Yard Waste Collection: Menifee vs Riverside
How do yard waste collection rules compare between Menifee, CA and Riverside, CA?
Riverside has fewer restrictions than Menifee.
Menifee, CA
Riverside County
Menifee residents must place grass clippings, leaves, prunings, and other yard trimmings in the green organics cart along with food scraps — not in the trash. This is mandatory under California SB 1383 (PRC §42652), which prohibits landfilling of organic waste.
View full Menifee rules →Riverside, CA
Riverside County
Since July 1, 2022, Riverside's green cart is a combined organics cart: yard trimmings AND bagged food scraps go in the same brown-body/green-lid container per California SB 1383. Loose grass, leaves, and small branches go in directly; oversize branches up to 4 ft long and 4 in diameter may be bundled and placed beside the cart on service day.
View full Riverside rules →Key Facts Comparison
| Fact | Menifee | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Required cart | Green organics (yard + food scraps) | - |
| State law | SB 1383 / PRC §42652 | - |
| Bag rule | Loose only — no plastic bags | - |
| Burning | Prohibited without CAL FIRE permit (SCAQMD Rule 444) | - |
| Defensible space | 100 ft cleared (PRC §4291) — chip or haul | - |
| Combined cart since | - | July 1, 2022 |
| Food scraps | - | Bagged (1–2 gal) in green cart |
| Branch limit (bundles) | - | ≤4 ft long, ≤4 in diameter, 18-in bundles |
| Christmas trees | - | Curbside ~Jan 5 – Jan 24, cut to 4-ft sections |
| Code authority | - | SB 1383 (14 CCR §18984) + RMC Ch. 6.04 |
Highlighted rows indicate differences between cities.
Menifee FAQ
Where do grass clippings and leaves go?
In the green organics cart — loose, not bagged. SB 1383 prohibits sending yard waste to the landfill, so it cannot go in the gray trash cart.
Can I burn brush in my backyard?
Generally no. South Coast AQMD Rule 444 and Cal. H&SC §41700 prohibit open burning in most of Riverside County. PRC §4291 defensible-space clearance must be chipped, hauled, or set out as bulky pickup — get a CAL FIRE permit before any burn.
What about really big branches?
Cut branches over 4 ft long or 4 in thick down to cart size, or schedule one of your 4 annual bulky-item pickups with WM at (800) 423-9986.
Riverside FAQ
Do food scraps go in the green cart or the trash in Riverside?
Green cart. Since July 1, 2022, Riverside requires all food scraps — fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, bread, food-soiled paper — to be bagged in a durable 1–2 gallon plastic bag and placed in the green cart with your yard waste. This is SB 1383 compliance.
What do I do with branches too big for the green cart?
Branches up to 4 feet long and 4 inches in diameter may be tied in 18-inch-diameter bundles up to 36 inches long and placed next to the green cart on service day. Larger branches, trunks, or stumps go to bulky pickup or a transfer station.
When are Christmas trees picked up in Riverside?
Curbside collection runs approximately January 5 through January 24 each year. Cut the tree into 4-foot sections and place it in or beside the green cart; flocked or decorated trees must go to the trash or transfer station.
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