O'Fallon, MO Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Enrollment
- Mandatory for single/two-family, attached homes
- Container size
- City-supplied cart, not more than 96 gal.
- Curb window
- Out only 6 p.m. day before to 6 a.m. after
- Nuisance penalty
- Up to $500 fine or 3 months jail
- Enforcing office
- Code Enforcement Officer, Section 220.040
Summary
O'Fallon folds curbside recycling into every home's basic trash service: single-family, two-family and attached single-family dwellings must be enrolled in the City's collection program, with the City supplying the recycle cart alongside the trash container. Recycle cans must stay covered and off the curb outside a fixed pickup window, or the property is cited for a nuisance.
All single-family, two-family and attached single-family residential dwelling units shall be served by the City's trash service. Residential solid waste for collection by the City shall be stored in containers of not more than ninety-six (96) gallons supplied by the City... BASIC SERVICE WITH YARD WASTE SERVICE — Same as basic service for recycling and refuse with once weekly collection of yard waste (March through December)... Garbage and recycle cans which are not securely covered, which are leaking, which are unsanitary or which do not prevent the entry of flies, insects and rodents and garbage and recycle cans which have been left or stored along public roads, sidewalks and rights-of-way in the City of O'Fallon for anytime outside the thirty-six (36) hours beginning at 6:00 P.M. on the evening prior to that resident's scheduled service day and ending at 6:00 A.M. the day following the scheduled service.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4860992; v58 updated 2026-05-14; through 05-14-2026).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 245's solid waste rules make recycling part of every household's baseline service rather than an opt-in program. 020(C) requires that all single-family, two-family and attached single-family residential dwelling units 'be served by the City's trash service,' with residential waste stored in City-supplied containers of not more than ninety-six (96) gallons; the City will not collect from any container it did not supply. 070 defines the City's 'basic service' as bundling recycling with regular refuse collection, and the same schedule adds an optional weekly yard-waste pickup from March through December for an extra charge, billed year-round.
HOAs and home-based businesses are billed separately per cart, with the recycle cart priced lower than the trash cart. Placement matters as much as enrollment. 020(A)(22) of the nuisance chapter, garbage and recycle cans that are not securely covered, that leak, that are unsanitary, or that fail to keep out flies, insects and rodents are declared a nuisance. the day after. A holiday during the week shifts that scheduled day. A resident who sets the recycle cart out early or forgets to bring it in violates this Section even if the trash itself was properly handled.
The Code Enforcement Officer administers these standards citywide, and enforcement runs through the same nuisance notice-and-hearing process used for other Chapter 220 violations, not a separate recycling citation track.
Violations & Fines
A resident who leaves a garbage or recycle can uncovered, leaking or curbside outside the thirty-six-hour window is cited under Section 220.020(A)(22) as a public nuisance. Under Section 220.045, the Code Enforcement Officer must first give written notice ordering abatement within a reasonable time; failing to comply is an offense punishable under Section 100.010, up to a $500.00 fine or three months' imprisonment, with each additional day of non-compliance a separate violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is recycling mandatory in O'Fallon?
How early can I put my recycle cart at the curb?
What happens if my recycle cart is left out too long?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in O'Fallon
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