Cupertino, CA Trash & Recycling: Collection Schedule (2026)
Key Facts
- Garbage accumulation limit
- No more than one week's worth
- Minimum garbage/organics disposal
- At least once per week
- Recyclables accumulation limit
- Up to one month if out of public view
- Governing section
- Cupertino Municipal Code § 6.24.050
- Max penalty
- $1,000 fine and/or 6 months jail
Summary
Cupertino caps how long garbage can sit on a property at one week and requires it be put out for collection at least once a week. Section 6.24.050 sets that baseline frequency, while giving dry non-organic recyclables a longer, one-month accumulation window as long as they stay out of public view.
No more than one week's accumulation of garbage shall be kept or permitted to remain upon any premises in the City. At least once a week, all garbage and organic waste produced, kept, deposited, placed or accumulated within any premises in the City shall be disposed of in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. Dry non-organic recyclables may be accumulated for up to one month (if necessary to reasonably fill the collection container), so long as they are not stored within view of the public right of way and are kept in appropriate containers.
Full Breakdown
24. The section carves out one deliberate exception: dry non-organic recyclables, unlike garbage and organics, may build up for as long as a month if that is necessary to reasonably fill the collection container, provided they are kept in appropriate containers and not stored where the public right-of-way can see them. 060, which requires garbage, organic waste and recyclables to be delivered in the appropriate container to an authorized collection station that is readily accessible to the collector. Together these sections establish the weekly cadence homeowners and businesses actually experience: a subscribed service level, a hard weekly disposal requirement for garbage and organics, and a relaxed monthly ceiling only for recyclables.
Violations & Fines
Violations of the Section 6.24.050 collection frequency requirement are enforced under Section 6.24.240 like the rest of Chapter 6.24: the City may issue an administrative citation and fine under Chapter 1.10, or prosecute the failure to dispose of accumulated garbage as a misdemeanor under Chapter 1.12, carrying a fine up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, or both, with continued accumulation treated as a separate offense each day under Section 1.12.020.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often must trash be collected in Cupertino?
Can Cupertino residents let recycling pile up longer than trash?
What happens if a Cupertino property lets garbage pile up past a week?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cupertino
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