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

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Sorting
refuse, recyclables, green waste in separate carts
Hazardous waste
banned from collection containers
Christmas trees
cut to 2-foot sections, no flocking
Fine schedule
$25, then $50, then $150
Repeat violation
containers removable for up to 1 year

Summary

Fresno County requires residents to sort refuse, recyclables, and green waste into the separate cart or bin their contractor provides, and bars hazardous waste, bulky items, and unflocked Christmas trees longer than two feet from those containers. County Code Section 8.21.060 lets the county fine repeat violators $25, then $50, then $150 before pulling their containers.

City-specific rules exist: Clovis, Reedley, and Fresno have their own pickup rules & schedules rules that differ from Fresno County's county-level regulations. If you live in one of those cities, check the city-specific page instead.

P.Residential customers shall deposit the collection materials generated by their respective household into the containers provided by the designated contractor for use by that specific household.Q.Customers may place, at the point of collection, in carts and/or bins, the following items:1.Refuse, as defined in Section 8.21.040(CC) of this chapter;2.Single-stream recyclables—aluminum, chipboard, corrugated cardboard, glass containers, milk, soy and juice cartons, mixed waste paper, newspaper, plastic, steel or tin cans, and scrap metal; and3.Green waste—leaves, cut flowers, dead plants, house plants, grass clippings, weeds, branches, brush, prunings, shrubs, untreated/uncoated wood, wood chips, yard trimmings, and Christmas trees (which must be cut into two-foot sections and placed in the green waste cart without flocking, decoration or metal or plastic stands).

Source: Fresno County Solid WasteView official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 51).

Full Breakdown

060(P) of the Fresno County Code requires residential customers to deposit their collection materials into the containers their designated contractor supplies for that specific household. 040(CC); single-stream recyclables such as aluminum, chipboard, corrugated cardboard, glass, cartons, mixed paper, newspaper, plastic, and metal cans; and green waste such as leaves, grass clippings, brush, and untreated wood, with Christmas trees cut into two-foot sections and stripped of flocking, decorations, and stands before they go in the green waste cart. Subsection S requires customers to separate recyclables and green waste from regular refuse before placing them for collection, though a contractor cannot refuse a container just because it holds an incidental amount of recyclable material.

Subsection T bans flammable liquids, antifreeze, insecticides, poisons, caustics, acids, explosives, liquid paint, and other household hazardous waste from any collection container; that waste must go to a hazardous waste facility or a county household hazardous waste drop-off event instead. Subsection U keeps large household or bulky items out of the regular cart too, routing them instead to a periodic community clean-up or bulky item collection program. Subsection V gives the designated contractor authority to post a written notice on a noncompliant customer's container and copy the county, and once the county gets that notice it must start enforcement within fifteen calendar days: a written warning, then escalating fines of $25, $50, and $150 within a twelve-month period, and ultimately removal of the customer's containers for up to a year for repeated noncompliance or unpaid fines.

Violations & Fines

Placing hazardous waste, bulky items, or improperly sorted recyclables and green waste in a collection container violates Section 8.21.060(Q), (S), (T), and (U). Under subsection V, the county must begin enforcement within fifteen days of a contractor's noncompliance notice, issuing a written warning followed by escalating fines of $25, then $50, then $150 within twelve months, and can remove a customer's containers for up to a year for continued violations or unpaid fines.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I put paint or pesticides in my Fresno County trash cart?
No. Section 8.21.060(T) bans flammable liquids, antifreeze, insecticides, poisons, caustics, acids, explosives, liquid paint, and other household hazardous waste from any collection container. That material has to go to a designated hazardous waste facility or a county household hazardous waste drop-off event instead.
What happens if I don't sort my recycling and green waste in Fresno County?
Section 8.21.060(V) lets the contractor post a notice on your container and report you to the county, which then issues a written warning followed by fines of $25, $50, and $150 for repeated noncompliance within a year, and can remove your containers for up to a year after that.
Can I put a Christmas tree in my green waste cart?
Yes, but Section 8.21.060(Q)(3) requires it to be cut into two-foot sections first, with no flocking, decorations, or metal or plastic stands attached, before it goes into the green waste cart alongside leaves, grass clippings, and other yard trimmings.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Fresno County

All Fresno County rules

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