Cathedral City, CA Trash & Recycling: Pickup Rules & Schedules (2026)

Section 6.04.320 of the Cathedral City Municipal Code sets the manner, time and frequency rules for pickup in Cathedral City, California, and it works through franchises rather than city crews. Under subsection (A), the city's solid waste franchisee(s) shall make arrangements with account holders specifying the manner in which solid waste handling services are regularly provided, subject to the terms of the franchise. Under subsection (B), the franchisee can provide on-call collection of bulky waste and household hazardous waste, shall provide debris boxes when requested, and shall collect the debris box when the account holder no longer needs it. Terms for those special collections are arranged between the franchisee and the account holder.

The franchise itself is a written agreement approved by city council resolution under § 6.04.310, and the council can award exclusive, partially exclusive or non-exclusive franchises. Where a franchise agreement is silent on an issue, Chapter 6.04 governs. Where a franchise agreement predates the chapter, the franchise governs over any inconsistent provision of the chapter. Section 6.04.300 lets the council set collection categories such as single-family, commercial, construction and demolition materials, household hazardous waste and recyclable materials.

Other sections set the pickup guardrails. Section 6.04.230 sets the one-time-per-week minimum for disposal. Section 6.04.210(B) controls when containers can sit at the curb. Section 6.04.610 prohibits placing bulky waste in or next to a street or public right-of-way without first arranging collection with the franchisee. Section 6.04.620 prohibits placing hazardous waste, household hazardous waste or universal waste in a franchisee container. Under § 6.04.700, city employees, designees and the franchisee can inspect collection containers and collection vehicle loads, though the city cannot enter the interior of a private residential property.