Trash & Recycling in Merced County, CA (2026)
8 rules for unincorporated Merced County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Merced County restricts when refuse trucks can operate in the unincorporated area: collection in residential districts and nearby schools, churches, and hospitals is confined to six a.m. to six p.m. under County Code Section 9.08.080. Tampering with a collection container or obstructing a hauler is also a separate offense under Section 9.08.090.
Merced County Trash Collection Hours Limit
Some RestrictionsMerced County Code § 9.08.080
A. No collections shall be made in residential districts, as shown on the zoning map of the county, or at schools, churches, hospitals, offices or commercial establishments in or adjacent to said residential districts, except between the hours of six a.m. and six p.m. B. No collections shall be made from premises in commercial areas other than described in subsection A of this section except be...
Bin Placement Rules
Carts in unincorporated Merced County are set out per the franchised hauler's rules. Gilton customers face containers toward the street with wheels against the curb by the night before collection, keep at least 2 feet between carts and 5 feet from other objects, and ensure lids close fully with no material above the rim.
Merced County Cart Placement & Setout Rules
Some RestrictionsGilton Solid Waste Management — cart placement guidance
Face containers toward the street with wheels against the curb or gutter the night before your scheduled collection day. Allow at least 2 feet between containers and 5 feet between containers and other objects. Make sure lids are securely shut—materials should not extend beyond the container rim.
Recycling Requirements
Merced County requires every commercial business and multifamily property in the unincorporated area to subscribe to the county's blue-container recycling and green-container organics collection service, sort materials into the correct container, and educate tenants and employees, under the SB 1383-driven Chapter 9.06 organic waste and recycling ordinance.
Merced County Commercial Recycling Mandate
Significant RestrictionsMerced County Code § 9.06.050 (Requirements for Commercial Businesses)
Generators that are commercial businesses, including multifamily residential dwellings, shall comply with the following requirements... Subscribe to county's three-container or two-container collection services and comply with requirements of those services... except commercial businesses that meet the self-hauler requirements in Section 9.06.100. County shall have the right to review the numbe...
Mandatory Organics Recycling
Merced County requires every single-family household in the unincorporated area to subscribe to the county's organic waste collection service and sort food scraps and yard waste into the green container, recyclables into the blue container, and everything else into the gray container, under the SB 1383 organics ordinance in Chapter 9.06.
Merced County Mandatory Organic Waste Sorting
Significant RestrictionsMerced County Code § 9.06.040 (Requirements for Single-Family Generators)
Single-family organic waste generators shall comply with the following requirements, except single-family organic waste generators located in low population census tracts, as defined in 14 CCR Section 18984.12(a)(2): Subscribe to county's organic waste collection services for all organic waste generated as described in subsection B below... Generators may additionally manage their organic waste...
Illegal Dumping
Dumping discarded materials anywhere but an approved container or a permitted resource management facility is unlawful in unincorporated Merced County under Code Section 9.16.020, and the county's 2026 illegal dumping ordinance backs that ban with administrative fines that escalate from $2,500 to $10,000 and vehicle impoundment for repeat offenders.
Merced County Illegal Dumping Penalties
Heavy RestrictionsMerced County Code §§ 9.16.020, 9.16.060
§ 9.16.020. Dumping at unauthorized sites prohibited. Except as otherwise provided by applicable law, no person shall deposit or discharge, or caused to be deposited or discharged, any discarded materials in any place other than an approved discarded materials container or at a permitted resource management facility, in accordance with this chapter. ... § 9.16.060(B). Administrative penalties a...
Yard Waste Collection
Merced County limits how residents in the unincorporated area may set out grass clippings, tree trimmings, and other 'garden rubbish' for collection: it must go in a standard container, bin, or a properly secured disposable container or bundle, each capped at 40 pounds, with tree limbs no thicker than four inches across.
Merced County Yard Waste Container Rules
Some RestrictionsMerced County Code § 9.08.050(B) (Containers - Number - Type)
Containers for Garden Rubbish. Where automated carts are not used, garden rubbish may be collected in standard containers, bins or in disposable containers. Disposable containers must be secured to prevent spillage or littering and must be of sufficient strength so as not to come apart when lifted, whether dry or wet. Disposable containers shall not exceed three feet in length, two feet in diam...
Dumpster Rules
Unincorporated Merced County requires solid waste and recycling storage areas at every development to sit in one location, screened from the street, sized to serve the project, and enclosed by a wall or fence at least six feet high. The rule applies countywide under Chapter 18.46 of the Zoning Code.
Merced County Dumpster Enclosure Standards
Some RestrictionsMerced County Code §§ 18.46.030(D)-(E), 18.46.040(B)
D. Each solid waste/recycling storage area within a multi-family residential development shall be no greater than 250 feet from each living unit. E. Solid waste/recycling storage areas, except for public recycling areas, shall be located to the rear of structures and/or they shall be screened from public street view... B. Solid waste/recycling containers shall be enclosed by a solid wood fence ...
Collection Schedule
In unincorporated Merced County, every occupied home and business must have refuse hauled away at least once a week to an authorized disposal site under County Code Section 9.08.020. The county health officer or public works director can order more frequent pickups for health or safety reasons, and residents may self-haul but cannot skip the weekly requirement.
Merced County Weekly Refuse Collection Rule
Some RestrictionsMerced County Code § 9.08.020
A. The owner of an occupied dwelling house or other place of human habitation, including business establishments, which results in the production or accumulation of refuse, shall have refuse removed from the premises at least once each week and disposed of at an authorized solid waste disposal site, except as otherwise provided in this chapter. The owner of premises upon which a hotel, restaura...
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