Trash & Recycling in Elk Grove, CA (2026)
10 verified trash & recycling rules for Elk Grove, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Elk Grove bans scavenging through anyone else's garbage cart and dumping waste on public or private property without permission. Elk Grove Municipal Code Section 30.10.070 makes it illegal to open, search, or remove material from another person's solid waste container without written consent, while Section 30.10.040 separately bans dumping waste on someone else's property or in the public right-of-way.
Elk Grove Trash Scavenging and Dumping Rules
Some RestrictionsElk Grove, CA, Municipal Code §§ 30.10.040 (Dumping or littering), 30.10.070(A) (Scavenging prohibited)
No person shall throw, drop, leave, dump, bury, burn, place, keep, accumulate, or otherwise dispose of any waste on public property or the private property of another, including any cart, container, or other waste receptacle, without permission or approval of the property owner, and except in accordance with all applicable laws, ordinances, and resolutions. ... No person shall open, look into, ...
Bin Placement Rules
Elk Grove residents must screen trash carts from street view, keep them off public property, and follow strict timing: no setting carts out more than 24 hours before pickup and no leaving them out past 6:00 a.m. the next morning. Elk Grove Municipal Code Section 30.20.030 also requires three feet of space between carts and six feet from any vehicle or fixed object.
Elk Grove Trash Cart Placement and Set-Out Rules
Some RestrictionsElk Grove, CA, Municipal Code §§ 30.20.030(D), (E), (G) (Residential solid waste containers)
Residential generators shall store carts or other solid waste storage containers out of view from any street, sidewalk or other public right-of-way by fence, landscaping, building, or other efficacious screening as determined by the City, except that storage of containers on the side of the residence immediately adjacent to the backyard fence shall satisfy the requirements of this section. No p...
Bulk Item Disposal
Residents subscribed to collection service can set bulky items, used oil and filters, and Christmas trees at the curb under Elk Grove Municipal Code Section 30.20.030(H), following the same timing and placement rules that apply to regular carts. Residents can also rent a roll-off container for up to seven days without a building permit, or longer if a permit is on file.
Elk Grove Bulky Waste Curbside Pickup Rules
Some RestrictionsElk Grove, CA, Municipal Code § 30.20.030(H), (J) (Residential solid waste containers: Other Materials Placement; Roll-Off Containers)
Other Materials Placement. Residential generators who subscribe to collection service shall set out for collection bulky solid waste, used oil and oil filters, Christmas trees and any other materials as may be permitted in conjunction with special programs provided by the residential hauler, at the curb in front of each residential premises or, if there is no curb, on the edge of the street in ...
Recycling Requirements
California SB 1383 mandates organic waste diversion. All Elk Grove residents and businesses must separate food scraps, yard waste, and food-soiled paper into the green organics cart. Mixing organics with trash is prohibited and subject to citation.
Trash Recycling: Recycling Requirements
Heavy RestrictionsCalRecycle SB 1383 Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy
To reduce methane pollution and other short-lived climate pollutants, California passed SB 1383 (Lara, 2016). The law set targets for 2025: 75% less organic waste sent to landfills. 20% of unsold, still-edible food sent to food recovery organizations... All jurisdictions need to provide organic waste collection services to all residents and businesses, and recycle organic waste.
Mandatory Organics Recycling
Elk Grove requires every commercial generator, including multifamily complexes, to subscribe to and use a separate green (or brown) organic waste container under EGMC Chapter 30.61. The rule implements the state's 75% diversion mandate and lets businesses self-haul instead of subscribing.
Elk Grove Mandatory Organics Recycling
Some RestrictionsElk Grove, CA, Municipal Code § 30.61.020(A) (Participation in organic waste recycling programs)
All commercial generators shall subscribe to, pay for, participate in, and cooperate with an organic waste recycling program provided by an authorized hauler that provides for the separate collection of organic waste and diverts all organic waste, except edible food, from landfill disposal pursuant to 14 CCR 18984.9 and 18984.10. Single-family residential properties managed by an association or...
Illegal Dumping
Elk Grove bans dumping or littering waste on public property or someone else's private property without permission under § 30.10.040, enforced as a public nuisance under Chapters 1.04, 1.08, 1.12 and 16.18.
