Inglewood, CA Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)

Inglewood's mandatory recycling program lives in Chapter 7, Article 5 (§ 7-53 et seq.), enacted by Ordinance 22-07 on April 5, 2022 to implement AB 341, AB 1826 and SB 1383. Every responsible party, whether a single-family household under § 7-53.4 or a multifamily property under § 7-53.5, must subscribe to and pay for the franchisee's collection service and participate in at least weekly pickup of source-separated recyclable materials in the blue container. Multifamily dwellings carry additional duties: § 7-53.5(b) requires owners to supply enough labeled or color-coded blue, green and black containers for every tenant and common area, with containers either bearing conforming lid or body colors or labels showing accepted and prohibited materials under 14 CCR §§ 18984.8-.9; containers bought before January 1, 2022 don't need replacing until they wear out or January 1, 2036, whichever comes first.

Owners must give new tenants written education about sorting recyclables within fourteen days of move-in, brief everyone annually, periodically inspect containers for contamination, and let City inspectors onto the property to confirm compliance. A property that genuinely can't comply, because it generates very little recyclable material or lacks physical space, can apply to the City Manager for a de minimis or physical space waiver under § 7-53.7; a de minimis waiver requires recyclables under twenty gallons a week (or ten gallons if total service is under two cubic yards weekly), and an approved waiver lasts five years before it must be renewed.

Violating the recycling requirements triggers the same escalating civil penalty schedule as the rest of Article 5: $50-$100 for a first offense, $100-$200 for a second, and $250-$500 for a third or later offense under § 7-53.13(e), enforced through Chapter 11's administrative citation process with a right to request an appeal hearing.