Riverside County, CA Trash & Recycling: Mandatory Organics Recycling (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- RivCo Code § 8.136.050
- Containers required
- Green, blue, and gray
- Applies to
- Unincorporated county only
- Waivers available
- Self-haul, de minimis, space
- Adopted
- Ord. No. 745.4, Dec. 8, 2020
Summary
Unincorporated Riverside County requires every residential and commercial property to run the county's three-container system, sorting food scraps and other organic waste into a dedicated green container.
All residential properties in the unincorporated portions of the county shall participate in the county's three-container system for source separated organic materials, source separated recyclable materials, and waste collection services, except those residents that meet the self-hauler requirements in section 8.136.080... residents place organic waste, including food waste, in the green container; source separated recyclable materials in the blue container; and all other waste in the gray container. Generators shall not place materials designated for the gray container into the green container or blue container.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 84 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Riverside County Code § 8.136.050 requires residential and commercial properties in the unincorporated county to use a three-container system: green containers for source-separated organic waste including food scraps, blue containers for recyclables, and gray containers for everything else. Mixing gray-container waste into the green or blue bin violates the section. Residents or businesses that qualify as self-haulers under § 8.136.080 can opt out, and commercial generators can apply for de minimis, physical-space, or collection-frequency waivers.
Violations & Fines
Enforcement runs through Ordinance No. 725's administrative citation process and criminal citations under § 8.136.130, plus abatement-cost recovery; unresolved noncompliance can also trigger termination of hauler service and property-tax-lien assessment of unpaid charges under §§ 8.136.100-.110.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this apply inside the City of Riverside or Temecula?
Can I skip the green container by composting at home?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Riverside County
California rules heatmap·Compare Riverside County to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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