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Norman, OK Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Monthly fee
$3.00 per residential unit
Low-income rate
$2.40 per month, Section 8 standard
Collection frequency
Every other week
Cart placement window
Noon day before to noon day after
Late-cart fee
$10.00 administrative fee, NCC 34-207(i)

Summary

Norman requires every residential property in the urban service area to recycle using containers the City or its recycling contractor supplies. NCC 34-301(c) sets a $3.00 monthly fee, biweekly pickup, and curb placement rules; leaving a bin out too long draws a $10.00 administrative fee under NCC 34-207(i).

All owners, occupants, or other persons in charge of any residential premises within the urban area of the City shall place all materials to be recycled in recycling containers supplied by City or the City's designated recycling contractor. Additional containers are available for an additional cost to the residential unit. All supplied containers used for holding recyclable materials shall be maintained in good condition by the user. Recyclable material, which shall be placed in the recycling container, will be collected one time every other week. The recycling container shall be placed no more than two feet from the curbside, or alley side... Recycling containers must be placed within two feet of the curb no earlier than 12:00 noon the day prior to collection and the recycling containers must be removed from the curbside, and placed at the house side, no later than 12:00 noon the day following collection. This requirement shall not apply to residents with alley service nor rural estate customers. Failure to comply with this provision shall result in a $10.00 administrative fee, to be assessed as set forth in NCC 34-207(i).

Full Breakdown

NCC 34-301(c) governs Norman's curbside recycling program under Article 34-III, Sanitation Service. Every owner, occupant, or other person in charge of a residential property inside the City's urban area must place recyclables in a container supplied by the City or its designated recycling contractor rather than a personal bin; additional containers cost extra and stay the resident's responsibility to keep in good condition. The accepted material list, set out in the same section, covers aluminum, steel, and tin cans, newspaper and inserts, magazines and catalogs, junk mail, cardboard, office and school paper, phone books, cereal and cracker boxes, brown paper bags, glass bottles and jars, plastics numbered 1 through 7, plastic milk jugs, paper milk cartons, and plastic bags.

Collection runs once every other week, and the cart must sit within two feet of the curb or alley line with two feet of clearance on either side, never mixed in with municipal solid waste or yard waste. 40 for households that meet the federal low-income standard under Section 8 of the Housing Act of 1937. 00 administrative fee under NCC 34-207(i).

Violations & Fines

Leaving the recycling cart at the curb outside the noon-to-noon placement window draws a flat $10.00 administrative fee under NCC 34-207(i), and repeat placement violations create a rebuttable presumption under NCC 34-301(c) that the utility account holder is responsible. Broader noncompliance with Article 34-III's sanitation rules is punished under NCC 34-101: a fine of $50.00 to $750.00, up to 60 days imprisonment, or both, with each day counted separately.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does curbside recycling cost in Norman?
An extra $3.00 per month added to the utility bill for every residential unit in the City's urban service area, per NCC 34-212. Households that qualify as low income under Section 8 of the Housing Act of 1937 pay a reduced $2.40 per month. The base municipal solid waste service is billed separately from this recycling charge.
How often does Norman pick up recycling?
Every other week, not weekly. NCC 34-301(c) requires the 95-gallon recycling cart to sit within two feet of the curb or alley line on collection day, with the material kept separate from municipal solid waste and yard waste, which are picked up weekly on their own schedule.
What happens if I leave my Norman recycling cart at the curb too long?
The cart must come back from the curb to the house side by 12:00 noon the day after pickup, and it cannot go out before noon the day before. Miss that window and NCC 34-301(c) triggers a $10.00 administrative fee under NCC 34-207(i), billed to the utility account holder on record for that address.

Sources & Official References

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