Trash & Recycling in Sonoma County, CA (2026)
8 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 2 cities in Sonoma County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Unincorporated Sonoma County requires weekly curbside collection of trash, recycling, and organics through the county's franchised hauler for every single-family, multi-family, and commercial property, with narrow waivers available for undeveloped or inaccessible parcels.
Sonoma County Trash Pickup Rules
Some RestrictionsSonoma County Code §§ 22-3, 22-5
Unless exempted pursuant to this section, the owners or occupants of all single-family, multi-family and commercial premises shall subscribe to weekly solid waste, recyclable materials, and organic waste collection services provided by an authorized county franchisee. ... Containers shall be placed at the curb/roadside for collection unless a county franchisee agrees to collect such containers ...
Bin Placement Rules
In unincorporated Sonoma County, single-family homes must set garbage, recycling and organics carts at the curb or roadside for collection under County Code § 22-5, and larger commercial or multi-family sites must build a screened, sized container area under § 22-10(c).
Sonoma County Trash Bin Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsSonoma County Code § 22-5(a)
Containers shall be placed at the curb/roadside for collection unless a county franchisee agrees to collect such containers from an alternative location due to the disability of a customer. Except for containers placed at the curb/roadside for collection, containers, including any recyclable containers, or organics containers, shall not be placed or allowed to remain in or on any street or alle...
Recycling Requirements
Unincorporated Sonoma County requires every home and business to keep separate blue, green, and gray containers and sort recyclables, organics, and trash accordingly under Sonoma County Code § 22-4.
Sonoma County Curbside Recycling Rules
Some RestrictionsSonoma County Code § 22-4
All persons occupying or maintaining any premises within the county where solid waste or organic waste is created, produced or accumulated shall maintain and use sufficient standard containers... Generators shall place source separated organic waste... in the green container; Generators shall place source separated recyclable materials in the blue container; and Generators shall place solid was...
Mandatory Organics Recycling
Unincorporated Sonoma County requires every single-family, multi-family, and commercial property to subscribe to weekly organic waste collection and sort food scraps and yard waste into the green container.
Sonoma County Mandatory Organics Separation
Some RestrictionsSonoma County Code § 22-4(c)
Generators shall place source separated organic waste, excluding non-compostable paper and textiles, in the green container;(2)Generators shall place source separated recyclable materials in the blue container; and(3)Generators shall place solid waste in the gray container. Generators shall not place materials designated for the gray container into the green container or blue container. (d)...
Yard Waste Collection
Unincorporated Sonoma County requires weekly organic waste collection service, and yard trimmings must go in the green container with food scraps and paper, not the gray trash cart or blue recycling cart.
Sonoma County Yard Waste Collection Rules
Some RestrictionsSonoma County Code § 22-4(d)
As of the effective date of this chapter, compostable plastics, manure, biosolids, digestate, sludges, textiles, carpets (whether or not organic), and lumber are not accepted in the green container. Only yard trimmings, food waste, paper products and printing and writing paper may be deposited into the green container as of the effective date of this ordinance. As of the effective date of this ...
Dumpster Rules
Unincorporated Sonoma County requires commercial buildings, larger multi-family projects, and high-volume waste generators to build a dedicated, sized container area for dumpster and recycling collection, reviewed and approved by the Permit and Resource Management Department before construction.
Sonoma County Dumpster Container Rules
Some RestrictionsSonoma County Code § 22-10(c)(2)
Commercial buildings with fifteen thousand (15,000) square feet of floor space or greater, and multiple housing units with seven (7) or more bedrooms, or any facility generating or anticipated to generate one (1) cubic yard or more solid waste per week, shall provide sufficient container area(s) to house the number and size of containers required. Container areas shall not be less than ten feet...
Collection Schedule
Unincorporated Sonoma County requires every single-family, multi-family, and commercial property to subscribe to weekly solid waste, recycling, and organics collection through a county-franchised hauler, with limited exemptions for undeveloped or inaccessible parcels.
Sonoma County Mandatory Weekly Trash Collection
Some RestrictionsSonoma County Code § 22-3(a)
Mandatory Service. Unless exempted pursuant to this section, the owners or occupants of all single-family, multi-family and commercial premises shall subscribe to weekly solid waste, recyclable materials, and organic waste collection services provided by an authorized county franchisee.
Recycling Rules
Unincorporated Sonoma County requires every household and business to source-separate waste into blue (recyclables), green (organics) and gray (trash) containers under County Code § 22-4, with mixing enforced through administrative citations and escalating fines.
Sonoma County Recycling Rules
Some RestrictionsSonoma County Code § 22-4
(1)Generators shall place source separated organic waste, excluding non-compostable paper and textiles, in the green container;(2)Generators shall place source separated recyclable materials in the blue container; and(3)Generators shall place solid waste in the gray container. Generators shall not place materials designated for the gray container into the green container or blue container. ...
Trash & Recycling by City in Sonoma County
2 cities in Sonoma County have their own trash & recycling rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
All Sonoma County ordinances
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