Kings County, CA Trash & Recycling: Mandatory Organics Recycling (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 13-12(2)
- Driven by
- SB 1383 (state law)
- Green container use
- food scraps + yard waste
- Offense class
- misdemeanor, § 13-55(1)
Summary
Kings County requires single-family households to separate food scraps and yard waste into the green container under SB 1383, with violations of § 13-12 charged as a misdemeanor.
Participate in the county's solid waste collection service(s) by placing source separated organic waste, including food waste, in the green container; source separated recyclable materials in the blue container; and gray container waste in the gray container.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 13).
Full Breakdown
Kings County Code § 13-12(2), adopted to implement SB 1383, requires single-family generators to participate in the county's collection service by placing source separated organic waste, including food waste, in the green container; source separated recyclable materials in the blue container; and gray container waste in the gray container, and bars putting prohibited contaminants in those bins. Households may instead reduce waste, compost on site, or use a community composting site under § 13-12(1). Unlike ordinary litter violations, § 13-55(1) makes violating the § 13-12 source-separation duty a misdemeanor rather than just an infraction.
Violations & Fines
Violating the § 13-12 source-separation duty is a misdemeanor under § 13-55(1), punishable under § 1-8 by a fine up to $1,000, up to six months in county jail, or both; the county also runs an education-first civil penalty track (§ 13-54) with $100/$200/$500 tiers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to separate food scraps from my trash in unincorporated Kings County?
What happens if I don't sort my organic waste?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kings County
California rules heatmap·Compare Kings County to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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