Imperial County, CA Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)

Because the unincorporated county lacked curbside collection until 2026, recycling obligations have flowed mainly from California statute administered locally. AB 341 requires businesses and multifamily complexes that generate set thresholds of waste to arrange recycling service, and AB 1826 and SB 1383 extend mandatory recycling to organic materials. The county's Public Works Solid Waste/Recycling Division and the Imperial Valley Resource Management Agency (IVRMA) handle outreach and reporting, working toward the statewide target of reducing organic waste disposal by 75% and recovering at least 20% of edible food. The county's new Solid Waste Franchise Zone program operationalizes residential recycling: effective July 1, 2026, each home in a franchised unincorporated zone receives a blue 96-gallon recycling cart along with the black trash and green organics carts, collected by CR&R Environmental Services or Republic Services. The franchise materials also require property owners and businesses to provide tenant education within 14 days of occupancy and ensure annual training on proper sorting, reflecting SB 1383 education duties. For self-haul areas not yet franchised, recycling is generally accomplished by separating CRV beverage containers and taking recyclables to buy-back or drop-off centers. There is no separate county fine schedule for household mis-sorting in the code reviewed; enforcement of the state mandates runs through the jurisdiction and CalRecycle.