Trash & Recycling in Compton, CA (2026)
11 verified trash & recycling rules for Compton, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Every home and business in Compton must subscribe to the City's three-container organic waste collection service under Municipal Code § 21-3.3 and § 21-3.4, sorting food scraps and yard trimmings into the green container, recyclables into blue, and trash into gray. Skipping the sorting rules brings fines starting at $100 per violation under § 21-3.14.
Compton Organic Waste Collection Pickup Rules
Significant RestrictionsCompton, CA, Municipal Code § 21-3.3
Single-Family Organic Waste Generators shall comply with the following requirements, except Single-Family Generators that meet the Self-Hauler requirements of the Franchise Agreement and this Code: a. Subscribe to the City's three-container Organic Waste collection service(s) performed by the Franchise Hauler pursuant to the requirements of the Franchise Agreement for all Organic Waste generate...
Bin Placement Rules
Compton limits when trash carts and bins can sit at the curb: not before noon the day before pickup, and gone again by 6:00 a.m. the next morning. Municipal Code § 21-1.4(b) also caps a curbside container at 65 pounds unless the hauler uses automated trucks, and bars keeping bins visible from the street outside that window.
Compton Garbage Cart Placement and Set-Out Times
Some RestrictionsCompton, CA, Municipal Code § 21-1.4(b)
2. No person shall place a container adjacent to a street or public right-of-way for collection if the container and its contents weigh more than 65 pounds, unless the authorized collector is using automated collection equipment. 3. No person shall place a container or any bulky waste adjacent to a street or public right-of-way for collection service before 12:00 noon on the day preceding the r...
Bulk Item Disposal
Furniture, appliances and other large items in Compton go out only through the authorized hauler's on-call bulky waste service under § 21-1.6(a). Setting bulky items at the curb before scheduling that pickup with the collector is unlawful under § 21-1.10(e), and the items still have to wait until noon the day before the scheduled date.
Compton Bulky Waste Pickup Rules
Some RestrictionsCompton, CA, Municipal Code § 21-1.6(a); § 21-1.10(e)
An authorized collector shall provide on-call collection of bulky waste and other items to its customers in accordance with the applicable collection agreement. ... It shall be unlawful for any person to place bulky waste adjacent to a street or public right-of-way without first having made arrangements with the authorized collector for the collection of the bulky waste.
Recycling Requirements
Compton businesses and multifamily properties generating four cubic yards or more of solid waste a week must divert recyclables from the trash under Municipal Code § 21-1.8(b), either by using the authorized collector's recycling containers, self-hauling under permit, or selling and donating the material, with an annual exemption process for those with none to divert.
Compton Mandatory Commercial Recycling Rule
Significant RestrictionsCompton, CA, Municipal Code § 21-1.8(b) (Mandatory Commercial Recycling)
Except as otherwise expressly provided in this chapter, public entities or commercial businesses (including, but not limited to, a firm, partnership, proprietorship, joint stock company, corporation, or association that is organized as a for-profit entity or nonprofit entity) that generate four cubic yards or more of solid waste per week and multifamily dwellings ("business" or "businesses" for...
Mandatory Organics Recycling
Compton requires every home and business to subscribe to the city's three-container organics program under §§ 21-3.3 and 21-3.4, sorting food scraps and yard trimmings into a green bin, recyclables into blue, and trash into gray, with fines starting at $100 for a first violation under § 21-3.14.
Compton Mandatory Organic Waste Separation
Significant RestrictionsCompton, CA, Municipal Code § 21-3.3 (Requirements for Single-Family Organic Waste Generators); § 21-3.14(c) (Enforcement: Penalty Amounts)
Single-Family Organic Waste Generators shall comply with the following requirements, except Single-Family Generators that meet the Self-Hauler requirements of the Franchise Agreement and this Code: Subscribe to the City's three-container Organic Waste collection service(s) performed by the Franchise Hauler pursuant to the requirements of the Franchise Agreement...Generators shall place Source S...
Holiday Pickup Schedule
Compton's authorized trash collector cannot run routes on Sundays or holidays, and even on weekdays pickup is confined to a fixed daily window. Municipal Code § 21-1.5(c) sets collection hours between 5:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., pushing any holiday-week route into a surrounding weekday rather than allowing early-morning, evening, or Sunday makeup runs.
