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Utah County, UT Trash & Recycling: Bin Placement Rules (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Wet refuse containers
metal/plastic, tight-fitting lid required
Approved bag size
20 to 30 gallon capacity
Banned containers
wooden boxes, barrels for wet garbage
Placement rule
no filthy or offensive location near neighbors
Enforcing agency
Utah County Health Department
Damage to receptacle
unlawful under Section 9.04.140

Summary

Every owner, lessee, or occupant of a building or business in unincorporated Utah County must keep tight-lidded metal, plastic, or approved receptacles for wet garbage and separate containers for dry trade waste, and may not place those containers where they become filthy, unsightly, or offensive to neighboring property.

City-specific rules exist: Orem, Eagle Mountain, Provo, and Lehi have their own bin placement rules rules that differ from Utah County's county-level regulations. If you live in one of those cities, check the city-specific page instead.

It shall be the duty of every owner, lessee, or occupant of any building, premises, or place of business to provide: suitable and sufficient metallic, plastic, or other approved receptacles with tight-fitting lids for receiving and holding garbage, market waste, and other wet refuse that may accumulate from said building, place of business, or upon said premises or the portion thereof under the control of such person; and suitable and sufficient receptacles for receiving and holding trade waste and other dry refuse that may accumulate from said building, place of business, or upon said premises or the portion thereof under the control of such person. ... It shall be unlawful for any person or commercial establishment to place receptacles for the storage of garbage, market waste, trade waste or other refuse in such a locality or position that they shall be filthy, unsightly, or offensive to any person inhabiting premises contiguous to such storage facility. Such conditions shall be deemed to constitute a public nuisance.

Source: Provo Code §9.28View official code

Full Breakdown

120 requires every owner, lessee, or occupant of a building, place of business, or premises to keep suitable, sufficient metallic, plastic, or other approved receptacles with tight-fitting lids for garbage, market waste, and other wet refuse, plus separate suitable receptacles for trade waste and other dry refuse. 130 bars putting garbage or wet refuse in wooden boxes, barrels, or pasteboard cartons; dry trade waste may go in wooden boxes, cartons, or barrels only if they are built well enough not to scatter refuse and have wide necks and mouths that resist clogging and littering.

Garbage may also go in weather-resistant bags made for refuse collection holding between twenty and thirty gallons. 160 separately bans placing storage receptacles for garbage, market waste, trade waste, or other refuse in a location or position that is filthy, unsightly, or offensive to anyone living on adjoining property, and treats that condition as a public nuisance in its own right. 170 requires anything subject to decay, other than leaves or grass, to sit in a tightly covered metal, plastic, or approved container rather than lying uncovered anywhere in the county. 040 it may condemn worn-out, rusted, or filthy containers and order the owner to clean or replace them.

Violations & Fines

Chapter 9.04 sets no separate penalty class for receptacle violations, so the Title 1 general penalty in Section 1.04.010 applies: up to a $1,000 fine, up to six months in jail, or both, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense. The County Health Department can also condemn a worn-out or filthy container under Section 9.04.040 and require the owner to replace it before continuing use.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of container can I use for garbage in unincorporated Utah County?
Section 9.04.120 requires a metal, plastic, or other approved receptacle with a tight-fitting lid for garbage and wet refuse. Section 9.04.130 also allows weather-resistant refuse bags made for garbage collection holding 20 to 30 gallons, but bans wooden boxes, barrels, or pasteboard cartons for anything wet because they leak and scatter.
Can my neighbor complain about where I keep my garbage cans?
Yes. Section 9.04.160 makes it a public nuisance to place garbage, trade waste, or other refuse receptacles in a spot that is filthy, unsightly, or offensive to anyone living on adjoining property. The County Health Department investigates such complaints under Section 9.04.030 and can order the containers moved or the condition corrected.
Is it illegal to damage someone else's garbage can in Utah County?
Yes. Section 9.04.140 makes it unlawful to willfully or negligently break, deface, or injure a receptacle used to hold garbage or refuse, or to do anything to it that damages another person's property. A violation falls under the Title 1 general penalty of up to a $1,000 fine or six months in jail.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Utah County

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