San Leandro, CA Trash & Recycling: Collection Schedule (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing code
- SLMC § 3-6-200, § 3-6-240
- Minimum removal frequency
- Every 7 days
- Service start deadline
- 15 days from occupancy
- No exemption allowed for
- Occupied homes, food establishments
- Franchise award authority
- City Council, sole discretion
Summary
San Leandro requires every property that generates solid waste to subscribe to the city's exclusive franchisee within 15 days of occupancy, with putrescible waste removed at least once every seven days.
Every person who owns or occupies or is in possession or control of any property in the City where solid waste, recyclables, and green waste are produced or accumulated shall discard such materials through the regular collection service of the City's franchisee. ... All putrescible waste produced and accumulated on any property, whether public or private, shall be removed at least once every seven days or more often as required by the City's franchisee.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4967405; v8 updated 2026-07-06).
Full Breakdown
SLMC § 3-6-200(a) requires every person who owns, occupies, or controls property in the City where solid waste, recyclables, and green waste are produced to discard those materials "through the regular collection service of the City's franchisee," and § 3-6-200(b) gives the owner or occupant 15 days from occupancy to start service; if they fail to do so after written notice, the City can direct the franchisee to initiate and continue collection anyway. " Section 3-6-220 allows narrow exemptions, such as sharing another subscriber's container or self-hauling to an authorized facility, but § 3-6-220(b) bars occupied single-family residences, occupied multi-family residences, and operating food establishments from exemption under any circumstances.
Commercial and industrial establishments get regular collection of solid waste and recyclables under § 3-6-310(b), while § 3-6-300 lets the City Council award an exclusive franchise or contract for citywide collection at its sole discretion. Fees for the mandatory service are set by City Council resolution or the franchise agreement under § 3-6-210, and the franchisee must give at least two delinquency notices before pursuing liens rather than cutting off service.
Violations & Fines
Failing to subscribe or maintain required service, or discarding materials outside the franchised system, violates Chapter 3-6 and is enforceable under Chapter 1-12 as an infraction (up to $100 first violation, $200 second within a year) or a misdemeanor (up to $1,000 fine and/or six months in County Jail). Accumulated waste from a customer who ignores at least two set-out warnings can also be declared an abatable nuisance under § 3-6-310(f).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is trash pickup mandatory for San Leandro homes?
How often must putrescible waste be collected in San Leandro?
What happens if I never sign up for trash service?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Leandro
California rules heatmap·Compare San Leandro to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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Collection Schedule in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Alameda County handle collection schedule.