South Bend, IN Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)

City of South Bend Code of Ordinances Chapter 13, Article 8 governs curbside recycling. Section 13-85 declares aluminum, bi-metal cans, glass containers, newspapers and plastics to have economic value as recyclable materials. Section 13-86 requires that recyclables be prepared and separated from other refuse and deposited in bins or similar containers, placed for removal only at the locations and times the City, its recycling agent or another registered agency designates. Any agency other than the City that wants to run a recycling operation in South Bend must file a completed registration form with the City Controller's Office before starting service and again every year afterward.

Once a resident sets recyclables out at the designated spot, Section 13-87 makes that material the property of the designated collector. It is a separate ordinance violation for anyone not authorized by the City or a registered recycling agency to collect, obtain or possess those materials, and each pickup location counts as its own violation. Section 13-88 sets the penalty for unauthorized taking at a $50 fine for a first offense, payable through the City's Ordinance Violation Bureau, with citations required to list the date, time, violator's name and address, the Code section violated, the violation's nature and location, and the issuing officer.

A second violation by the same person within the same calendar year draws a $500 civil forfeiture per incident. Section 13-89 authorizes the Board of Public Works to adopt further rules to implement and support lawful recycling operations citywide.