Trash & Recycling in Westminster, CA (2026)
10 verified trash & recycling rules for Westminster, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Only the Midway City Sanitary District franchisee may collect refuse and recyclables in Westminster; scavenging materials already set out for pickup is unlawful, and the narrow exceptions cover self-haul, incidental gardener or contractor hauling, and donated or sold recyclables.
Westminster Exclusive Refuse Collection Franchise
Significant RestrictionsWestminster Code § 8.16.310
The collection of refuse and recyclable waste material shall be performed exclusively by the MCSD franchisee. The district may regulate, by ordinance or resolution, all aspects of the commercial refuse service, including, but not limited to, frequency of collection, means of collection and transportation, level of services, charges, fees, and nature, location, and extent of providing such servi...
Bin Placement Rules
Westminster's zoning code sets exact rules for where trash and recycling carts sit on a residential lot. New single-family homes must provide at least 3 cubic feet of storage per dwelling, and the collection area has to be a side yard behind a 40-inch gate, a fenced enclosure, or inside the garage, never the front or street side yard.
Westminster Trash Cart Placement and Screening
Some RestrictionsWestminster Code § 17.300.045(B), Table 3-3
Refuse and recyclable material storage areas shall not be located in any required front yard and street side yard. Refuse and recyclable material storage areas shall not obstruct vehicular access and maneuvering area for any parking stall, nor shall a refuse and recyclable material storage area obstruct any driveway, drive aisle, loading area, or pedestrian walkway. ... A minimum of 3 cubic fee...
Bulk Item Disposal
Furniture, appliances, and construction or demolition debris don't go in the regular cart in Westminster. Municipal Code § 8.16.330(C) requires residents to notify the MCSD franchisee and schedule special removal, and the franchisee may charge a fee set under a uniform, director-approved schedule; hazardous waste is never included in that pickup.
Westminster Bulky Item Pickup Arrangement Rule
Some RestrictionsWestminster Code § 8.16.330(B), (C)
No person shall compact refuse after placing the refuse in a container, nor shall any person place or cause or permit to be placed in any container any material that is of a size, or dimension, that prevents the container lid from closing completely, or that is of a weight that causes the contents of that container to exceed a combined eight hundred pounds. Persons wishing to dispose of furnitu...
Recycling Requirements
Every property in Westminster must subscribe to refuse collection through the MCSD franchisee under Municipal Code § 8.16.030, and that franchised service is defined to include curbside collection of recyclable materials and organic waste along with trash. The property owner, not the tenant, bears responsibility for keeping the service level adequate.
Westminster Mandatory Curbside Collection Rule
Some RestrictionsWestminster Code § 8.16.030; § 8.16.010 ("Curbside container service")
Notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary, all properties in the city of Westminster shall subscribe to refuse collection service by the MCSD franchisee. It shall be the responsibility of the property owner to ensure adequate service. ... "Curbside container service" means a service provided to premises within the district whereby district personnel remove recyclable mate...
Mandatory Organics Recycling
Under AB 1826, Westminster businesses and large multi-family facilities that generate enough refuse must source-separate organic waste into a dedicated MCSD container; exemptions cover on-site composting, self-hauling, donated material, and district-granted waivers, with SB 1383 enforcement giving violators 60 days to fix problems.
Westminster Mandatory Commercial Organics Recycling
Significant RestrictionsWestminster Code § 8.16.315
Pursuant to AB 1826, large multi-family residential facilities and businesses that generate a specified volume of refuse are required to arrange for recycling services specifically for organic waste. This section is intended to facilitate implementation of organic waste recycling in accordance with AB 1826 and other applicable law. ... The owner or person in charge or control of each business o...
Illegal Dumping
Westminster bans placing, throwing or dumping any refuse, bulky item, or hazardous waste on public or private property, and separately bans sweeping or depositing refuse onto any sidewalk, street, alley or gutter, with violators facing misdemeanor prosecution and liability for the city's cleanup costs.
Westminster Illegal Dumping Ban & Penalties
Heavy RestrictionsWestminster Code § 8.16.040
No person shall place, deposit, throw or dump, or cause to be placed, deposited, thrown or dumped any refuse, recyclable waste material, bulky items, liquids other than water, or hazardous waste in or upon any public or on private property of any kind whatsoever, including but not limited to, private property open to the patronage of the public or open to public view, except on property lawfull...
Yard Waste Collection
Westminster's waste code defines yard waste and green waste as landscape material like grass clippings, prunings and branches that must be source-separated for organics collection, but it carves out an exception letting your own gardener or landscaper haul away yard waste generated on the job at no extra charge.
Westminster Yard Waste & Green Waste Handling
Light RestrictionsWestminster Code § 8.16.010; § 8.16.310
"Green waste" means organic waste generated from any landscape, including, but not limited to, grass clippings, leaves, prunings, tree trimmings, weeds, branches and brush in sizes that can be placed in containers designated for organic waste. ... "Yard waste" means those constituents of solid waste comprised of non-soil landscape or plant materials such as tree trimmings and prunings, grass cu...
Dumpster Rules
Commercial refuse and recycling storage areas in Westminster cannot sit in a required front or street side yard, and Municipal Code Section 17.300.045(B) also bars them from side or rear setbacks abutting residential uses. Enclosure gates must face away from neighbors and the public right-of-way, and larger commercial projects follow the Midway City Sanitary District's design standards.
Westminster Commercial Dumpster Placement Standards
Some RestrictionsWestminster Code § 17.300.045(B)
B. General Standards. The following standards shall apply to all new refuse and recyclable materials storage: 1. Refuse and recyclable material storage areas shall not be located in any required front yard and street side yard. 2. Refuse and recyclable material storage areas shall not obstruct vehicular access and maneuvering area for any parking stall, nor shall a refuse and recyclable materia...
Collection Schedule
Every property in Westminster must subscribe to refuse collection through the Midway City Sanitary District franchisee, and it's the property owner's job to keep that service adequate; the code doesn't fix a citywide pickup day, leaving frequency and scheduling to the district's own regulations.
Westminster Mandatory Refuse Collection Subscription
Some RestrictionsWestminster Code § 8.16.020; § 8.16.030
The provisions of this chapter shall apply to all solid waste generators including, commercial, industrial, and residential properties. ... Notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary, all properties in the city of Westminster shall subscribe to refuse collection service by the MCSD franchisee. It shall be the responsibility of the property owner to ensure adequate service.
Recycling Rules
Westminster bans anyone but the Midway City Sanitary District franchisee from scavenging recyclables left out for collection, and requires any other recycler operating in the city to hold a business license plus an annual recyclable material collection permit from the public works director, with quarterly reporting on what was collected and where it went.
Westminster Recyclable Collector Permit Rule
Some RestrictionsWestminster Code §§ 8.16.300(A), 8.16.370
No person other than the MCSD franchisee shall handle, salvage, scavenge or otherwise sort or remove refuse or recyclable waste material that has been lawfully placed for collection. ... Persons collecting recyclable material within the city shall, in addition to obtaining a business license, obtain a recyclable material collection permit from the director prior to commencing such collection an...
Looking for Orange County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Westminster city rules.
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