San Mateo County, CA Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)

In unincorporated San Mateo County, recycling is built into the mandatory minimum residential collection service: Section 4.04.200 has the County pay the authorized hauler for collection of solid waste and single-stream targeted recyclable materials, and the standard residential service includes one recycling cart collected weekly. The franchise standard color scheme used in the RethinkWaste/SBWMA service area is gray or black for garbage, blue for recycling, and green for compost. Recology's accepted recyclables include paper, glass bottles, cardboard, cans, and plastic bottles, tubs, and containers, while items such as black plastic, plastic bags, and plastic packaging are excluded. Electronic waste is treated separately: in San Mateo County it is illegal to throw away electronics that contain circuitry or batteries classified as hazardous, so e-waste must be recycled rather than landfilled. For commercial generators and multifamily properties, California's mandatory commercial recycling laws (AB 341) and, for organics, SB 1383 require subscribing to recycling service and providing properly labeled, color-coded containers and tenant or employee education. The County, as an SBWMA member jurisdiction, administers these requirements in the unincorporated area, including annual compliance reviews and contamination monitoring built into hauler agreements. Contamination of the recycling cart with garbage or non-recyclables can prompt corrective notices.