Trash & Recycling in Cathedral City, CA (2026)
10 verified trash & recycling rules for Cathedral City, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Trash pickup in Cathedral City runs through the city's solid waste franchisee(s), which arrange with each account holder how regular service is provided under the franchise. Bulky waste and household hazardous waste are collected on call, and debris boxes are delivered on request and collected when no longer needed. The franchise agreement and Chapter 6.04 work together.
Cathedral City Franchise Trash Pickup, Bulky Waste and Debris Boxes
Light RestrictionsCathedral City Municipal Code § 6.04.320
A. Regular Collection. The city's solid waste franchisee(s) shall make arrangements with its account holders specifying the manner in which solid waste handling services are to be regularly provided, subject to the terms of its franchise. B. Special Collections. The city's solid waste franchisee(s) may provide on-call collection of bulky waste and household hazardous waste to its account holder...
Bin Placement Rules
In Cathedral City, no one can place a trash container in the public right-of-way more than twenty-four hours before the normal collection time, and the container must be removed within twenty-four hours after collection. Between those windows, no container can be visible from the public right-of-way. Debris boxes at single-family homes are limited to thirty consecutive days.
Cathedral City Trash Container Placement and Storage Rules
Some RestrictionsCathedral City Municipal Code § 6.04.210
A. Use. Every person in charge of a premises shall: 1. Keep on the premises a sufficient number of containers to hold all solid waste, including gray container waste, non-organic recyclables, and organic waste that accumulates on the premises each week without spilling, leaking, or emitting odors. ... B. Placement for Collection. To minimize interference with public rights-of-way, no person sha...
Bulk Item Disposal
In Cathedral City, no one can set bulky waste in a street or public right-of-way for collection without first arranging pick-up with the solid waste franchisee. Bulky waste covers items that would not typically fit in a container, such as furniture, carpets, mattresses and automobile tires, and the franchisee provides on-call collection.
Cathedral City Bulky Waste Collection Rules
Light RestrictionsCathedral City Municipal Code § 6.04.610
§ 6.04.610. Bulky waste. No person shall place bulky waste adjacent to or in a street or public right-of-way for collection or removal purposes without first making arrangements with the appropriate solid waste franchisee for the collection or removal of such bulky waste.
Recycling Requirements
Single-family households in Cathedral City must subscribe to the city's three-container organic waste collection service and take part in its three-container system for recyclables, green container organics and gray container waste. Only approved materials go in the matching colored container, and gray container material cannot go in the green or blue container.
Cathedral City Single-Family Three-Container Recycling Requirements
Some RestrictionsCathedral City Municipal Code § 6.04.510
Single-Family Organic Waste Generators. A. Shall subscribe to the city's three-container organic waste collection services. The city shall have the right to review the number, size, and location of a generator's containers to evaluate adequacy of capacity provided for each type of collection service for proper separation of materials and containment of materials; and generator shall adjust its ...
Mandatory Organics Recycling
Single-family households in Cathedral City must subscribe to the City's three-container organic waste collection service and keep materials sorted: blue container for recyclables, green container for organics, gray container for everything else. The City can review container number, size and location and require a service-level change. Commercial and multi-family premises follow a parallel duty in § 6.04.520.
Cathedral City Single-Family Three-Container Organics Rule
Significant RestrictionsCathedral City Municipal Code § 6.04.510
§ 6.04.510. Requirements for single-family generators. Single-Family Organic Waste Generators. A. Shall subscribe to the city's three-container organic waste collection services. The city shall have the right to review the number, size, and location of a generator's containers to evaluate adequacy of capacity provided for each type of collection service for proper separation of materials and co...
Illegal Dumping
In Cathedral City, it is unlawful to negligently or intentionally spill solid waste on any property, or to cause, suffer or permit solid waste to sit on property in the city, except as authorized by law. Violations are misdemeanors, and code enforcement officers can use administrative citations, criminal citations, nuisance abatement or civil actions.
Cathedral City Unlawful Dumping Ban and Penalties
Significant RestrictionsCathedral City Municipal Code § 6.04.680
§ 6.04.680. Unlawful dumping. It is unlawful for any person to negligently or intentionally spill upon any property within the city any solid waste, or to cause, suffer, or permit solid waste to be located upon any property in the city, except as authorized by law.
Yard Waste Collection
In Cathedral City, landscapers can haul and compost or dispose of green waste only when it comes from their own specific work site and goes to a compost facility permitted by CALRecycle or exempt from permitting. A landscaper cannot hire an outside hauler for that green waste unless the hauler holds a franchise from the City.
Cathedral City Landscaper Green Waste Disposal Rules
Some RestrictionsCathedral City Municipal Code § 6.04.410
§ 6.04.410. Landscapers—Disposal of green waste. Landscapers may collect, transport and compost or dispose of green waste, provided that any such green waste is generated by their own specific work site and is disposed of at a compost facility permitted by CALRecycle or exempt from permitting. Landscapers shall not contract with a solid waste enterprise to collect, transport and compost or disp...
Dumpster Rules
In Cathedral City, multi-family, office, institutional, commercial and manufacturing uses in any zone must provide a trash enclosure. Uses with containers under three cubic yards are exempt, and containers of twelve cubic yards or more and any compactor are exempt if painted to blend in and placed without creating a visual nuisance or traffic hazard.
Cathedral City Dumpster and Trash Enclosure Rules
Some RestrictionsCathedral City Municipal Code § 9.88.020
A trash enclosure as specified herein shall be provided for all multi-family, office, institutional, commercial and manufacturing uses in any zone, and subject to the following: A. Exceptions. The requirement for a trash enclosure shall not apply as to uses where the need is for refuse containers of less than three cubic yards or they are otherwise screened from public view by walls, fences, bu...
Collection Schedule
In Cathedral City, the person in charge of every premises must arrange solid waste handling service with a solid waste franchisee and keep that arrangement in good standing. Failing to do so is a misdemeanor and a public nuisance. Solid waste cannot be disposed of less frequently than one time per week, except while a premises is temporarily unoccupied.
Cathedral City Mandatory Trash Service and Weekly Disposal
Some RestrictionsCathedral City Municipal Code § 6.04.200
In order to protect the public health, safety, and well-being, and to prevent the spread of vectors, the person in charge of a premises in the city shall make arrangements with a solid waste franchisee for solid waste handling services and keep such arrangement in good standing. A violation of this section is a misdemeanor and punishable as provided in Article 7 of this chapter.
Recycling Rules
In Cathedral City, California, a commercial premises that generates four cubic yards or more of solid waste per week must subscribe to a solid waste franchisee for pick-up of non-organic recyclables. Businesses open to customers must also put out a marked recycling container next to the gray waste container. Full-service restaurants get a limited exemption from the container rule.
Cathedral City Commercial Recycling Requirements
Some RestrictionsCathedral City Municipal Code § 6.04.430
§ 6.04.430. Mandatory commercial/multi-family recycling. A. A commercial premises that generates four cubic yards or more of solid waste per week shall arrange for recycling services for non-organic recyclables by subscribing to a solid waste franchisee for the pick-up of non-organic recyclables. B. A business subject to subsection A and that provides customers access to the business shall prov...
Looking for Riverside County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Cathedral City city rules.
Trash & Recycling in Riverside County →