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

055 applies to every new solid waste, recycling, or compostable service area using a receptacle of one cubic yard or larger, and to any change to an existing service area for receptacles that size when the work requires a building permit. Receptacles must sit at grade on a concrete pad at least four inches thick, or an asphalt pad at least six inches thick, sloped no more than three percent, with the pad extending a minimum of one foot beyond the sides and rear of the receptacle and three feet beyond the front.

Receptacles two cubic yards or smaller need eight feet of overhead clearance for servicing; larger receptacles need 14 feet, which can drop to eight feet only if the enclosure's partial roof or a physical barrier keeps the truck's lift arm clear. Permanent drop boxes and compactors sit on a thicker six-inch pad with a minimum 12-foot pad width and five feet of clearance behind the box. Screening is mandatory wherever the receptacle isn't inside a full enclosure: a minimum six-foot-tall sight-obscuring fence or wall must block the view from abutting streets and any residentially zoned property, including property across an alley.

The vehicle operation area serving the enclosure must stay at least 45 feet long and 15 feet wide, free of obstructions, with 14 feet of vertical clearance, and it cannot force the collection truck to back onto a public street.