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

Cart and container placement in unincorporated Riverside County is set by Ordinance No. 745, Section 4. Section 4.C states that no container shall be placed adjacent to a street for collection more than twelve (12) hours prior to collection day, and all containers shall be removed from the street location onto the owner's property within twelve (12) hours after collection. Section 4.E requires all residential solid waste and recyclable materials to be placed out at the curb pickup site by 6:00 a.m. on the designated pickup day. Section 4.D prohibits any person from tampering with, removing from, or depositing material in any container without the container owner's permission. The County uses a three-container system under Section 5: a green container for source-separated organic waste, a blue container for source-separated recyclable materials, and a gray container for all other waste; generators must not put gray-container materials into the green or blue containers. Haulers may set service-specific placement instructions (such as spacing carts apart and keeping them clear of cars and obstructions) for safe automated pickup, but the binding County timing rules are the 12-hour set-out/removal windows and the 6:00 a.m. curb deadline in Ordinance 745. Violations are enforceable through administrative or criminal citation under Section 13.