Trash & Recycling in Pima County, AZ (2026)
6 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 2 cities in Pima County, Arizona.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Unincorporated Pima County refuse must go on the alley side if an alley serves the property, or curbside out front if collected from the street.
Pima County Trash Container Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsPima County Code § 7.25.050(A)
A. All refuse shall be property placed on the premises for convenient collection as agreed between each customer and the waste collector, except that where alleys are provided the refuse shall be placed on the alley side of the premises and if collected from the front of the premises the refuse shall be placed at the curb along the street in front of the premises.
Bin Placement Rules
Pima County Code § 7.25.060 governs curbside placement in the unincorporated county, the area outside Tucson, Marana, Oro Valley, Sahuarita and South Tucson: residents cannot put a cart at the curb before 5 p.m. the day before collection, and must pull it back by 8 p.m. on collection day, or within two hours after the truck actually empties it, whichever comes later.
Pima County Trash Cart Set-Out Hours
Some RestrictionsPima County Code § 7.25.060
If collected from the front of the premises, no person shall place any solid waste, or any container containing solid waste, at any place of collection before five p.m. of the day preceding the scheduled collection of the solid waste, or leave any such container at the place of collection after eight p.m. on the day of actual collection, or more than two hours after actual collection, whichever...
Recycling Requirements
Pima County Code § 7.25.120 requires every licensed hauler in the unincorporated county to offer weekly curbside recycling collection to each customer under contract for any waste service, covering the material list in Section 7.25.010(F), unless a hardship waiver or the director dropping an item for lack of a market applies.
Pima County Curbside Recycling Requirement
Some RestrictionsPima County Code § 7.25.120(A)
A. All licensed waste collectors shall offer, as one of their services, the collection of all recyclable materials listed in 7.25.010 at least once a week from every customer in the unincorporated area of Pima County with whom they have contracted to provide any waste collection service. B. The director may modify the list of recyclable material upon finding that viable markets do not exist for...
Illegal Dumping
Pima County Code § 7.29.040(C) makes it unlawful to dump, deposit or dispose of solid waste anywhere in the county other than an approved site, and a violation is a Class 2 misdemeanor under Section 7.29.050(B), with civil penalties up to five hundred dollars a day on top of any criminal fine.
Pima County Illegal Dumping Penalties
Heavy RestrictionsPima County Code § 7.29.040(C)
C. It is unlawful for a person to dump, deposit or dispose of solid waste any place within the county other than at an approved site. D. It is unlawful to dispose of industrial waste at the HHWCP. Commercial waste may be disposed after registration with HHWCP. E. It is unlawful to provide inaccurate information regarding generator status or waste stream analysis.
Dumpster Rules
For a large scale retail establishment (over 80,000 square feet) in unincorporated Pima County next to a residential use, Code § 18.39.030(C)(2)(d) requires a 100-foot setback from the property line for trash collection or compaction areas, and (C)(3)(d) requires those trash containers to be screened from residential view with opaque materials.
Pima County Big-Box Store Dumpster Rules
Some RestrictionsPima County Code § 18.39.030(C)(2)(d), (C)(3)(d)
2. Setbacks: ... d. For trash collection or compaction, 100-foot setback from property line contiguous to an existing residential use; ... 3. Landscaping and screening: ... d. Permanent outdoor sales displays, trash collection containers and trash compaction shall be screened from adjacent residential view with opaque materials;
Collection Schedule
Pima County Code § 7.25.040 requires every licensed hauler in the unincorporated county to collect from each signed-up customer and sets the floor for how often: garbage-only service at least twice weekly, refuse mixed with garbage twice weekly, and rubbish or ashes as often as needed to stop nuisances and fly breeding.
Pima County Trash Collection Frequency Rule
Some RestrictionsPima County Code § 7.25.040(A), (C)(1)
A. Duty to Collect. Waste collectors shall collect solid waste from customers who have contracted for the service. ... C. Frequency of Collection. 1. The frequency of collection shall be in accordance with rules of the waste collector but not less than: a. Garbage only, twice weekly; b. Refuse with garbage, twice weekly; c. Rubbish and ashes, as often as necessary to prevent nuisances and fly b...
Trash & Recycling by City in Pima County
2 cities in Pima County have their own trash & recycling rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
All Pima County ordinances
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