Compton Sunday and Holiday Collection Ban
Some RestrictionsCompton, CA, Municipal Code § 21-1.5(c) (Collection: Hours and Days of Collection)
Hours and Days of Collection. Collection from any premises by an authorized collector shall not be made between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. of the following day or at any time on a Sunday or a holiday. The City Manager may waive the requirements of this section when necessitated by conditions beyond the control of the authorized collector and may require an authorized collector to chan...
Illegal Dumping
A vehicle used to illegally dump waste in Compton can be seized and impounded for up to 30 days once the driver has a prior conviction for the same Penal Code Sec. 374.3(h) offense within the past three years. Municipal Code Sec. 7-9.16 declares that vehicle a public nuisance.
Compton Illegal Dumping Vehicle Seizure Rule
Significant RestrictionsCompton, CA, Municipal Code Sec. 7-9.16 (Declaration of Public Nuisance of Vehicles Used in Commission of Illegal Dumping)
A vehicle used in the commission or attempted commission of an act that violates Section 374.3(h) of the California Penal Code is declared to be a public nuisance and shall be subject to seizure and impoundment for a period of up to 30 days if there is probable cause to seize the vehicle and the owner or operator of the vehicle has had a prior conviction for the same offense within the past thr...
Yard Waste Collection
Yard trimmings in Compton have size limits before they can go out for collection: § 21-1.4(b)(7) requires green waste to be cut to no more than four feet long and four inches thick, or bundled at under 60 pounds. Green waste has to be clean, kept out of trash containers, and free of hazardous material.
Compton Yard Waste and Green Waste Rules
Some RestrictionsCompton, CA, Municipal Code § 21-1.4(b)(7)
Green waste shall be cut into pieces not to exceed four feet in length and four inches in diameter before being placed adjacent to a street or public right-of-way for collection. Green waste shall be placed in containers designated for the collection of green waste, or tied securely in bundles not exceeding 60 pounds and shall not be contaminated with other forms of solid waste or with hazardou...
Dumpster Rules
Compton requires every multifamily, commercial and manufacturing property to keep its trash bins and roll-off boxes inside a walled enclosure, not sitting out in the open. Municipal Code § 30-44.3(g) sets the enclosure at a minimum 8-by-8-foot footprint, masonry walls on three sides, a 6-foot minimum height and a self-latching gate, and the Architectural Review Board must approve the design.
Compton Commercial Trash Enclosure Requirements
Some RestrictionsCompton, CA, Municipal Code § 30-44.3(g)
Trash Enclosures. All trash from all multiple-family, commercial and manufacturing uses shall be kept in an enclosure of the type described in this paragraph. 1. Trash enclosures shall have a minimum dimension of eight feet by eight feet and shall be sufficient in size to contain all trash containers. 2. Trash enclosures shall be bounded on three sides by walls constructed of masonry, block or ...
Collection Schedule
Compton requires every property to arrange for weekly solid waste pickup through the city's authorized collector under Municipal Code § 21-1.5(a). Owners and occupants cannot skip service or self-collect without a permit; commercial and multifamily accounts may set larger container sizes, but residential accounts run on a fixed weekly cycle enforced by the City Manager's approved route schedule.
Compton Weekly Trash Collection Rules
Some RestrictionsCompton, CA, Municipal Code § 21-1.5(a) (Collection: Frequency)
Frequency. Except as expressly provided in this chapter or an applicable collection agreement, or as otherwise approved by the City Manager if necessary to maintain the public health or safety, each person required by this chapter to arrange for solid waste and recyclable materials handling services shall make arrangements with the authorized collector to have all solid waste from the premises ...
Recycling Rules
Compton lets residents and businesses sell or donate their own source-separated recyclables or organic waste to buyers other than the city's authorized collector, but § 21-1.7(c) requires any business doing so to first get a city permit and file quarterly reports naming the buyer and the tonnage moved.
Compton Selling or Donating Recyclables Rule
Some RestrictionsCompton, CA, Municipal Code § 21-1.7(c) (Exemptions: Selling or Donating Recyclable Materials or Organic Waste)
Selling or Donating Recyclable Materials or Organic Waste. Nothing in this chapter shall prevent a person from selling or donating any source-separated recyclable materials or organic waste to a person or entity other than an authorized collector, provided that no such materials may be transported for disposition to a landfill or transfer station (as defined in Public Resources Code § 40200)......
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