Milpitas, CA Trash & Recycling: Dumpster Rules (2026)

Milpitas Municipal Code Section XIII-C.2.120 (Refuse and Recycling Areas) requires a collection area for trash and recyclables on any project that needs a Building Permit, except for interior-only improvements and single-family homes or other uses on the City's curbside program. Subsection D requires the containers to be screened so they are not visible from the right-of-way at the front of the property. Subsection E sets the enclosure construction standard: on the street side of a corner lot, the enclosure must be set back at least as far as the main building; the enclosure itself must be built as a masonry wall of cement block, split-face block, or similar masonry, with colors and materials that complement the building; gates must be solid metal or an equivalent the Director approves, painted to match the enclosure; and the enclosure must screen the dumpsters, compactors, or any other equipment inside it.

Subsection E.5 bars any net reduction in on-site trees or loss of a protected tree, as defined in Milpitas Municipal Code Section X-2-7.01 (Existing Trees Protected), to make room for an enclosure, and Subsection E.6 requires trash enclosures to sit as far as possible from residential zones and residential uses. Subsection F sends the design and construction of the recycling component to the City's Development Guidelines for Solid Waste Services for final review and approval. The size and number of bins under Subsection C must be adequate to hold all trash, garbage, recyclables, green waste, and organic waste until the City's contracted hauler picks it up.