Trash & Recycling in Orem, UT (2026)
9 verified trash & recycling rules for Orem, Utah, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Orem limits when solid waste contractors can run pickups: containers may be emptied only between 4:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday, under City Code 15-1-3 and 15-3-1. Any pickup within 700 feet of a residential area must additionally wait until 7:00 a.m. and finish by 8:00 p.m., at the least disruptive time available.
Orem Trash Pickup Hours: 4 AM to 8 PM
Some RestrictionsOrem City Code §§ 15-1-3, 15-3-1
Allowable solid waste contractor operating hours shall mean the hours between 4:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday, except pickups within seven hundred feet (700') of a residential area, which shall be at the least disruptive time possible, but no earlier than 7:00 a.m. or later than 8:00 p.m. ... 15-3-1. Allowable solid waste contractor operating hours. No solid waste container pick...
Bin Placement Rules
Orem residents must set receptacles out in the gutter or at the curb, never earlier than the evening before pickup, and out by 7:00 a.m. on collection day. Empty carts must come back off the curb the same day they're emptied under Section 15-2-4.
Orem Trash Cart Curbside Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsOrem City Code § 15-2-4 (Placement or Location of Receptacles and Containers; Spillage)
Residential receptacles containing solid waste shall be set out for collection in the gutter, if existing, or at the front curb line of the premises using the receptacles if there is no gutter. Receptacles shall not be set out for collection prior to the evening of the day before collection, but must be set out on the day of collection by 7:00 a.m. All empty receptacles must be removed from the...
Bulk Item Disposal
Orem's Chapter 15 treats bulky items like furniture and appliances as waste too large for a standard receptacle, while brush, bushes and tree limbs must be cut to fit inside the cart before collection under Section 15-2-7. Neither category can be left piled up: Section 15-2-8 caps most accumulation at one week.
Orem Brush & Bulky Waste Disposal Rules
Some RestrictionsOrem City Code § 15-2-7 (Placing Brush and Cuttings for Collection)
Brush, bushes, tree limbs and cuttings shall be cut into lengths that fit inside the receptacle.
Recycling Requirements
Anyone who wants to place a collection trailer or container for recyclables anywhere in Orem needs sign-off from the Development Review Committee first. The DRC keeps them off required parking and landscaped areas and checks pedestrian and traffic safety before approving a location.
Orem Recycling Trailer/Container Site Approval
Significant RestrictionsOrem City Code § 22-14-23 (Recycling Trailers/Containers)
Any person locating a trailer/container in any zone for the purpose of collecting recyclable materials shall first obtain approval from the Development Review Committee of the City of Orem. In approving locations for recycling trailers/containers, the Development Review Committee (DRC) shall not permit required parking stalls or required landscaped areas to be occupied by any trailer/container ...
Holiday Pickup Schedule
Orem does not guarantee trash pickup on holidays: Section 15-1-13 lets the Public Works Director or the City's solid waste contractor suspend collection on any holiday they designate, so residents need to check for a shifted schedule rather than assume routine day-of-week service.
Orem Holiday Trash Collection Suspension
Light RestrictionsOrem City Code § 15-1-13 (Holidays)
Solid waste collection may be suspended on holidays designated by the Public Works Director or the solid waste contractor.
Illegal Dumping
Orem City Code 15-2-9 makes it unlawful to place, deposit, bury or dump solid waste on any lot, street, alley, or into any water, waterway or container not meant for that use anywhere in the city. Section 15-1-9 turns every violation into a Class B misdemeanor, with each day it continues charged as a separate offense.
Orem Illegal Dumping Is a Class B Misdemeanor
Heavy RestrictionsOrem City Code §§ 15-2-9, 15-1-9
15-2-9. Dumping prohibited. Except as provided by the terms of this Chapter, it shall be unlawful for any person to place, deposit, bury or dump upon any lot, street, alley, or into any water, waterway or container not intended for his or her use, within the corporate City limits, any solid waste or other matter constituting a nuisance. ... 15-1-9. Penalties. Any person violating any provision ...
Dumpster Rules
In Orem, a dumpster or trash container of one and one-half cubic yards or more can't sit inside a building, within 5 feet of a combustible wall or roof eave, or in a front or side street-facing setback, under the site plan improvement standard in City Code Section 22-14-20(G)(1).
Orem Dumpster Placement: 5-Ft Clearance Rule
Some RestrictionsOrem City Code Section 22-14-20(G)(1)
Dumpsters and solid waste disposal containers. A dumpster or solid waste disposal container with a capacity of one and one half (1 1/2) cubic yards or more shall not be located inside any building or within five feet (5') of any combustible wall, combustible roof eave line, or any opening in such walls except as permitted by the Uniform Fire Code. Dumpster and solid waste disposal containers sh...
Collection Schedule
Orem's solid waste system is not opt-in: City Code 15-1-2 makes the City responsible for ensuring every residential, commercial and multi-dwelling property is serviced, and Section 15-3-4 requires removal at least once a week from all residential premises. Section 15-1-5 charges receptacle-service fees regardless of whether an owner wants the service.
Orem Requires Weekly Trash Collection Service
Some RestrictionsOrem City Code §§ 15-1-2, 15-3-4, 15-1-5(D), 15-2-8
15-1-2. Responsibility for system and its regulation. The City shall ensure that all residential, educational, multiple-dwelling, religious, recreational and commercial/industrial premises within the City are serviced by a solid waste collection, transport and disposal system. ... 15-3-4. Frequency of collection. To prevent any nuisances or health hazards, removal of solid waste shall be provid...
Recycling Rules
Orem lets the City or a licensed solid waste contractor run recyclables collection outside the regular receptacle or container service, but the material has to go into containers built specifically for recycling. Cardboard is the one exception: it can wait on the ground next to the recycling container.
Orem Curbside Recycling Collection Rules
Light RestrictionsOrem City Code § 15-1-4(C) (Categories of Collection Service, Recycling)
Recycling. No provision of this chapter shall be construed to prohibit the collection of recyclable solid waste, provided the collection is done either by the City or by a solid waste contractor licensed pursuant to the provisions of Article 15-4. All recyclable solid waste to be collected outside of the regular receptacle or container services described in Subsections A and B above shall be pl...
Looking for Utah County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Orem city rules.
Trash & Recycling in Utah County →