Highland, CA Trash & Recycling: Bulk Item Disposal (2026)
Key Facts
- Curbside bulky waste
- Not without prior approval and arrangements with collector
- Regular collection
- Bulky waste and dead animals shall not be set out
- Special collections
- Furniture, white goods, Christmas trees, cleanups, round-ups
- Rates
- Set by City Council by resolution or agreement
- Construction waste storage
- Not in the open more than four weeks
Summary
In the City of Highland, California, bulky waste cannot be set out at the street without prior approval and arrangements with the collector. Special collections of furniture, white goods and Christmas trees are authorized by the City Council at rates it sets, under Highland Municipal Code § 8.12.280.
The city council may authorize, and subscribers to a refuse collection service may request, special collections of such things as discarded furniture, white goods, Christmas trees, and other items too large to fit in standard containers; city-wide cleanups; and household hazardous waste round-ups, subject to city council approval, and the payment of rates established by the city council, by resolution or agreement.
Full Breakdown
Highland treats large items as a scheduled or arranged service, not a curbside free-for-all. Section 8.12.280 lets the City Council authorize, and lets subscribers to a refuse collection service request, special collections of discarded furniture, white goods, Christmas trees and other items too large to fit in standard containers, plus city-wide cleanups and household hazardous waste round-ups. Each is subject to City Council approval and payment of the rates the council establishes by resolution or agreement.
The prohibitions frame that service. Section 8.12.230 bars placing bulky waste adjacent to a street or public right-of-way for collection or removal without prior approval and arrangements with the collector. Section 8.12.170(F) says dead animals and bulky waste shall not be set out for collection and that bulky waste is collected only during annual cleanups or by contractual arrangements between the resident or business and the contractor. The definition of refuse in § 8.12.010 names bulky wastes among the materials covered by Chapter 8.12.
Hauling it yourself is allowed within limits. Section 8.12.220(B)(3) exempts a person removing large or oversized items of rubbish from property the person owns or occupies from the ban on unauthorized collection. Whoever hauls must use an approved site: § 8.12.350(D) allows deposit only at authorized recycling, disposal or dumping sites, never on a street, alley, waterway or unimproved lot, and requires the hauler to guarantee nothing is scattered, dropped or spilled and to clean up immediately. Section 8.12.360 keeps each person responsible for cleanup of any refuse the person generated, dumped, spilled or littered.
Construction debris follows a separate track. Section 8.12.285 requires an approved construction waste diversion plan before a building or construction permit issues, and construction waste and debris cannot be stored on site in the open for a period in excess of four weeks. The community development director sets the form of the plan and decides how fast noxious or nuisance waste must be secured and removed.
Violations & Fines
Placing bulky waste at the curb without prior approval violates § 8.12.230, and setting it out for regular collection violates § 8.12.170(F). Dumping it elsewhere falls under § 8.12.340. Highland's Chapter 8.12 penalty section was repealed by Ord. 370, so § 1.24.010 applies: a misdemeanor, or an infraction at the discretion of the city attorney or district attorney, with each day a separate offense, plus administrative citations under Chapter 2.56.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put an old couch at the curb in the City of Highland?
How do I arrange a special pickup for large items?
Can I haul large items to the dump myself?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Highland
California rules heatmap·Compare Highland to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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Bulk Item Disposal in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Bernardino County handle bulk item disposal.