Pima County, AZ Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum frequency
- Weekly, § 7.25.120(A)
- Materials covered
- Cans, newspaper, glass, plastic bottles, cardboard
- Small-hauler waiver
- Under 20 employees plus hardship, § 7.25.125
- Waiver max length
- 5 years
- Waiver decision time
- Director acts within 60 days
- Applies to
- Unincorporated county only
Summary
Pima County Code § 7.25.120 requires every licensed hauler in the unincorporated county to offer weekly curbside recycling collection to each customer under contract for any waste service, covering the material list in Section 7.25.010(F), unless a hardship waiver or the director dropping an item for lack of a market applies.
A. All licensed waste collectors shall offer, as one of their services, the collection of all recyclable materials listed in 7.25.010 at least once a week from every customer in the unincorporated area of Pima County with whom they have contracted to provide any waste collection service. B. The director may modify the list of recyclable material upon finding that viable markets do not exist for a particular material, and that a county subsidized market does not exist.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-64: Contains Supplement, with local legislation through Ordinance 2026-9, passed 7-28-2026, current through 7-28-2026).
Full Breakdown
120 states the baseline mandate, quoted below. 010(F): aluminum and metal cans, newspapers, glass bottles or jars, plastic beverage containers, all nonsoiled paper, and corrugated cardboard, plus any other material a hauler chooses to add. 145. 130 requires it to sell, give or otherwise transfer them to a recycling facility unless the director permits otherwise in writing because no facility is available. 035. 140 covering customer counts, participation, and tonnage collected. 25, this mandate reaches only licensed haulers serving the unincorporated county; Tucson, Marana, Oro Valley, Sahuarita and South Tucson run separate recycling programs.
Violations & Fines
Failing to offer weekly recycling collection as Section 7.25.120 requires is a petty offense under Section 7.25.220, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense, unless the hauler holds a current waiver under Section 7.25.125. A hauler that collects recyclables and dumps them anywhere but an approved recycling facility, in violation of Section 7.25.130, faces the same petty-offense exposure, and three or more waste-law violations within twelve months can cost the hauler its county operating license under Section 7.25.190.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is curbside recycling mandatory for Pima County trash haulers?
Can my trash company refuse to offer recycling?
What materials is my Pima County recycling hauler required to take?
Does the recycling mandate apply inside the city of Tucson?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pima County
Compare Pima County to another location·View the Arizona trash & recycling overview
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