All City of Santa Barbara residential properties must subscribe to recycling service, and unlimited recycling and yard-waste carts are provided at no extra charge. Under California's AB 341, businesses generating 4+ cubic yards of waste and multi-unit buildings of 5+ units must subscribe to recycling service. Recycling carts are blue to meet SB-1383 color rules.
Recycling is mandatory across the City of Santa Barbara. The City requires both single-family (1-4 unit) and multi-family (5+ unit) residential properties to subscribe to recycling along with trash and yard waste, and for single-family customers 'unlimited recycling and yard waste containers are provided at no additional charge,' encouraging diversion. Recycling carts are blue to comply with California's SB-1383 statewide container color standard (gray for trash, blue for recycling, green for organics/yard waste). On the commercial side, the City implements California's Mandatory Commercial Recycling law (AB 341): 'businesses who generate 4 cubic yards or more of waste and multi-unit residential buildings of 5 units or more are required to subscribe to recycling service.' Waivers from commercial recycling may be available for businesses that self-haul, back-haul, or face physical space constraints, subject to City verification. The City highlights that recycling and compost service costs half the price of trash service, a financial incentive to maximize recycling. Residents can also use MarBorg's downtown recycling center for drop-off recycling. The franchised hauler for all of this is MarBorg Industries. These requirements blend City franchise rules with California state recycling mandates that the City administers locally.
Businesses and multifamily complexes meeting the AB 341 thresholds that fail to subscribe to recycling are out of compliance with the state mandate as administered by the City; the City verifies generation and can require service or deny waivers. Residential recycling is a required part of mandatory service subscription.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
santa-barbara-ca
The Fence Guidelines set height and location but defer the exact material, color, width and style to design-review boards. Front-yard fences, walls and gates...
santa-barbara-ca
No fence, screen, wall or hedge over 3.5 feet may stand in a driveway visibility triangle: 10 ft along the driveway and 10 ft back from the front lot line wh...
santa-barbara-ca
Residential retaining walls not over 4 feet (footing to top) are permit-exempt unless they support a surcharge or impound flammable liquids. Where a fence si...
santa-barbara-ca
The City of Santa Barbara addresses animal hoarding through its care-and-keeping and nuisance provisions plus California's anti-cruelty law. Keeping animals ...
santa-barbara-ca
The City of Santa Barbara does not publish a dedicated wildlife-feeding ban in its general animal regulations, but feeding wild animals can create a public n...
santa-barbara-ca
The City of Santa Barbara requires a license for each unaltered cat over four months old, obtained from the City. There is no leash requirement for cats. Red...
See how Santa Barbara's recycling requirements rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.