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

120, standard garbage, recycling, and organic containers cannot sit in or on any street or alley right-of-way except during the twenty-four hours before and after the scheduled service day, or with separate authorization from the Public Works Director, and containers must otherwise stay inside an enclosure or solid waste room. 121 then sets the placement rules for putting carts out on collection day: on single-family lots with alley service, carts go in the alley immediately adjacent to the property without the collector needing to enter the premises; where no alley service exists, carts go at the curb in front of or beside the generating property, on the asphalt portion of the street or the edge of the driveway apron.

Every container must sit within four feet of where the collection vehicle can reasonably park and keep clearance on all sides and overhead so the truck can empty it without damaging public or private property; the Public Works Director resolves any placement dispute. Outside that twenty-four-hour collection window, containers must be screened from public view in a manner the Public Works Director approves. Multi-family, commercial, and industrial premises get a longer leash: their bins and drop boxes may sit up to fifty feet from where the collector's truck can park, with the exact spot for drop boxes set by agreement between the customer and the hauler. 121(c) also lets the Public Works Director approve an alternate container location for a customer who is handicapped or disabled.