Trash & Recycling in Salem, OR (2026)
6 verified trash & recycling rules for Salem, Oregon, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Before Salem's franchised hauler will take it, solid waste has to be drained, sealed, and bagged the right way. SRC 47.145 requires sharp or hazardous items to be securely wrapped, ashes cooled before bagging, and loose newspapers or magazines bundled and tied so they don't blow away before collection.
Salem Rules for Prepping Trash for Pickup
Some RestrictionsSalem Revised Code § 47.145
(a)Solid waste shall be drained of surplus liquid and placed in sealed receptacles approved by the Director.(b)Pet feces, sharp objects such as broken glass and knives, and any other waste with the potential of causing injury or disease shall be securely wrapped in a manner to prevent exposure or injury to the public or employees of a franchisee.(c)Ashes shall be allowed to cool and shall be se...
Bin Placement Rules
Salem residents may only put collection carts at the curb, not permanently on the street. SRC 47.165 caps how far a receptacle can sit from the curb, limits curbside placement to a 24-hour window around pickup, and bars locking carts inside gates or enclosures on collection day.
Salem Curbside Cart Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsSalem Revised Code § 47.165(a)(3)-(5)
(3)Receptacles may be placed at or on the curb, whether on the sidewalk or in the street right-of-way, provided that receptacles placed in the street shall be placed so that no part of the receptacle may be more than three feet from the curb. Placement shall be made so that receptacles are within manageable reach if standing in the street at or next to the curbline.(4)Placement of receptacles a...
Illegal Dumping
Dumping solid waste anywhere in Salem outside an approved receptacle is illegal, whether it lands in a creek, on public property, or on someone else's land without permission. SRC 47.220 bans it outright, and a person fined for violating it can work off the penalty clearing the dumped waste instead of paying cash.
Salem Illegal Dumping Penalties
Heavy RestrictionsSalem Revised Code § 47.220
(a)No person shall discard, scatter, dump, deposit or cause or permit to be discarded, scattered, dumped or deposited, any amount of solid waste along the bank of, or in, any canal, ditch, stream, waterway, creek, river, or other body of water, or in or upon any public place or other publically-owned property, other than in receptacles provided for the purpose of holding such solid waste.(b)No ...
Dumpster Rules
Commercial dumpsters, roll-off boxes, and recycling receptacles of one cubic yard or larger in Salem must sit on a code-compliant concrete or asphalt pad, stay screened behind a six-foot sight-obscuring fence or wall, and leave a vehicle operation area at least 45 feet long and 15 feet wide for the collection truck. SRC 800.055 sets the design standards.
Salem Commercial Dumpster Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsSalem Revised Code § 800.055(a), (d)(1), (f)(1)(A)
(a)Applicability. Solid waste service area design standards shall apply to:(1)All new solid waste, recycling, and compostable service areas, where use of a solid waste, recycling, and compostable receptacle of one cubic yard or larger is proposed; and(2)Any change to an existing solid waste service area for receptacles of one cubic yard or larger that requires a building permit...(d)Solid waste...
Collection Schedule
Salem's franchised haulers must offer solid-waste pickup at least once every seven days to every residence, business, motel, and hotel. SRC 47.120(b) sets standard collection hours from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., with an earlier 5 a.m. to noon window in Director-designated commercial zones, and lets the Director order more frequent pickup when waste threatens public health.
Salem Weekly Trash Collection Rule
Some RestrictionsSalem Revised Code § 47.120(b)
Solid waste collection service shall be offered at least once every seven days to each place of business, motel or hotel and residential area. Except under emergency conditions, collection shall be made between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., provided that in commercial zones designated by the Director, collection shall be between the hours of 5:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon. The Director may im...
Recycling Rules
Salem's solid waste code requires generators to keep recyclable material properly separated for collection. SRC 47.020's total source separation standard means newspaper, cardboard, glass, cans and other recyclables each go in their own receptacle, not mixed together, unless the Director has approved a mixed-recycling combination.
Salem's Source-Separation Recycling Rule
Some RestrictionsSalem Revised Code § 47.020
Recyclable material means any material or group of materials that can be collected and sold for recycling at a net cost equal to or less than the cost of collection and disposal of the same material. ... Total source separation means the complete separation by the generator of waste by type or kind of waste from all other types or kinds of waste. Total source separation requires each type or ki...
Looking for Marion County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Salem city rules.
Trash & Recycling in Marion County →