5 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Monterey County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Unincorporated Monterey County requires weekly solid-waste collection from every occupied home and business under County Code 10.41.030. Service is provided by the County's franchised hauler under the Unified Franchise Agreement that began January 1, 2025, with residential collection allowed roughly 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays.
In unincorporated Monterey County, carts must be set out near the curb for collection and removed promptly. The franchise agreement requires material to be placed within about three feet of the curb or accessible roadway, and the hauler's terms direct residents to set carts out by the morning deadline with clearance around them.
Unincorporated Monterey County residents get an annual on-call bulky-item pickup through the franchised hauler. The Unified Franchise Agreement provides one free On-Call Collection per calendar year for up to five bulky items; additional pickups carry a per-event charge. Items must be set out near the curb when scheduled.
Recycling is mandatory in unincorporated Monterey County. Every single-family dwelling must have recyclables collection service alongside trash and organics under the Unified Franchise Agreement, and California's commercial recycling laws (AB 341) require businesses and multi-family complexes to recycle as well.
California's SB 1383 makes organic-waste (food scraps and yard waste) recycling mandatory statewide. In unincorporated Monterey County, every single-family dwelling must have organic-waste collection under the Unified Franchise Agreement, multi-family complexes of five or more units must subscribe, and large food businesses must recover edible food.
1 cities in Monterey County have their own trash & recycling rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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