Ontario, CA Trash & Recycling: Mandatory Organics Recycling (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- Single-family households and businesses
- Minimum service (performance approach)
- 32 gal/week recycling + organics
- 1st violation penalty
- $50 to $100
- 3rd+ violation penalty
- $250 to $500
- Civil penalties enforceable
- Starting January 1, 2024
- Alternative compliance
- Backyard composting under Sec. 6-3.501
Summary
Ontario requires every single-family household to subscribe to organic waste collection and separate food waste and green waste from trash and recyclables, under Article 8 of the Solid Waste chapter implementing state law SB 1383. Non-compliance draws escalating administrative fines from $50 up to $500 per violation, with civil penalties enforceable starting January 1, 2024.
Sec. 6-3.801 Requirements for single-family generators (standard compliance approach).
(a) Single-family organic waste generators shall comply with the following requirements:
(1) Shall subscribe to the City's green waste or organic waste collection services for all organic waste generated... Generators may additionally manage their organic waste by preventing or reducing their organic waste, managing organic waste through backyard residential composting pursuant to Sec. 6-3.501, and/or using a community composting site.
Sec. 6-3.811 Enforcement. (c) Penalty amounts...(1) For a first violation, the amount of the base penalty shall be Fifty Dollars ($50.00) to One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) per violation... (3) For a third or subsequent violation, the amount of the base penalty shall be Two Hundred Fifty Dollars ($250.00) to Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) per violation.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-32: Current through Ordinance 3338, passed 7-21-2026).
Full Breakdown
501 or a community composting site. 802 lets the city enroll single-family generators under a performance-based approach with minimum service levels of 32 gallons per week each for recyclables and organics, sorted into the three-container blue, green, and gray system, with cross-contamination between bins prohibited. 804 impose parallel standard and performance-based requirements on commercial businesses. 01, with base penalties of $50 to $100 for a first violation, $100 to $200 for a second, and $250 to $500 for a third or subsequent violation, adjusted for factors like willfulness, economic benefit, and ability to pay. 01.
Violations & Fines
Under Section 6-3.811(c), a first violation of the organic waste rules draws a base penalty of $50 to $100, a second violation within the relevant period draws $100 to $200, and a third or subsequent violation draws $250 to $500, with the exact amount set by factors including willfulness and economic benefit. The city may also pursue civil action or prosecution as a misdemeanor or infraction, and a cited party can request a hearing to appeal under Section 1-4.01.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Ontario households have to separate food scraps from trash?
What is the fine for not separating organic waste in Ontario?
Can I compost at home instead of using the organics bin?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ontario
California rules heatmap·Compare Ontario to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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Mandatory Organics Recycling in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Bernardino County handle mandatory organics recycling.