Ontario, CA Trash & Recycling: Collection Schedule (2026)
Key Facts
- Service requirement
- Mandatory for all residential units
- Minimum frequency
- 1x per week, all waste streams
- Cart-out window
- Evening before to 6:00 a.m. collection day
- Cart-in deadline
- Evening of collection day
- Non-compliant cart
- Tagged, skipped until fixed
- Vacant property exemption
- By sworn affidavit to Administrator
Summary
Ontario requires every residential property owner or occupant to subscribe to the city's integrated waste collection service and place non-organic waste, recycling, green waste, and other organics for pickup at least once a week. Carts must go out by 6 a.m. on collection day, not before the evening before, and be pulled back in by the evening after collection.
Sec. 6-3.304. Responsibility to provide for and use integrated waste collection services.
(a) Every person owning or occupying a residential unit within the City shall provide for integrated waste collection services in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.
(b) It shall be unlawful for the owner or occupant of any residential unit within the City to fail or neglect to provide for the removal of non-organic waste, recyclables, green waste or other organics from such premises...
Sec. 6-3.307. Residential collection frequency. All non-organic waste, recycling, green waste and other organics shall be collected from residential units a minimum of one (1) time per week.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-32: Current through Ordinance 3338, passed 7-21-2026).
Full Breakdown
301 makes the property owner or occupant of any residential unit responsible for arranging removal of solid waste from the premises. 304 requires every residential owner or occupant to provide for integrated waste collection services and makes it unlawful to fail or neglect to arrange removal of non-organic waste, recyclables, green waste, or other organics. 307 sets the minimum collection frequency at once per week for all non-organic waste, recycling, green waste, and organics, with the City specifying the number and type of carts required.
on collection day, placed along a usable alley if one exists, otherwise near the street curb, and removed by the evening after collection. An obstruction blocking a cart's collection gets tagged by Code Enforcement, and a second notice for the same obstruction lets the city impound it, with the property owner billed for the impoundment. 305 if a developed property is unoccupied, filed by sworn affidavit with the Administrator.
Violations & Fines
If a cart is not compliant, the Integrated Waste Collector tags it under Section 6-3.308(c) and skips collection until the resident fixes the problem; a make-up pickup before the next scheduled date is available for an added fee under Section 6-3.401(a). Repeated notices for an obstruction blocking cart pickup let the city impound the obstructing object without further warning, and the owner pays all impoundment fees.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is trash collection service mandatory for Ontario homeowners?
How early can I put my trash cart out in Ontario?
How often does the city pick up residential trash?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ontario
California rules heatmap·Compare Ontario to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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Collection Schedule in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Bernardino County handle collection schedule.