San Benito County, CA Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- Unincorporated San Benito County only
- Basic rule
- Separate recyclables into distinct container
- Multi-family (3+ units)
- Must file plan with Planning Dept
- Container weight limit
- 60 lbs per filled container
Summary
In unincorporated San Benito County, every property owner must separate recyclables from other solid waste and use a distinct container, with multi-family properties filing a collection plan for county approval.
(C) Source separation. All persons in the county shall separate all recyclables from other solid waste generated at their premises and shall place the recyclables into a different container so as to facilitate segregation at a solid waste facility. An owner or agent of an owner of a multi-family rental housing property with three or more units shall comply with its separation responsibilities by establishing a collection and storage system at each premise.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-28: current through Ordinance 1078).
Full Breakdown
County Code requires all persons in unincorporated San Benito County to separate recyclables from other solid waste generated on their premises and place them in a different container to keep recyclables segregated for the solid waste facility. Owners of multi-family rental housing with three or more units must go further: they must establish a collection and storage system at the property and submit it to the Planning Department and the county's Health Officer for approval. This rule applies only outside Hollister and San Juan Bautista, which run their own municipal codes.
Violations & Fines
Violating the separation requirement is a misdemeanor under the county's general penalty clause: a fine up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, or both, with each day of continued violation a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to separate recyclables from trash in San Benito County?
Does this apply inside Hollister?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Benito County
California rules heatmap·Compare San Benito County to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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