Ontario, CA Trash & Recycling: Pickup Rules & Schedules (2026)
Key Facts
- Section
- OMC § 6-3.307 (frequency)
- Duty section
- OMC §§ 6-3.301, 6-3.304
- Minimum service
- 1x/week trash, recycling, green waste
- Exemption
- Unoccupied-property affidavit (§ 6-3.305)
- Frequency changes
- Administrator can add/reduce with notice + appeal
Summary
Ontario requires the City's Integrated Waste Collector to pick up non-organic waste, recycling, green waste and other organic material from every residential unit at least once a week. Section 6-3.307 lets the City set how many carts a household needs and which types, and Section 6-3.301 makes the property owner or occupant responsible for arranging removal in accordance with the chapter.
All non-organic waste, recycling, green waste and other organics shall be collected from residential units a minimum of one (1) time per week. The City shall specify the number and different types of carts required.
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
307 sets the collection floor for every residential account: all non-organic waste, recycling, green waste and other organics shall be collected from residential units a minimum of one time per week, and the City shall specify the number and different types of carts required. The once-a-week minimum applies to all three residential waste streams together, gray (non-organic), blue (recycling) and green (green waste/organics) carts under the City's Integrated Waste Department. Participation is not optional. 304 separately makes it unlawful for the owner or occupant of any residential unit to fail or neglect to provide for the removal of non-organic waste, recyclables, green waste or other organics.
305 for a property that is verifiably unoccupied, filed as a sworn affidavit with the Administrator. The weekly minimum can move in either direction. 201(b), the Administrator may order more frequent collection or added containers after finding a property has become an unhealthful, unsightly or nuisance condition, or may approve fewer collections where a lower frequency still keeps organic waste from accumulating more than a week. Either adjustment comes with two written notices at least seven days apart and a seven-day window for the customer to appeal to the City Manager before the City changes the billed service level.
Violations & Fines
Failing to provide for weekly collection under Section 6-3.304 is unlawful and, like other Chapter 3 violations, is prosecuted under the citywide penalty schedule at Section 1-2.01: escalating infraction fines of $100, $200 and $500 for repeat violations within a year, or a misdemeanor charge carrying up to a $1,000 fine and six months in county jail, with each day a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often does Ontario pick up residential trash and recycling?
Do I have to sign up for trash collection in Ontario if I own a home?
Can the City increase my collection frequency without notice?
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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Pickup Rules & Schedules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Bernardino County handle pickup rules & schedules.