Kings County, CA Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Containers required
- Blue, green, gray: three total
- Adopted
- Ord. No. 705, October 2022
- First penalty
- $100 per violation
- Enforced by
- Public Health & Public Works Depts.
Summary
Unincorporated Kings County requires every home and business to subscribe to three-container collection, blue for recyclables, green for organics, gray for trash, and to keep prohibited materials out of each bin.
single-family organic solid waste generators shall comply with the following requirements:
(1)Subscribe to a three-container collection service for all solid waste generated as described below in subsection 13-11(b). The county shall have the right to review the number and size of a generator's containers to evaluate adequacy of capacity of each type of collection service for proper separation and containment of materials. Single-family generators shall adjust their level of collection services as requested by the county. Generators may additionally manage their organic waste by preventing or reducing their organic waste, managing organic waste on site, and/or using a community composting site pursuant to 14 CCR section 18984.9(c).(2)Participate in the county's solid waste collection service(s) by placing source separated organic waste, including food waste, in the green container; source separated recyclable materials in the blue container; and gray container waste in the gray container.(3)Generators shall not place prohibited container contaminants in collection containers. (Ord. No. 705, § 2, 10-4-22)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 13).
Full Breakdown
Adopted in 2022 to meet the state's SB 1383 organics mandate, Kings County Code §§ 13-12 and 13-13 require single-family and commercial generators (narrow self-hauler and low-population exceptions apply) to subscribe to a three-container collection service, sort source-separated recyclables into the blue container and organic waste into the green container, and keep contaminants out of each. Commercial generators must also post container labels, train staff annually, and give the county inspection access. The Public Works and Public Health Departments enforce compliance through Chapter 1A administrative citations.
Violations & Fines
A notice of violation under § 13-54 brings escalating administrative fines of $100, $200, then $500 per violation; violating the source-separation duties in §§ 13-12/13-13 is a misdemeanor under Kings County Code § 1-8.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is curbside recycling mandatory in unincorporated Kings County?
What happens if I sort my recycling wrong?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kings County
California rules heatmap·Compare Kings County to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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