Trash & Recycling in National City, CA (2026)
8 verified trash & recycling rules for National City, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
In National City, trash containers stay on private property between collection days. They go to the curb or alley no earlier than four p.m. on the day before scheduled collection and must come off the public right-of-way before noon on the day after collection day, under National City Municipal Code § 7.10.120.
National City Trash Container Set-Out and Pickup Rules
Some RestrictionsNational City Municipal Code § 7.10.120
A.Between refuse collection days all containers shall be kept on private property.B.No container shall be placed out at the curb or alley or within any public right-of-way prior to four p.m. on the day prior to scheduled collection. Containers shall be removed prior to noon on the day following collection day.
Bin Placement Rules
In National City, trash containers stay on private property between collection days and can go to the curb or alley no earlier than four p.m. the day before collection. They must come in before noon the day after. At the curb they sit within ten feet of the curbline and never on the sidewalk or roadway.
National City Trash Bin Placement and Set-Out Times
Some RestrictionsNational City Municipal Code §§ 7.10.110, 7.10.120
B.Placement of Garbage and Rubbish Receptacles for Collection. Rubbish and garbage which is to be collected shall be placed within ten feet of the curbline of the public street or if there is no such curb, within ten feet of the surfaced portion of the public street; in the event that the rubbish or garbage are to be collected from a public alley, the receptacle shall be placed within ten feet ...
Mandatory Organics Recycling
In National City, every single-family household must subscribe to the city's organic waste collection service and sort food waste and other green container organic waste into the green container, recyclables into the blue container, and everything else into the gray container. Commercial businesses follow a parallel three container rule under Chapter 9.52, enforced by the city manager through administrative citations.
National City Mandatory Organic Waste Separation Rules
Significant RestrictionsNational City Municipal Code § 9.52.030
Single-family organic waste generators shall comply with the following requirements: ... A.Subscribe to city's organic waste collection services for all organic waste generated as described below in subsection B. The city shall have the right to review the number and size of a generator's containers to evaluate the adequacy of capacity provided for each type of collection service to properly se...
Illegal Dumping
National City Municipal Code § 7.10.170 bars depositing garbage, rubbish, brush, dirt, dead animals or any other matter in a ditch, arroyo, storm drain, street, park or on another person's lot. Anyone who spills, deposits or abandons matter on public or private property owes the full cost of cleanup and restoration, on top of any other penalty.
Illegal Dumping and Littering Rules in National City
Significant RestrictionsNational City Municipal Code § 7.10.170
A.Placement of Rubbish in Ditches or on Public or Private Property. No person shall deposit or place in any ditch, arroyo, or storm drain, or upon any street or park without first obtaining a permit therefor from the public works director, or upon any lot belonging to another, or upon his own lot in such a manner that the same is or may become a nuisance, any bailing wire, tin cans, brush, tree...
Yard Waste Collection
National City limits a yard waste container to forty gallons and fifty pounds when filled, with a tight-fitting lid, handles and a smooth interior. Brush and tree limbs can go out beside the container only in tied bundles not more than four feet long, eighteen inches in diameter and sixty pounds each.
National City Yard Waste Container and Brush Rules
Some RestrictionsNational City Municipal Code § 7.10.050
B.Receptacles for the containment of yard waste shall comply with these limitations:1.They shall have the capacity of no more than forty gallons in volume;2.Their weight shall not exceed fifty pounds when filled;3.Reusable rigid containers or cans shall be constructed of nonabsorbent and corrosion-resistant materials and should be easily cleanable; ... 6.The can shall have no cracks, holes or j...
Dumpster Rules
All commercial, industrial, institutional and multi-family residential uses in National City must provide masonry trash enclosures built to the city council's design guidelines, with a roof. Enclosures and receptacles cannot sit in a required yard or within ten feet of a dwelling window or five feet of a combustible wall.
National City Commercial Trash Enclosure and Dumpster Rules
Significant RestrictionsNational City Municipal Code §§ 7.10.080, 7.10.110
A.All commercial, industrial, institutional, and multi-family residential uses shall be provided masonry trash enclosures which shall comply with the trash enclosure design guidelines adopted from time to time by resolution of the city council. It shall be the duty of the owner(s) of the affected property to provide and install the enclosure required by this Chapter 7.10. The planning commissio...
Collection Schedule
Every owner or occupant in charge of private property in National City where rubbish, garbage or refuse is generated must subscribe to regular collection service by the city's designated rubbish hauler, or have another means of collection individually approved by the city council. Refuse cannot pile up on the property for more than one week.
National City Mandatory Trash Collection Rules
Some RestrictionsNational City Municipal Code § 7.10.020
A.Every owner or occupant in charge of any private property where rubbish, garbage, or refuse is generated shall subscribe to regular collection service by the city's designated rubbish hauler, or shall provide for alternate means of collection individually approved by the city council.B.It is unlawful for any owner or occupant in charge of any private property to permit, suffer, or allow the a...
Recycling Rules
National City requires every property owner or occupant to separate recyclable materials from other garbage and place them out for collection, using containers the city's designated rubbish hauler supplies to each customer. Chapter 9.52 lists designated recyclables for homes, offices, restaurants, industry and yard waste, and the city manager enforces it through administrative citations.
National City Mandatory Recycling Rules for Homes and Businesses
Some RestrictionsNational City Municipal Code § 9.52.100
A. The city's designated rubbish hauler shall provide containers for designated recyclables to each of its customers to collect designated recyclables. ... B.Containers provided to single-family, and multi-family residences, commercial and industrial entities shall effectively segregate the designated recyclables for pickup.C.Every owner or occupant in charge of any property where rubbish, garb...
Looking for San Diego County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement National City city rules.
Trash & Recycling in San Diego County →