fully closed, per City Code section 5-5-3(A). The pickup point also has to stay clear of trees, wires, poles, mailboxes, and parked cars, since the truck's mechanical arm grabs and empties the container without the driver backing up.

Key details: Governing section: City Code § 5-5-3(A). Container position: In gutter, wheels facing away from street. Lid requirement: Must be completely closed. Clearance needed: Clear of trees, wires, poles, mailboxes, cars. Non-compliance result: Collector may refuse the pickup.

A container with loose, uncontained waste beside it, an open lid, or wheels facing the wrong way can simply be passed over: section 5-5-3(A) lets the collector refuse pickup outright. Repeated noncompliance is a Title 5 code matter that, absent its own stated penalty, defaults to a Class B misdemeanor under section 1-14B-1.

The Bottom Line

West Jordan'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 West Jordan is broadly strict or permissive.

All of the above reflects West Jordan's municipal code as of our last review. If you need specifics on fines, exemptions, or filing requirements, the detailed ordinance pages linked above have the full breakdown.