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

Bin placement and storage in the unincorporated area are governed by the Management of Solid Waste ordinance, County Code Chapter 4-3. Section 4-03-1130 establishes the key placement rules: garbage cans and receptacles must be removed from the street within 24 hours after emptying, and they 'may not be placed in a County or other public right-of-way.' The containers themselves must be fly-tight, waterproof and covered (or an approved fly-tight garbage pit), expressly approved by the Solid Waste Director, and must be emptied weekly, with all collected solid waste delivered to an approved disposal facility. For households on the three-cart system implementing SB 1383, sections 4-03-1635 (single-family) and 4-03-1640 (commercial/multifamily) specify how materials must be separated: the gray container is solely for nonorganic solid waste, the blue container solely for recyclables, and the green container solely for source-separated organic waste; placing 'Prohibited Container Contaminants' in the wrong cart is unlawful. Specific set-out times, cart spacing, and exact collection schedules are set by each franchise hauler under its County franchise agreement and service guide rather than by a countywide ordinance section.