Trash & Recycling in Santa Barbara County, CA (2026)
8 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Santa Barbara County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Regular residential trash pickup in unincorporated Santa Barbara County must happen at least once a week and only between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, under Code Sec. 17-30, while Sec. 17-8 limits how early and late containers can sit at the curb.
Santa Barbara County Trash Pickup Hours and Rules
Some RestrictionsSanta Barbara County Code Sec. 17-30(a),(b),(d)
Regular solid waste handling services shall be provided as follows: (a)Solid waste shall be collected from regular residential and commercial premises not less frequently than once a week.(b)Solid waste shall be collected from commercial premises which involve food preparation not less frequently than once a week. ... (d)Except as provided under subsection (e) of this section, residential colle...
Bin Placement Rules
The county's Solid Waste and Recycling Storage Facilities standard, Section 35.30.170, does not set curbside pickup times for a single-family home's own trash can. It requires a screened enclosure for trash and recycling containers on non-residential projects, residential buildings of five or more units, subdivisions with shared collection points, and public facilities.
Santa Barbara County Trash Enclosure Screening Rules
Some RestrictionsSanta Barbara County Code § 35.30.170(A), (C)(1), (C)(3)
A.Purpose. This Section provides standards which recognize County support for and compliance with the California Solid Waste Reuse and Recycling Access Act (Public Resources Code Section 42900 through 42911). ... C.Standards for storage areas. All projects identified in Subsection B (Applicability) above shall be required to provide solid waste areas specifically identified for the storage of b...
Recycling Requirements
Under Sec. 17-91, single-family organic waste generators in the unincorporated county must subscribe to the county's organic waste collection service and sort waste into the three-container system: green container for source-separated organics, blue for recyclables, and gray for the rest.
Santa Barbara County Three-Container Recycling Rule
Some RestrictionsSanta Barbara County Code Sec. 17-91
Single-family organic waste generators shall comply with the following requirements except single-family generators that meet the self-hauler requirements in subsection 17-94(d) of this chapter: (a)Shall subscribe to county's organic waste collection services for all organic waste generated... (b)Shall participate in the county's organic waste collection service(s) by placing designated materia...
Mandatory Organics Recycling
Commercial businesses and multi-family properties in unincorporated Santa Barbara County must subscribe to the county's organic waste collection service and sort waste into blue, green and gray containers under Code Sec. 17-92, the county's implementation of state organics law AB 1826. Civil penalties for non-compliance began January 1, 2024.
Santa Barbara County Mandatory Organics Recycling
Significant RestrictionsSanta Barbara County Code Sec. 17-92(a)
Generators that are commercial businesses, including multi-family residential dwellings, shall: (a)Subscribe to county's three- and three-plus-container collection services and comply with requirements of those services as described below in subsection 17-92(b), except commercial businesses that meet the self-hauler requirements in section 17-94(d) of this chapter. County shall have the right t...
Illegal Dumping
Dumping, burying, or throwing solid waste or litter on any open, vacant, or private property in unincorporated Santa Barbara County is banned under Code Sec. 17-10, and a dumped-on lot is declared a public nuisance under Sec. 17-66 that the county can abate and bill to the property tax roll.
Santa Barbara County Illegal Dumping Penalties
Significant RestrictionsSanta Barbara County Code Sec. 17-10(c), (g)
It shall be unlawful for any person to: ... (c)Place, keep or bury any solid waste, in or under any premises except in containers as provided in this chapter; nor shall any person deposit any solid waste in any county sewer or plumbing fixture or pipe connected thereto, except through a mechanical device which shreds and grinds putrescible solid waste; ... (g)Throw or deposit litter on any open...
Dumpster Rules
Placing a roll-off dumpster or providing unscheduled hauling service in unincorporated Santa Barbara County requires a nonexclusive county permit under Code Sec. 17-44, and the box itself must be a roll-off container approved by the Resource Recovery and Waste Management Division, kept leak-proof, marked, and maintained.
Santa Barbara County Roll-Off Dumpster Permit Rules
Some RestrictionsSanta Barbara County Code Sec. 17-44(a)-(b)
(a)All unscheduled residential and commercial solid waste handling services shall be provided by a collector pursuant to a nonexclusive permit granted by the county, subject to the terms and conditions of this chapter, and the duly adopted rules, regulations and resolutions authorized by this chapter.(b)The nonexclusive permit shall be granted on such terms and conditions as the board shall est...
Collection Schedule
In the unincorporated county, the Board of Supervisors sets collection hours, days and frequency, and can order any household in an urban-boundary or developed rural area to subscribe to a licensed collector. Isla Vista carries a fixed baseline: twice-weekly pickup equal to one 32-gallon can per bedroom.
Santa Barbara County Trash Collection Service Rules
Some RestrictionsSanta Barbara County Code Sec. 17-3(a) and Sec. 17-7(b)
The board shall establish the method and manner by which solid waste handling services are provided within the unincorporated areas of the county, including but not limited to, the hours, days and frequency of collection... Every owner of a single-family dwelling in Isla Vista shall provide solid waste handling service in the amount equivalent to one thirty-two-gallon container twice per week.
Recycling Rules
County Code Sec. 17-18 lets residents donate or sell their own source-separated recyclables before setting them out, but once recyclables hit the blue container or a designated collection spot they become the property of the authorized recycling contractor. Sec. 17-11 makes scavenging them back out a separate offense.
Santa Barbara County Recyclables Ownership Rules
Some RestrictionsSanta Barbara County Code Sec. 17-18
Nothing in this section shall limit the right of a person, organization or other entity to donate or sell source-separated recyclables generated by such person, organization, or entity before they are deposited in a container or a designated recycling collection location for collection by an authorized recycling contractor. Once recyclables are deposited in a container or commercial bin or a de...
Trash & Recycling by City in Santa Barbara County
1 cities in Santa Barbara County have their own trash & recycling rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
All Santa Barbara County ordinances
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