Stanislaus County, CA Trash & Recycling: Bin Placement Rules (2026)

The County's Solid Waste Management guidance sets specific placement, set-out, and removal rules for collection carts in the unincorporated area. Carts should be placed in the alley, if the property has one, or otherwise immediately adjacent to the nearest county- or state-maintained road that is accessible to the garbage company. Timing matters: all carts should be in place for pickup either the night before scheduled service or no later than 5:00 a.m. on the day of service. After collection, carts "should be removed from the alley or street no later than 6:00 p.m. on the day of service and screened from public view." The County also asks customers to maintain a sufficient number of carts to avoid over-filling, since overloaded or improperly placed carts may not be serviced. Prohibited materials must be kept out of the carts, including tires, explosives, flammable substances, hazardous waste, and hot fireplace or BBQ ashes, as well as household hazardous materials such as paint, oil, batteries, aerosols, and pool chemicals. These placement rules apply countywide in the franchised unincorporated areas and are administered by Environmental Resources together with the three franchised haulers (Bertolotti, Gilton, and Turlock Scavenger). Cities set their own placement rules separately.