Glendale, CA Trash & Recycling: Bin Placement Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Earliest curb time
- 3:00 p.m. day before collection
- Cart removal deadline
- 8:00 p.m. collection day
- Spacing from vehicles
- 3 feet from parked cars
- Spacing between carts
- 1 foot apart, arrow facing street
- Lid requirement
- Tight-fitting, animal-resistant
- Enforcement
- Administrative citation, Public Works
Summary
Glendale Municipal Code Section 8.44.081 requires automated trash, recycling and green-waste carts to be set at the curb no earlier than 3:00 p.m. the day before collection and removed by 8:00 p.m. on collection day, spaced at least three feet from parked cars and one foot apart.
Automated containers shall be placed at the edge of the curb on either side of the driveway in front of the premises at a minimum of three feet from any parked car and at a minimum of one foot between each automated cart. Such containers shall be placed so that the embossed arrow on the lid faces the street.
B. No person shall place any container in any public highway, street, or alley at any place other than on the collection day established by the city on the particular route. No container shall be placed for collection before 3:00 p.m. on the day immediately prior to the scheduled collection day. No person shall permit the containers to remain on or immediately adjacent to a street or alley after 8:00 p.m. of the collection day. (Ord. 5961 § 2, 2021; Ord. 5967 § 2, 2021; Ord. 6020, 1/23/2023)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4983441; v20 updated 2026-05-19).
Full Breakdown
at a minimum of three feet from any parked car and at a minimum of one foot between each automated cart," with "the embossed arrow on the lid" facing the street. " General receptacle rules layer on top of the placement schedule. 091 requires every receptacle lid to fit tightly enough "to prevent as best as practicable the entry therein by coyotes, dogs, cats, rodents or other animals," a wildlife-driven design standard tied to the city's hillside terrain. 092. 090(B); they may not be removed from the address they were assigned to, and the city repairs or replaces damaged or stolen carts at no charge unless the damage stems from customer abuse.
Violations & Fines
Violating the receptacle and placement rules exposes a resident or business to an administrative citation under Section 8.44.180, which authorizes the director of public works to issue notices of violation and administrative citations under Chapter 1.24, plus separate civil or criminal prosecution as a misdemeanor or infraction for repeated or large-scale violations. Owners are also liable for the city's collection fees under Section 8.44.100, and any fee left unpaid becomes "a civil debt owing to the city" under Section 8.44.120.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time can I put my trash cans out in Glendale?
When do I have to bring my cans back in after collection?
How far apart do my trash carts need to be?
Why do Glendale's trash can lids have to fit tightly?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Glendale
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Bin Placement Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle bin placement rules.