Bin Placement Rules: Mountain View vs Santa Clara
How do bin placement rules rules compare between Mountain View, CA and Santa Clara, CA?
Mountain View and Santa Clara have similar restriction levels.
Mountain View, CA
Santa Clara County
Carts must sit at the curb with handles facing the house, 3 feet clear on all sides, and away from parked cars, mailboxes, and fire hydrants so Recology's automated trucks can service them.
View full Mountain View rules →Santa Clara, CA
Santa Clara County
Trash, recycling, and organics carts must be placed curbside with wheels against the curb, spaced 3 feet apart, and kept out of sight from the public right-of-way on non-collection days.
View full Santa Clara rules →Key Facts Comparison
| Fact | Mountain View | Santa Clara |
|---|---|---|
| Clearance needed | 3 feet on all sides | - |
| Handle direction | Facing the house | - |
| Keep away from | Mailboxes, cars, hydrants | - |
| Lid must | Close fully | - |
| Do not block | Sidewalk or driveway | - |
| Spacing | - | 3 feet apart |
| Set-out window | - | 5 PM prior evening |
| Retrieval | - | Same day as collection |
| Storage | - | Out of public view |
| Obstruction rules | - | No blocking sidewalks |
Highlighted rows indicate differences between cities.
Mountain View FAQ
Can I leave carts at the curb all week?
No. Carts must be stored out of public view between collections. Leaving them at the curb is a code violation that can generate a warning followed by a citation.
What if my truck was skipped?
Call Recology within 24 hours. If the skip was due to placement issues, correct the placement and they can return for a missed-pickup request.
Santa Clara FAQ
How far apart should my bins be?
Carts must be spaced at least 3 feet apart to allow automated collection trucks to grab each cart.
Where should I store bins between pickups?
Out of public view, such as a side yard, garage, or behind a screening fence.
Compare other topics
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