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Trash & Recycling in Porterville, CA (2026)

10 verified trash & recycling rules for Porterville, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.

Verified from official government sources

Pickup Rules & Schedules

Curb customers in the City of Porterville must set solid waste containers at the curb or property line and pull them back in on the schedule the city manager sets; alley customers do the same along the alley at the property line. Section 13-10 backs that up: a blocked container will not be dumped on schedule, and getting it serviced off-cycle costs extra.

Porterville Trash Pickup Placement Rules

Some Restrictions

Porterville Municipal Code §§ 13-7, 13-10

B. Responsibilities Of Curb Service Customers: All curb service customers shall place their solid waste containers at the curb or property line and shall remove the empty containers in accordance with time schedules as determined by the city manager or his designee. C. Alley Service Customers; Placement Of Containers: Alley service will only be provided if criteria developed by the city manager...

Bin Placement Rules

In the City of Porterville, Municipal Code Section 13-7 requires curb-service customers to place solid waste containers at the curb or property line and pull the empty containers back in on time schedules the city manager sets, while alley-service customers place carts at the property line along the alley instead.

Porterville Trash Cart Placement Rules

Light Restrictions

Porterville Municipal Code § 13-7.A, 13-7.B, 13-11.A

A. Frequency, Amount, And Location Of Collection: The city shall provide collection service from all dwelling units in the city at frequencies and amounts to be determined by city council and set by resolution. Residential service shall be at curbside unless otherwise authorized by the city manager or his designee. B. Responsibilities Of Curb Service Customers: All curb service customers shall ...

Bulk Item Disposal

In the City of Porterville, bulky items like dirt, stumps, broken concrete, furniture and appliances are not part of normal household trash pickup; residents must request a special pick-up, which carries an extra charge, and oversized tree or shrub trimmings that will not fit the yard waste cart get the same treatment.

Porterville Special Pick-Up for Bulk Items

Some Restrictions

Porterville Municipal Code § 13-12(A)

A. The removal of dirt, sod, tree stumps, stones, broken concrete, furniture and appliances and other building materials is not considered to be normal household solid waste service. Periodic collection of accumulations of excess solid waste within the city, in addition to that provided for above, shall be made on the request of a resident. These services will be handled on a special pick up ba...

Recycling Requirements

In the City of Porterville, the city may set up its own recycling collection service and guidelines, and anyone else who wants to gather, collect, transport or dispose of recyclables in the city must first obtain a nonexclusive recycling hauler permit from the city, with a fee and application set by the city manager.

Porterville Recycling Collection and Hauler Permits

Some Restrictions

Porterville Municipal Code §§ 13-18, 13-19

The city may establish a separate collection service for recyclable materials, including compostable wastes, and establish specific guidelines for such service, which are consistent with the rules and regulations contained within this chapter. The city may also establish a permit for the collection of recyclable wastes. ... In order to more effectively regulate, control, and monitor the amount ...

Mandatory Organics Recycling

Every household in the City of Porterville is automatically enrolled in three-container service for garbage, recyclables and food-scrap organic waste, and commercial and multifamily properties with five or more units must arrange their own organics diversion. Municipal Code § 13-25 implements SB 1383, with container-labeling, education and inspection duties enforced under the chapter's penalty section.

Porterville Mandatory Organic Waste Rules

Some Restrictions

Porterville Municipal Code § 13-25

A. Compliance with the Act: ... All residential premises, multifamily residential complexes, commercial customers, franchised haulers, generators, haulers, licensed haulers, and all other entities subject to the requirements of the Act shall fully comply with the Act and all other applicable law or be subject to any applicable penalties as prescribed in 14 CCR Section 18997.2, City Code Chapter...

Illegal Dumping

In the City of Porterville, dumping or letting solid waste pile up on any lot, street, alley or driveway outside the manner the code allows is both unlawful and a declared public nuisance subject to immediate abatement, on top of a misdemeanor penalty of up to $1,000.00 and six months in jail.

Porterville Illegal Dumping Penalties

Significant Restrictions

Porterville Municipal Code § 13-4(A)(1), (B)

1. Solid Waste Accumulations: It shall be unlawful for any person, owner or occupant of any building, lot or premises in the city to suffer, allow or permit the accumulation of solid waste of any description to become or remain offensive, unsightly or unsafe to public health or hazardous from fire, or to deposit, transport, keep, accumulate or permit or cause any solid waste to be deposited, pl...

Yard Waste Collection

In the City of Porterville, yard waste is limited by code definition to lawn clippings, tree and shrubbery trimmings and leaves that can be safely handled in a collection vehicle, and putting other materials in the yard waste cart triggers an added contamination charge set by council resolution.

Porterville Yard Waste Collection Rules

Some Restrictions

Porterville Municipal Code §§ 13-2, 13-17

Lawn clippings, tree and shrubbery trimmings, and leaves that can be properly and YARD WASTE: safely collected and transported in a collection vehicle. ... Any customer whose yard waste container is contaminated with items other than “yard waste” as defined in section 13-2 of this chapter may be assessed an additional charge, the amount of which is set by resolution by the city council.

Dumpster Rules

Any dumpster, bin or roll-off container in the City of Porterville sits on a poured concrete pad inside a fenced enclosure. Municipal Code § 13-11 sets the pad at six inches thick and six feet by ten feet, level with the surrounding ground, with fencing built to city specifications. Community Development and Public Works administer bin placement; violations carry the chapter's misdemeanor penalty.

Porterville Dumpster Pad and Enclosure Rules

Some Restrictions

Porterville Municipal Code § 13-11

A. All bin container services shall require a concrete bin pad to ensure that the bin can be conveniently serviced. Each bin type container, regardless of the cubic yard capacity, shall require a concrete pad six inches (6") thick and six feet by ten feet (6' x 10') for each bin. The bin container pad shall be poured to the existing ground level, ensuring that the pad is neither too high nor to...

Collection Schedule

In the City of Porterville, every property owner must subscribe to city disposal service and pay for it, with limited exceptions for high-volume industrial users; the city council sets minimum frequency and amount of pickup by resolution, and curbside service is the default.

Porterville Mandatory Trash Collection Service

Some Restrictions

Porterville Municipal Code §§ 13-5, 13-7(A)

It shall be mandatory for every property owner within the city to receive city disposal service and billing therefor, except those industrial businesses whose volume of waste might exceed what services the city could offer. Minimum levels of city residential, commercial, and industrial refuse service shall be determined by city council and set by resolution. ... ... A. Frequency, Amount, And Lo...

Recycling Rules

In the City of Porterville, only the city or its designee may collect materials once you've set them out for recycling, and it's unlawful to put disqualifying items in a recycling receptacle. Anyone else who wants to gather or haul recyclables commercially needs a nonexclusive city permit under § 13-19, renewable each calendar year and revocable if it stops serving the city's interest.

Porterville Recycling Collection and Hauler Rules

Some Restrictions

Porterville Municipal Code §§ 13-4, 13-19

3. Illegal Collection Or Removal Of Recyclables: It shall be unlawful for any person, other than the city or the city's designee, to collect or remove materials which have been segregated for the purpose of recycling and placed in a designated recycling receptacle. 4. Placing Prohibited Materials In Recycling Receptacles: It shall be unlawful for any person to willingly place any materials in t...

Looking for Tulare County county-wide rules?

County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Porterville city rules.

Trash & Recycling in Tulare County