Chico Municipal Code Chapter 8.13 (adopted to implement California SB 1383) requires every residence and business to subscribe to recycling AND organics collection service. CMC §8.08.030 prohibits disposing recyclables in the trash. CMC §8.12.110 makes it unlawful to remove recyclables from another person's container (anti-scavenging).
Chico's recycling regime is built on three pillars. (1) CMC §8.08.030 (Disposal of Recyclable Solid Waste) prohibits placing recyclable materials in the garbage container — they must go in the dedicated recycling cart. (2) CMC §8.12.110 makes it unlawful for anyone other than the franchise hauler or property owner to remove recyclables from a recycling container or curbside pile (anti-scavenging). (3) CMC Chapter 8.13 codifies California SB 1383 (Cal. PRC §§42649.8–42649.87 and CCR Title 14 §§18981–18997), which since January 1, 2022 requires every California jurisdiction to provide organics collection to every resident and business and requires every generator to subscribe. CMC §8.13.130 makes residential subscription to all three streams (garbage, recycling, organics) mandatory unless a written self-haul waiver is issued. Acceptable recyclables in the Chico curbside program (per the City's published guide): aluminum/tin/bi-metal cans (rinsed), mixed paper, newspapers, magazines, phone books, cardboard (plastic wrap removed), food/beverage glass containers (rinsed), and rigid plastics #1–#7 with the recycling symbol. Prohibited from recycling cart: foil, aerosol cans, metal cookware, wax-coated boxes, window glass, light bulbs, plastic bags, styrofoam, toys, furniture, and household trash. Organics cart accepts food waste, food-soiled paper, yard trimmings, and landscape waste.
After the state's mandated education period (which ended Jan 1, 2024 statewide under CCR §18995.4), contamination violations under CMC Ch. 8.13 may result in administrative fines of $50–$100 for a first violation, $100–$200 for a second within 12 months, and up to $500 per day for continued non-compliance — matching the SB 1383 minimum fine schedule. Scavenging recyclables from a container violates CMC §8.12.110 and is enforceable as an infraction (typically $100–$250).
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