Corvallis, OR Trash & Recycling: Dumpster Rules (2026)

Section 4.2.50.01 of the Corvallis Land Development Code, titled Trash Dumpsters, Mechanical Equipment, and Outdoor Storage Areas, sets the placement and screening standards for commercial and multi-family dumpsters. Screening must be a fence, wall, or plantings, and it must stand at least four feet tall or as tall as the dumpster itself, whichever is greater; the screened item cannot sit within any required yard adjacent to a street or within a vision clearance area near an intersection or driveway. Any access opening in the screen needs a solid gate at least as tall as what it screens.

Multi-dwelling developments must locate shared trash and recycling facilities at least 15 feet from habitable floor area in on-site or neighboring residential buildings, unless the Director grants an exception to place the service area inside a building consistent with the Oregon Fire Code. Any residential development of five or more units must provide a common, shared collection space for solid waste and recyclables, accessed on-site rather than through a street-facing yard or right-of-way, consistent with the City's franchise refuse agreement. Where a trash enclosure sits on or next to a residential zone, it cannot be closer than three feet to a side or rear property line, except along an alley right-of-way, where no setback applies.

Approved screening materials include wood, concrete, stone, brick, and metal; chainlink with slats only counts if paired with a landscape buffer under Section 4.2.40. Landscape screening must reach six feet and stay 80 percent opaque within 18 months of final inspection. The Community Development Department reviews these standards during site plan and building permit review.