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

Section 6-3.307 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. Section 6-3.301 makes the property owner or occupant of any residential unit within the City responsible for arranging removal of solid waste in accordance with the chapter, and Section 6-3.304 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.

A resident can only skip service by obtaining a temporary exemption under Section 6-3.305 for a property that is verifiably unoccupied, filed as a sworn affidavit with the Administrator. The weekly minimum can move in either direction. Under Section 6-3.201(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.