Trash & Recycling in Los Angeles County, CA (2026)
10 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 21 cities in Los Angeles County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Residential waste collectors in unincorporated LA County must collect trash at least once per week and are prohibited from collecting in residential areas between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
Trash Recycling: Pickup Rules
Light RestrictionsLos Angeles County Code § 20.72.080
waste collectors providing residential solid waste collection services shall collect solid waste at least once each week from property owners or occupants who have paid for such services, and such collection shall comply with the location requirements of Section 20.72.100 and with the following additional requirements:1.Waste collectors shall collect all solid waste placed inside containers tha...
Bin Placement Rules
Trash bins in unincorporated LA County may not be set out before 5:00 p.m. the evening before scheduled collection and must be removed by 8:00 p.m. on collection day (or within two hours of actual collection, whichever is later).
Trash Recycling: Bin Placement
Light RestrictionsLos Angeles County Code § 20.72.110
No person shall place any solid waste, or any container containing solid waste, at any place of collection before 5:00 p.m. of the day preceding the scheduled collection of said solid waste, or leave any such container at the place of collection after 8:00 p.m. on the day of actual collection, or more than two hours after actual collection, whichever is later.
Bulk Item Disposal
Waste collectors in unincorporated LA County must collect large items that cannot fit in standard bins, such as stoves, refrigerators, and furniture, though they may require advance notice and charge extra fees.
Trash Recycling: Bulk Disposal
Few RestrictionsLos Angeles County Code § 20.72.080(A)(3)
Waste collectors shall collect bulky items set out for collection that are not reasonably susceptible to being placed in waste containers or bundles, including stoves, refrigerators, furniture, water heaters, and other similar items. Waste collectors may charge additional fees and/or require advance notice for providing this service.
Recycling Requirements
Waste collectors serving designated unincorporated communities (including Altadena, La Crescenta/Montrose, East Pasadena, Hacienda Heights, and Lennox) must provide free curbside recycling containers and collect recyclables at least once a week on the same day as regular trash.
Trash Recycling: Recycling Requirements
Light RestrictionsLos Angeles County Code § 20.72.192
Waste collectors shall:1.Provide an original and any replacement recyclable materials containers to each residence and, as required by the director of public works, to each multi-residential complex, commercial, institutional, or industrial entity. The container(s) shall be a rigid plastic bin, or bucket, or bag made of appropriate material and sufficient strength to contain the recyclable mate...
Mandatory Organics Recycling
Unincorporated LA County residents and businesses must divert organic waste from landfills by source-separating food scraps, green waste, and other organics using an authorized hauler or approved on-site management method.
Trash Recycling: Mandatory Organics
Some RestrictionsLos Angeles County Code § 20.91.040
Organic Waste Generators shall cause the Organic Waste that they generate, and that is generated on property that they own or manage, to be diverted from disposal, in one or more of the following ways: 1. Arrange for an Authorized Hauler other than a Micro-Hauler to collect the Organic Waste that they generate and comply with the Source Separation and Container placement requirements of the Org...
Illegal Dumping
In unincorporated LA County, any vehicle used to dump bulky items, hazardous waste, or solid waste on public or private property is declared a public nuisance and subject to seizure and forfeiture.
LA County Illegal Dumping Vehicle Forfeiture
Heavy RestrictionsLos Angeles County Code §§ 13.80.020(E), 13.80.030(A)
"Illegal dumping" is the willful throwing, dropping, placing or depositing of a bulky item, hazardous waste or solid waste on public or private property not designated for that dumping or disposal purpose. ... Any vehicle used for the purpose of illegal dumping is a nuisance and the vehicle shall be enjoined and abated as provided in this section.
Yard Waste Collection
Yard waste too large for standard bins must be placed in securely tied bundles no longer than 4 feet and weighing no more than 70 pounds for residential collection in unincorporated LA County.
Trash Recycling: Yard Waste
Light RestrictionsLos Angeles County Code § 20.72.090(D)
Any yard waste set out for collection by a residential waste collector that is not reasonably susceptible to being placed in waste containers, such as vegetative cuttings, shrubs, branches, and similar materials, shall be placed in bundles. Each bundle shall be securely tied and shall not exceed four feet in length and 70 pounds in weight.
Dumpster Rules
In unincorporated Los Angeles County, new commercial, industrial and 4+ unit residential projects must enclose dumpsters and recycling bins at least 10 feet from any building, 20 feet from doors or windows, and screened by a view-obstructing wall or fence.
LA County Dumpster Enclosure Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsLos Angeles County Code § 22.132.030
3.When the storage area is located outside of a building, it shall be located in the rear portion of the lot wherever feasible, or adjacent to an alley if the lot is bordered by an alley.C.Distance Requirements.1.Where an outdoor recycling and solid waste storage area is separated from an adjoining building, it shall be no closer than 10 feet from any building or 20 feet from any door or window...
Collection Schedule
In the unincorporated High Desert Area, county code requires occupied properties without county-provided trash pickup to use a permitted hauler or a self-hauler permit for at least weekly solid waste removal.
Los Angeles County Mandatory Weekly Trash Collection
Some RestrictionsLos Angeles County Code § 20.58.020
For all occupied properties in the High Desert Area, where the county does not otherwise provide solid waste collection services, it is mandatory for the owner and/or occupant of the property to utilize the solid waste collection services of a permitted waste collector at least once weekly or, alternatively, to obtain a self-hauler permit and transport, at least once weekly, all solid waste acc...
Recycling Rules
In unincorporated LA County, only the county's authorized recycling agent may take recyclables you've set out for pickup: anyone else who knowingly removes them is committing a misdemeanor.
LA County Curbside Recycling Theft Ban
Some RestrictionsLos Angeles County Code § 20.72.196
No person, other than the authorized recycling agent of the county, shall remove recyclable materials which have been segregated from solid waste materials and placed at a designated collection location for the purposes of collection and recycling. ... A violation of this section is a misdemeanor punishable pursuant to Section 19 of the California Penal Code.
Trash & Recycling by City in Los Angeles County
21 cities in Los Angeles County have their own trash & recycling rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
8 verified rules • Bin Placement Rules, Bulk Item Disposal
8 verified rules • Bin Placement Rules, Bulk Item Disposal
10 verified rules • Bin Placement Rules, Bulk Item Disposal
11 verified rules • Bin Placement Rules, Bulk Item Disposal
10 verified rules • Bin Placement Rules, Bulk Item Disposal
10 verified rules • Bin Placement Rules, Bulk Item Disposal
8 verified rules • Bin Placement Rules, Dumpster Rules
2 verified rules • Pickup Rules & Schedules, Recycling Requirements
10 verified rules • Bin Placement Rules, Bulk Item Disposal
9 verified rules • Bin Placement Rules, Bulk Item Disposal
10 verified rules • Bin Placement Rules, Bulk Item Disposal
10 verified rules • Bin Placement Rules, Collection Schedule
2 verified rules • Pickup Rules & Schedules, Recycling Requirements
8 verified rules • Bin Placement Rules, Bulk Item Disposal
10 verified rules • Bin Placement Rules, Bulk Item Disposal
11 verified rules • Bin Placement Rules, Bulk Item Disposal
9 verified rules • Bin Placement Rules, Collection Schedule
6 verified rules • Bin Placement Rules, Illegal Dumping
4 verified rules • Bin Placement Rules, Dumpster Rules
9 verified rules • Bin Placement Rules, Bulk Item Disposal
1 verified rule • Recycling Requirements
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