Fresno County, CA Trash & Recycling: Bulk Item Disposal (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Fresno County Code § 8.21.060(U)
- Collection method
- Community clean-up / bulky item program
- Excluded from bulky items
- Hazardous, medical and infectious waste
- Self-haul option
- Allowed to a permitted facility
- Administering agency
- Dept. of Public Works and Planning
Summary
Fresno County residents cannot set bulky items like refrigerators, mattresses, carpets and furniture out with regular trash. Section 8.21.060(U) of the county code routes these items instead through the periodic community clean-up events or bulky item collection program run by each unincorporated area's designated hauler under Chapter 8.21.
"Bulky items" mean all discarded household waste matter that is too large to be placed in a cart, including, but not limited to, large household appliances, appliances containing chlorofluorocarbons, furniture, carpets, mattresses, and similar large items that require special handling due to their size... Large household or bulky items shall not be placed for collection through the collection services, but rather shall be disposed of through the community clean-up event(s) or bulky item collection program, to be provided by a designated contractor on a periodic basis as specified in the agreement executed by that designated contractor.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 51).
Full Breakdown
040(E) as discarded household waste too large for a cart: large household appliances, appliances containing chlorofluorocarbons, furniture, carpets, and mattresses are named examples, and similar oversized items needing special handling qualify too. The definition specifically carves out excluded waste such as hazardous or medical waste, which must go through a different disposal path entirely. 060(U) requires bulky items to be disposed of through the community clean-up event or bulky item collection program that each of the county's fourteen designated contractors runs on a periodic schedule under its individual agreement with the county.
040(J). 040(K), may still be dropped off at a community clean-up event subject to per-customer limits on cubic yards and item counts, even though haulers are not otherwise exclusively authorized to collect it. 060(R). The Department of Public Works and Planning administers the exclusive service area agreements and can confirm which contractor and clean-up schedule applies to a specific address in the unincorporated county.
Violations & Fines
Placing a mattress, appliance, or other bulky item in a regular trash cart is treated as improper separation of collection materials under Section 8.21.060, and the county's escalating notice-and-fine process applies: a written notice, then $25, $50 and $150 fines for successive violations within twelve months, with container removal for up to a year possible after a third fine or nonpayment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I leave a mattress at the curb with my regular trash in Fresno County?
What counts as a bulky item under Fresno County's waste ordinance?
Can I self-haul bulky items instead of waiting for a clean-up event?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fresno County
California rules heatmap·Compare Fresno County to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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