Trash & Recycling in San Marcos, CA (2026)
10 verified trash & recycling rules for San Marcos, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
San Marcos Municipal Code Section 8.68.150 requires occupants to set gray, blue and green containers at the curb fronting their property for the franchised contractor to collect, and bars putting them out before 6:00 p.m. the day before pickup or leaving them out past 6:00 p.m. the collection day.
San Marcos Trash Container Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsSan Marcos Municipal Code § 8.68.150(a)-(b)
(a)Location. Residential occupancies: All refuse containers shall be placed at the curb on the nearest public street fronting the premises occupied by the person depositing the same, there to be collected by the Contractor; provided that the Contractor may designate some other location for the placement of containers when such placement will expedite collection; provided that placement of conta...
Bin Placement Rules
San Marcos residents must set gray, blue and green carts at the curb for pickup and cannot leave them out before 6 p.m. the day before collection or after 6 p.m. on collection day; between pickups the carts have to be stored out of street view.
San Marcos Garbage Cart Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsSan Marcos Municipal Code § 8.68.150
(a)Location. Residential occupancies: All refuse containers shall be placed at the curb on the nearest public street fronting the premises occupied by the person depositing the same, there to be collected by the Contractor; provided that the Contractor may designate some other location for the placement of containers when such placement will expedite collection; provided that placement of conta...
Bulk Item Disposal
San Marcos Municipal Code Section 8.68.080 requires occupants who need more frequent pickups, or who have bulky debris or construction and demolition debris exceeding the standard collection maximum, to arrange a separate special collection agreement and pay the Contractor directly for it.
San Marcos Bulky Item Special Collection Rule
Some RestrictionsSan Marcos Municipal Code § 8.68.080(a)
Availability and Payment for Services. Any occupant desiring to have refuse collections more frequently than provided by this chapter or who has accumulated refuse of any type exceeding the maximum amount permitted per collection, or who has accumulated miscellaneous and bulky debris or construction or demolition debris shall enter into an agreement with the Contractor for special collection se...
Recycling Requirements
San Marcos Municipal Code Section 8.68.120 requires the City's Contractor to supply every dwelling unit with one blue container for recyclable materials and one gray container for solid waste, with up to three extra recycling carts free of charge and extra gray carts billed as a service fee.
San Marcos Curbside Recycling Container Rule
Some RestrictionsSan Marcos Municipal Code § 8.68.120(a)(1)-(2)
(1)Residential Solid Waste. Contractor shall provide at least one (1) gray container for the storage of solid waste, excluding recyclable materials, green waste, and beginning January 1, 2022, organic waste. Contractor may provide up to three (3) additional containers and will charge a service fee each additional cart.(2)Residential Recyclables. Contractor shall provide one (1) blue container p...
Mandatory Organics Recycling
San Marcos Municipal Code Section 8.68.520 requires every single-family Organic Waste Generator to subscribe to the City's green-container collection service and sort food scraps and yard trimmings from recyclables and trash, implementing the state's SB 1383 mandate, unless the household qualifies as a self-hauler.
San Marcos Mandatory Organic Waste Separation
Significant RestrictionsSan Marcos Municipal Code § 8.68.520(a)-(b)(1)
Single-Family Organic Waste Generators shall comply with the following requirements except Single-Family generators that meet the self-hauler requirements in Section 8.68.580: (a)Shall subscribe to City's Organic Waste collection services for all Organic Waste generated as described below in Section 8.68.520(b)...Generator shall place Source Separated Green Container Organic Waste, including Fo...
Illegal Dumping
San Marcos bans spilling or dumping refuse on any private ground or public street and separately outlaws accumulating junk on residential or adjacent lots; the Building Inspector can order cleanup, and ignoring that order is a misdemeanor with the City able to hire a contractor and lien the property.
San Marcos Illegal Dumping and Junk Penalties
Heavy RestrictionsSan Marcos Municipal Code § 8.68.220; Ch. 8.72
8.68.220 - Spilling of Refuse Prohibited. No person, including the Contractor, shall place, sweep, spill or permit refuse to fall upon any private grounds or public streets within the City. [[8.72.090]] Failure to comply with the notice and order given by the building inspector pursuant to Section 8.72.090, or with the order of abatement given by the City Council pursuant to Section 8.72.110, c...
Yard Waste Collection
Anyone operating a green waste recycling, mulching or composting yard in San Marcos needs a Fire Department permit before storing wood chips, hogged material or raw green waste, and must keep piles under strict size and spacing limits to prevent spontaneous-combustion fires.
San Marcos Yard Waste Recycling Facility Rules
Significant RestrictionsSan Marcos Municipal Code § 17.64.285
Recycling facilities shall comply with the following provisions: (a)All green waste that cannot be processed on-site, such as stumps and fibrous plants, shall be immediately removed from the feedstock, stored in roll-off containers or bins and removed from the facility on a weekly basis...(b)Permit Required - A permit shall be obtained from the San Marcos Fire Department prior to engaging in th...
Dumpster Rules
Every commercial, industrial and multifamily project in San Marcos must build a dedicated trash and recycling enclosure meeting the Zoning Ordinance's Table 20.445-1 dimensions: masonry walls on four sides, a locking double gate, a solid roof feature, and setback from the front property line.
San Marcos Commercial Dumpster Enclosure Rules
Some RestrictionsSan Marcos Zoning Ordinance § 20.445.030
B.Enclosure. All refuse and recycling materials and collection bins shall be enclosed on four (4) sides unless the materials and bins are stored within a legally approved building...1.A swinging double door as an access gate with locking capabilities shall be included on one (1) side of the enclosure. The enclosure shall be designed with decorative heavy-gauge metal gates with cane bolts on the...
Collection Schedule
San Marcos Municipal Code Section 8.68.070 requires the franchised contractor to collect refuse from every residence and business at least once a week on a fixed day, with no pickup on Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year's Day, while Section 8.68.060 makes contracting for that service mandatory.
San Marcos Weekly Refuse Collection Schedule
Some RestrictionsSan Marcos Municipal Code § 8.68.070
All refuse created, produced or accumulated in or about a residential unit or place of business shall be collected at least once each week. The City Manager may, at his discretion, or upon recommendation of the County Health Officer, require more frequent pick ups should the nature of a particular business so require. The Contractor shall arrange collection routes so that pick ups will be made ...
Recycling Rules
San Marcos Municipal Code Section 8.68.211 makes it unlawful for anyone other than the owner, the owner's agent, the City or its authorized contractor to remove or tamper with a blue container or its contents once it has been set out for recyclables collection.
San Marcos Recycling Scavenging Ban
Some RestrictionsSan Marcos Municipal Code § 8.68.211
It shall be unlawful for any person, other than the owner thereof, the owner's agent, the City, the Contractor or such other person or firm as the City may authorize, by permit or contract, to remove or tamper with containers, or the contents of containers, set out for the collection of recyclable materials.
Looking for San Diego County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement San Marcos city rules.
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