Elk Grove Illegal Dumping Ban
Some RestrictionsElk Grove, CA, Municipal Code § 30.10.040 (Dumping or littering)
No person shall throw, drop, leave, dump, bury, burn, place, keep, accumulate, or otherwise dispose of any waste on public property or the private property of another, including any cart, container, or other waste receptacle, without permission or approval of the property owner, and except in accordance with all applicable laws, ordinances, and resolutions.
Yard Waste Collection
Elk Grove requires every residential generator to separate grass clippings, leaves, weeds, brush, and tree trimmings as organic waste and place them in the green container, per Elk Grove Municipal Code Section 30.20.010(F). The city's definition of green waste even covers live, unflocked Christmas trees. Residents can skip the green cart only by composting that organic waste on site or delivering it to an approved community composting site.
Elk Grove Yard Waste and Green Container Rules
Some RestrictionsElk Grove, CA, Municipal Code §§ 30.10.010 (Definitions: "Green waste"), 30.20.010(F)(1)(a), (F)(3)
"Green waste" means organic solid waste that will decompose or putrefy generated from landscapes, including garden and yard waste such as grass, leaves, weeds, brush, bedding straw, and trees (including live, unflocked Christmas trees) and branches, clippings, prunings and trimmings from trees, and any other organic waste designated by the City ... Residential generators shall: a. Separate all ...
Dumpster Rules
Elk Grove requires every commercial generator to store solid waste outdoors in an enclosure meeting Chapter 30.90 standards, using hauler- or generator-provided bins, dumpsters, compactors, or roll-off containers under Elk Grove Municipal Code Section 30.40.050. Dumpsters must stay clear of alleys and doorways, cannot block traffic when set out, and unpermitted temporary roll-offs are capped at seven days.
Elk Grove Commercial Dumpster Storage Rules
Some RestrictionsElk Grove, CA, Municipal Code §§ 30.40.050 (Storage container requirements), 30.40.051 (Outdoor container storage), 30.40.052(D)-(E) (Storage, setout, and discard)
Commercial generators shall store all solid waste generated or accumulated on its premises pending collection by an authorized hauler outdoors in a solid waste enclosure pursuant to EGMC Chapter 30.90. Solid waste shall be stored in one (1) of the following types of containers: 1) carts provided by the City's franchised residential hauler; or 2) bins, dumpsters, compactors, roll-off containers,...
Collection Schedule
Every residential property in Elk Grove must subscribe to the city's franchised hauler for garbage, recycling, and organic waste collection under Elk Grove Municipal Code Section 30.20.010(A). Residents pay hauler fees set by City Council resolution, and if a household refuses or fails to pay, the city can have the uncollected waste removed at that resident's own expense.
Elk Grove Mandatory Trash Collection Service
Some RestrictionsElk Grove, CA, Municipal Code § 30.20.010(A) (Mandatory service)
Except as otherwise provided in this title, every generator owning or occupying residential property within the City limits shall utilize the solid waste collection and transportation services of the franchised residential hauler authorized by the City and shall pay the fees for those services as set by resolution of the City Council. Except for residential generators that have applied for and ...
Recycling Rules
Once you set recyclables out in Elk Grove, they legally belong to the franchised hauler, the City, or another party you've expressly authorized, not to whoever grabs them first. Elk Grove Municipal Code Section 30.30.080 gives that material's exclusive rights to the authorized collector, and Section 30.60.040 makes it a crime for anyone but an authorized hauler to run a business collecting recyclables from commercial containers.
Elk Grove Recyclable Materials Ownership Rules
Some RestrictionsElk Grove, CA, Municipal Code §§ 30.30.080 (Recyclable material), 30.60.040 (Ownership of recyclable materials)
Recyclable material set out for collection by the residential hauler shall become the property of the residential hauler, the City, the City's authorized recyclable materials collector, or a person expressly authorized by the owner or occupant of the properties served; only these persons/entities shall have the exclusive right to said recyclable material. ... All recyclable materials placed in ...
Looking for Sacramento County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Elk Grove city rules.
Trash & Recycling in Sacramento County →