Trash & Recycling in Tracy, CA (2026)
9 verified trash & recycling rules for Tracy, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Tracy's franchised hauler, not the resident, controls container types and repairs. Under Tracy Municipal Code section 5.20.090, the contractor must offer a range of container sizes for every dwelling, repair or replace damaged containers at no charge absent customer misuse, and wheel containers to and from the curb for verified disabled households.
Tracy Contractor Duties for Trash Pickup
Some RestrictionsTracy Municipal Code § 5.20.090(a),(e)-(f) - Contractor Responsibilities for Refuse, Recycling, and Organic Materials
(a)Containers for residential dwellings. Contractor and City shall offer a range of sizes of containers for use by each residential dwelling for the collection of refuse, recycling, and organic materials. The contractor, upon the request of a generator, shall provide additional containers for refuse, recycling, and organic materials for an additional cost. ... (e)Repair and replacement of conta...
Bin Placement Rules
Tracy tells residents exactly how to set out trash, recycling, and organics carts. Tracy Municipal Code section 5.20.100(b)-(c) requires containers at curbside spaced three feet apart and six feet from vehicles, handles facing the house, and pulled back within twenty-four hours after pickup.
Tracy Curbside Cart Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsTracy Municipal Code § 5.20.100(b)-(c) - Customer Responsibilities for Refuse, Recycling, and Organic Materials
(b)Residents shall take their refuse, recycling, and organic material containers to their own property's curbside for the automated or semi-automatic collection service provided by the City's contractor. Containers shall be placed three (3) feet apart from each other and six (6) feet from any vehicle or obstacle. The containers handles are to be facing the house with the wheels spaced at least ...
Recycling Requirements
Tracy's curbside recycling program, running since 1991, is mandatory: every single-family and multi-family residential generator must subscribe to the City's recyclable materials collection service under Tracy Municipal Code Section 5.20.120. The contractor picks up recyclables weekly or biweekly. Skipping service isn't optional except through a City-approved self-haul exemption, and violations bring administrative citations under Chapter 1.28.
Tracy Curbside Recycling Requirements
Some RestrictionsTracy Municipal Code SS 5.20.110, 5.20.120
The curbside recycling program was established in 1991 as a first step to achieve the diversion goals of the Act. The contractor shall collect curbside recyclables once per week or bi-weekly as approved by the City but without amendment of this chapter, or in any case no less frequently than once every other week as arranged between the City and the contractor. Curbside recyclable materials inc...
Mandatory Organics Recycling
Since January 1, 2022, Tracy Municipal Code Section 5.20.160 makes the organic materials collection program mandatory for every residential, multi-family, commercial, industrial and institutional owner and occupant in the city, with the program fee already built into the standard refuse rate for three-container customers.
Tracy Mandatory Organics Participation
Significant RestrictionsTracy Municipal Code Section 5.20.160
(a)The organic materials collection program is mandatory for all residential, multi-family, commercial, industrial, and institutional owners, occupants, and owner-occupants. An organic materials collection program fee is included as part of the refuse collection rate for residential and multi-family customers using the three-container collection system; commercial, industrial, and multi-family ...
Illegal Dumping
Tracy makes it a misdemeanor to throw or deposit rubbish on any public street or alley. Tracy Municipal Code section 5.04.010 bars dumping garbage, bottles, ashes, stable litter, filth, offal, or any offensive or dangerous matter on city streets, backed by fines up to $1,000 or six months in jail under the code's general misdemeanor penalty.
Tracy Ban on Dumping Rubbish on Streets
Heavy RestrictionsTracy Municipal Code § 5.04.010 - Throwing Rubbish on Streets Unlawful
It shall be unlawful and a misdemeanor for any person in the City to throw or deposit on or in any public street, including alleys, any rubbish, garbage, bottles, glass, crockery, tinware, tinscraps, ashes, stable litter, filth, offal refuse, or offensive or dangerous matter of any kind.
Yard Waste Collection
Tracy's yard waste program began in 1995 and now operates as part of the citywide organic materials collection required under Tracy Municipal Code Section 5.20.150. Grass clippings, leaves, tree trimmings, prunings, brush and weeds go in the organics cart, collected weekly, while dirt, rocks and animal waste are barred from the container.
Tracy Yard Waste Collection Program
Some RestrictionsTracy Municipal Code SS 5.20.020, 5.20.150
"Yard waste" means any waste generated from the maintenance or alteration of public, residential, commercial, or industrial landscapes including, but not limited to grass and vine clippings, leaves, tree trimmings, prunings, brush, and weeds. Prohibited materials from yard waste include, but are not limited to dirt, rocks, animal waste, or dead animals. ... A yard waste program was established ...
Dumpster Rules
Tracy's exclusive collection franchise controls commercial dumpsters and roll-off boxes. Under Tracy Municipal Code section 5.20.090(c), the city's franchised contractor supplies one or more containers or roll-off boxes to commercial customers based on need, and collections can run up to six days a week, with no Sunday pickups.
Tracy Commercial Dumpster and Roll-Off Rules
Some RestrictionsTracy Municipal Code § 5.20.090(c) - Contractor Responsibilities for Refuse, Recycling, and Organic Materials (Commercial Containers)
(c)Containers for commercial users. Contractor shall provide one or more containers and/or roll-off boxes to commercial users for refuse, recyclables, and/or organic materials in accordance with their needs and subject to exemptions per § 5.20.050. Collections can be scheduled up to six (6) days a week, excluding Sunday.
Collection Schedule
Every occupied home in Tracy must subscribe to the city's franchised refuse, recycling, and organics collection service; there is no opt-out. Tracy Municipal Code section 5.20.030 makes subscription to all three services mandatory and requires residents to place materials in the contractor-provided containers under Chapter 5.20.
Tracy Mandatory Trash Collection Subscription
Some RestrictionsTracy Municipal Code § 5.20.030 - Requirements to Subscribe for Residential Collection
The owner, occupant, or owner-occupant, as the case may be, of every occupied residential dwelling shall pay the lawful established collection rates for the removal of refuse, recyclable materials, and organic materials from such premises. Subscription to all services is mandatory. Generators shall place such materials in designated containers provided by the contractor for collection by the co...
Recycling Rules
Tracy Municipal Code Section 5.20.130 sets the actual mechanics of curbside recycling: generators on the three-container system must keep recyclable materials clean and separated from refuse and organic materials, then place them commingled in the City-issued recycling cart at curbside on their scheduled collection day.
Tracy Recycling Preparation Rules
Some RestrictionsTracy Municipal Code Section 5.20.130
Generators using the three-container collection system shall separate recyclable materials for collection and transport such that the materials are kept as clean as possible and segregated from all other refuse and organic materials. Recyclable materials shall be placed comingled in the designated recyclable materials container provided by the City's contractor. Generators shall place these con...
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County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Tracy city rules.
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