Monterey County, CA Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- MCC § 10.41.020(B)
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Monterey County only
- Multifamily 3+ units
- County-approved collection/storage system required
- Approved container size
- 20 to 96 gallons, watertight, covered
- Default penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine / 6 months jail
- Enforced by
- Director of Health / Enforcement Official
Summary
Every property owner in unincorporated Monterey County must separate recyclables from other solid waste and put them in a distinct approved container under Monterey County Code § 10.41.020(B). Landlords of multifamily rental buildings with three or more units must go further: set up a recyclables collection and storage system and get it approved by the Director of Health.
B.Source Separation. All persons shall separate all recyclables from other solid waste generated at their premises and shall place such recyclables into a different approved container to facilitate segregation at a solid waste facility. An owner or agent of an owner of a multifamily rental housing property with three or more units shall comply with its separation responsibilities by establishing a collection and storage system for separated recyclables at each premise. The collection and storage system for recyclables shall be submitted to the Director of Health for approval.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 56).
Full Breakdown
010(D)), so this duty binds unincorporated neighborhoods only, not Salinas, Monterey, Seaside, Marina, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Pacific Grove or King City, each of which runs its own municipal code. 010(A)). 010(V)). Multifamily properties of three or more units cannot simply hand tenants a bin; the owner or their agent must design a collection and storage system for the premises and submit it to the Director of Health for approval before it satisfies the ordinance. 030. 010(G)), administers compliance.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 10.41 does not carry a source-separation-specific fine schedule the way its littering section does. A failure to separate recyclables under § 10.41.020(B) instead falls under the County Code's general default penalty, Monterey County Code § 1.20.040: a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in the Monterey County Jail, or both, unless the County instead charges it as an infraction, which carries fines of up to $250 for a first conviction, $500 for a second within a year, and $1,000 for a third.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to separate recyclables from trash in unincorporated Monterey County?
What extra steps apply to apartment buildings?
Does this rule apply if I live in the City of Salinas or Monterey?
Who collects the recyclables?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Monterey County
California rules heatmap·Compare Monterey County to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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