Merced County, CA Trash & Recycling: Dumpster Rules (2026)

46 (Solid Waste and Recycling Materials Storage) governs where commercial and multi-family dumpster and recycling enclosures sit and how they are built. 030 requires storage areas to be adequate in number, distribution, and capacity for the project, placed in one location, chosen to keep noise, odor, insects, and dust away from living areas, and positioned so collection trucks have easy access without backing up. In multi-family projects, no unit may sit more than 250 feet from its assigned storage area, and areas other than public recycling drop-offs must be placed to the rear of buildings or screened from the street.

A sign identifying the collection area and the materials accepted must be posted at every point of access. 040 sets the physical build standard: containers must be enclosed on three sides by a solid wood fence or wall at least six feet high, with a solid gate at least five feet high, subject to the Director's approval, and the enclosure must be architecturally compatible with the rest of the development and built to allow walk-in access. The Director determines applicability on a project-by-project basis via the plot plan, and the standards apply in every zone.

These are the standards planning staff check during Site Plan and Design Review before a certificate of occupancy issues for any commercial or multi-family project in unincorporated Merced County.