Chico, CA Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Who's bound
- City's licensed solid waste collectors
- Prohibited
- Landfilling program recyclables
- Required outcome
- Materials marketed for re-use
- Tied to
- Chapter 5.16 recycling program
Summary
Chico prohibits solid waste collectors from sending recyclable materials gathered under the city's residential recycling program to a landfill; Municipal Code § 8.08.030 requires those materials be marketed for reuse instead.
It shall be unlawful for any solid waste collector to dispose of recyclable solid waste, collected pursuant to the residential recycling program required pursuant to Chapter 5.16 of this Code, in a landfill disposal site, or to dispose of such recyclable solid waste in a manner which results in other than the marketing of such solid waste for re-use.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Supplement contains local legislation current through: Codified Resolution No. 53-26, adopted 7-14-26 and Ordinance No. 2622, adopted 6-2-26).
Full Breakdown
Once recyclable solid waste is collected under Chico's residential recycling program (Chapter 5.16), the hauler can't simply dump it in a landfill. Municipal Code § 8.08.030 makes it unlawful for any solid waste collector to dispose of recyclables collected through that program at a landfill disposal site, or to dispose of them in any way other than marketing the material for re-use. The rule binds the City's franchised collectors rather than individual residents directly, but it's the backbone that keeps curbside recycling separate from the regular garbage stream all the way through disposal.
Violations & Fines
A solid waste collector that lands recyclable material in a landfill, or disposes of it other than for re-use marketing, violates § 8.08.030 and Chapter 8.04's general enforcement provisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Chico's trash hauler just dump recyclables in the landfill?
What recycling program does Chico's landfill ban tie back to?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chico
California rules heatmap·Compare Chico to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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