Trash & Recycling in Reno, NV (2026)
9 verified trash & recycling rules for Reno, Nevada, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Reno property owners and occupants must subscribe to the city's exclusive solid waste and recycling collection service: self-hauling or hiring an outside hauler is not allowed under Reno Municipal Code § 10.08.045.
Reno Mandatory Trash Collection Subscription
Heavy RestrictionsReno Municipal Code § 10.08.045
Every responsible person which accumulates or causes the accumulation of solid waste upon any premises in the city shall subscribe to the collection, hauling and disposal of solid waste pursuant to the provisions of RMC chapter 5.90 and the applicable agreements.
Bin Placement Rules
Reno requires trash and recycling receptacles to stay accessible for pickup but bans placing them in streets or alleys, locked enclosures, or spots that create a nuisance; dumpsters in the public right-of-way need a city permit.
Reno Trash Bin Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsReno Municipal Code § 10.08.080
All receptacles for the receiving and holding of all solid waste and recyclable materials shall at all times be located in such place as to be readily accessible for removing and emptying the matter therefrom, but they shall not be placed within the limits of any street or alley, or where they will become a public nuisance or in any degree offensive. In all cases of disputes or complaints arisi...
Bulk Item Disposal
Reno's standard cart service does not include furniture, mattresses, or appliances: bulky items are excluded materials that residents must schedule separately, at a fee, through a licensed hauler.
Reno Bulk Item Pickup Rules
Some RestrictionsReno Municipal Code § 5.90.010
"Bulky items" means all discarded waste matter that is too large to be placed in a cart, including appliances not containing chlorofluorocarbons, furniture, carpets, mattresses, and similar large items that require special handling due generally to their size, excluding excluded materials. "Cart" means an industry standard, wheeled container of approximate 35-, 64-, and 96-gallon capacity pr...
Recycling Requirements
Reno's contracted hauler must offer recycling to every residential customer, but participation is voluntary: only the mandatory trash subscription and exclusive collection rights are enforced by the city.
Reno Curbside Recycling Requirements
Some RestrictionsReno Municipal Code § 5.90.060
Residential customers are encouraged, but are not obligated, to recycle or to subscribe to menu services; provided, however, no residential customer in an exclusive service area may allow or retain any person or entity other than the designated contractor to collect, pickup, transport or deliver approved recyclable materials or other collection materials that would be a violation of contractor'...
Illegal Dumping
Dumping waste on any lot, street, alley, ditch, or waterway within Reno city limits is unlawful under RMC § 10.08.020, with fines up to $1,000 or six months in jail.
Reno Illegal Dumping Ban
Some RestrictionsReno Municipal Code § 10.08.020
It shall be unlawful for any person to dump, spill, throw, place or bury in any parcel of land, lot, street, highway, gutter, or in any alley or in any water or stream or in any canal or ditch within the limits of the city any solid waste, recyclable materials, excluded materials, or any deleterious or offensive substances (collectively, "waste matter").
Yard Waste Collection
Reno defines green waste narrowly for curbside recycling: branches under 3 inches across, brush, grass clippings, leaves, and stripped-down Christmas trees placed in a collection container.
Reno Yard Waste Collection Rules
Some RestrictionsReno Municipal Code § 5.90.010
"Green waste" means source separated biodegradable materials including branches (less than three inches in diameter), brush, cut flowers, dead plants, grass clippings, house plants, leaves, pruning's, shrubs, weeds, wood (uncoated and untreated), wood chips, yard trimmings, Christmas trees (placed in carts/bins, with no stands, flocking, and/or decorations, and cut into two-foot sections) that ...
Dumpster Rules
Reno requires a code enforcement permit before placing any dumpster or large mobile receptacle in a public right-of-way, and dumpsters must stay locked shut except when loading.
Reno Dumpster Right-of-Way Rules
Some RestrictionsReno Municipal Code § 10.08.070
Dumpsters and large mobile receptacles shall be kept locked shut except when loading or unloading, must not leak, shall not overflow, shall be kept uniformly painted and free of graffiti, and the area around the container must be kept free of trash and debris. Dumpsters shall be secured to prevent unintentional rolling. Dumpsters with lockable lids shall be made available to all commercial user...
Collection Schedule
Every property in Reno that generates solid waste must subscribe to the city's exclusive collection, hauling, and disposal service under RMC 5.90: self-hauling instead of subscribing is not allowed.
Reno Mandatory Trash Collection Service
Significant RestrictionsReno Municipal Code § 10.08.045
Every responsible person which accumulates or causes the accumulation of solid waste upon any premises in the city shall subscribe to the collection, hauling and disposal of solid waste pursuant to the provisions of RMC chapter 5.90 and the applicable agreements.
Recycling Rules
Reno residential customers are encouraged but not required to recycle; those who do must use the city's exclusive franchised hauler under RMC § 5.90.060, not an independent recycler.
Reno Recycling: Optional, Exclusive Hauler
Light RestrictionsReno Municipal Code § 5.90.060
Residential customers are encouraged, but are not obligated, to recycle or to subscribe to menu services; provided, however, no residential customer in an exclusive service area may allow or retain any person or entity other than the designated contractor to collect, pickup, transport or deliver approved recyclable materials or other collection materials that would be a violation of contractor'...
Looking for Washoe County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Reno city rules.
Trash & Recycling in Washoe County →