San Benito County, CA Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)

Recycling in the unincorporated county combines the franchise collection program with California's mandatory commercial recycling law. Recology San Benito County supplies a 64-gallon recycling cart that accepts paper, bottles, cans, aluminum, glass and most plastics, with extra recyclables accepted curbside in clear bags at no charge and cardboard flattened and bundled no larger than 3 feet by 3 feet. Under California AB 341 (mandatory commercial recycling), all commercial entities — including businesses and multifamily dwellings of five or more units — that generate 4 cubic yards or more of solid waste per week must arrange recycling service; San Benito County implements this law and Recology assists with waste assessments, employee training and indoor recycling containers. The County, together with the cities of Hollister and San Juan Bautista, forms a Regional Agency that completes CalRecycle compliance reporting for AB 939 statewide diversion mandates. The County Code's solid waste chapter (Chapter 15.01) makes it unlawful to commercially collect recyclables without a county franchise, keeping recycling within the Recology program. Recyclables must be kept reasonably free of contamination; heavily contaminated loads may be charged as garbage. These rules govern the unincorporated area, with AB 341 applying statewide regardless of jurisdiction.