Trash & Recycling in Union City, CA (2026)
9 verified trash & recycling rules for Union City, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Union City's franchised hauler must pick up residential trash weekly, organic waste every other week, recycling weekly, and commercial or industrial trash one to five times a week depending on the account.
Union City Trash and Recycling Pickup Frequency
Light RestrictionsUnion City Municipal Code § 7.04.062(A)-(D)
The solid waste franchisee shall collect and dispose of all solid waste generated at residential premises ... not less than once each week, as scheduled ... shall collect organic waste placed for collection from residential premises not less than every other week, as scheduled ... shall collect and dispose of all solid waste generated at commercial and industrial premises ... delivered to a can...
Bin Placement Rules
Union City requires residential trash, recycling and organic waste carts to be screened from public right-of-way view, set out no earlier than sunset the night before collection, and pulled back by midnight after pickup.
Union City Garbage Cart Screening Rules
Some RestrictionsUnion City Municipal Code § 7.04.061(B)
shall not place at the curb, solid waste, organic waste or recyclable material containers for collection by the solid waste and recycling franchisees at any time earlier than sunset of the day preceding the day designated for collection by the solid waste and recycling franchisees for the collection of such solid waste, recyclable material or organic waste. All solid waste, organic waste and re...
Bulk Item Disposal
Union City's solid waste franchisee must pick up bulky items like appliances from single-family homes up to twice a year at no charge, on request.
Union City Free Bulky Item Pickup
Some RestrictionsUnion City Municipal Code § 7.04.062(E)
Clean-Up Events/Bulky Item Pickups. Upon request, and up to twice annually, the solid waste franchisee shall collect nonputrescible, bulky solid waste, including appliances from single-family dwelling units and shall divert from disposal as much material as possible and shall properly dispose of residual material. There shall be no charge for this service. The materials to be collected under th...
Recycling Requirements
Union City requires every household and business to set out recyclable material for at least weekly collection and use the containers supplied by the city's franchised recycling hauler.
Union City Mandatory Curbside Recycling
Some RestrictionsUnion City Municipal Code § 7.04.040(C)
All recyclable materials created, produced or accumulated in or about a dwelling, house, or residential premises in the City shall be placed for collection by the occupant of the respective premises....All recyclable materials placed for collection shall be collected from the premises at least once each week by the recycling franchisee(s).
Mandatory Organics Recycling
Union City requires every single-family household to subscribe to organics collection and sort food waste into the green compost cart under its SB 1383 implementing ordinance, enforced with Alameda County.
Union City Mandatory Food Scrap Separation
Some RestrictionsUnion City Municipal Code § 7.24.030
single-family generators shall:...Be subscribed to the collection service(s) approved by the member agency for compost containers, recycling containers, and landfill containers....Generators shall place source separated compost container organic waste, including food waste, in the compost container; source separated recyclable materials in the recycling container; and landfill container waste i...
Illegal Dumping
Dumping, burning, or burying solid waste anywhere in Union City is prohibited outright, with violations treated as a misdemeanor carrying up to a $1,000 fine and six months in jail.
Union City Illegal Dumping Ban
Heavy RestrictionsUnion City Municipal Code § 7.04.090(D)
No person shall burn, dump, place or bury within the City any solid waste, or any other deleterious or offensive substance; provided, however, that this section shall not apply to any land approved by the City for a disposal site or to any privately-owned parcel wherein a specific waiver of this section is granted by the City Manager due to unusual or extraordinary conditions.
Yard Waste Collection
Union City's franchised hauler holds exclusive rights to collect yard waste citywide; hiring an unauthorized hauler is an infraction, and illegal collectors face escalating fines up to $500.
Union City Yard Waste Collection Rules
Some RestrictionsUnion City Municipal Code § 7.04.130
it is unlawful and an infraction for any person, firm or entity to collect or transport solid waste or yard waste within the City unless such person is the solid waste or recycling franchisee as herein defined... Any person who violates this section shall be guilty of an infraction and subject to a fine not exceeding one hundred dollars for the first violation, two hundred dollars for a second ...
Dumpster Rules
Union City requires commercial, industrial and multifamily dumpster enclosures to sit outside required setbacks and circulation aisles, get reviewed by the hauler before permitting, and be screened from view.
Union City Commercial Dumpster Enclosure Rules
Some RestrictionsUnion City Municipal Code § 7.04.055(A)(5)-(6)
Enclosure shall not be located in any landscaping, setback or parking areas required by Title 18 ... Enclosure shall not be located in any circulation aisles or publicly owned rights-of-way where they may disrupt circulation patterns or emergency vehicle access ... Siting and design of new enclosure shall be reviewed by the solid waste and recycling franchisee(s) prior to building permit issuance.
Collection Schedule
Union City requires every residential property to subscribe to weekly solid waste collection through the City's franchisee, and failing to do so is a punishable infraction.
Union City Weekly Trash Collection Mandate
Some RestrictionsUnion City Municipal Code § 7.04.040(A)
All solid waste created, produced or accumulated in or about a dwelling, house, or residential premises in the City shall be placed for collection by the occupant of the respective premises in the container provided by the solid waste franchisee. All solid waste created, produced or accumulated at businesses, hotels, restaurants, boardinghouses or other commercial and industrial premises situat...
Looking for Alameda County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Union City city rules.
Trash & Recycling in Alameda County →