Sacramento, CA Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Recycling service
- Mandatory for residential/mixed-use owners
- Container size
- 32-gallon automatic-lift cart
- Recyclable ownership
- City-owned once set curbside
- Non-recyclables/bags in cart
- Infraction, § 13.10.340(C)
- Civil penalty range
- $250-$25,000 per day, per violation
Summary
Sacramento City Code requires every owner of residential and residential mixed-use property to subscribe to the city's recycling collection service and to source-separate recyclables from trash. Recyclables become city property once set curbside, and mixing refuse or plastic bags into the recycling cart is an infraction.
To meet the mandatory diversion requirements imposed by state law, and to protect and promote the health, safety, and welfare of city residents, all owners of residential property and residential mixed-use property in the city shall subscribe to the recycling collection service provided by the city in the manner and in accordance with the provisions of this chapter and Chapter 13.12.
Full Breakdown
" The city adopted this mandate to help meet the 50% landfill-diversion target set by AB 939 (Cal. 300. 320 gives each dwelling unit one 32-gallon automatic-lift recycling container (or equivalent, as the solid waste manager determines), with collection frequency set by the solid waste manager consistent with council-approved service levels; container counts can be adjusted to ensure proper collection. 120. 340: every residential owner or tenant must source-separate recyclables from other refuse and deposit them only in the city-issued recycling container, and no one may put single-use plastic bags, refuse, or non-recyclable materials into that container. 320(A)(1) because they share service with the primary unit. 24 rather than this residential program.
Violations & Fines
Placing plastic bags or non-recyclable refuse in the recycling cart, or scavenging a curbside cart, is an infraction under §§ 13.10.340(C) and 13.10.120(D). More broadly, § 13.10.150 makes any violation of Chapter 13.10 a public nuisance subject to civil penalties of $250 to $25,000 per violation per day, plus misdemeanor exposure under Cal. Government Code § 36900 where the section does not specify an infraction, enforced through Chapter 1.28 administrative penalty proceedings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Sacramento residents have to sign up for recycling collection?
Can I put my recyclables in a plastic grocery bag inside the cart?
Who owns the material once I put it out for recycling?
How big is the standard recycling cart in Sacramento?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sacramento
California rules heatmap·Compare Sacramento to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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Recycling Requirements in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Sacramento County handle recycling requirements.