Vallejo, CA Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- VMC § 7.48.170 (Recycling Program Implementation)
- Council authority
- Can mandate subscription by resolution
- Minimum containers
- 3 bins: solid waste, recyclables, organics
- Container size
- 32-gallon minimum, 75-lb. max when full
- Interference ban
- Unlawful to interfere with franchisee, § 7.52.030
Summary
Vallejo Municipal Code Section 7.48.170 authorizes the city council to implement recycling programs by resolution in whatever manner it determines best serves residents and businesses, and specifically lets the council make subscription to those programs mandatory rather than optional, backing the three-container collection system every property in the city must maintain.
The council may by resolution implement recycling programs consistent with the council's determination as to the best manner in which recycling services are to be provided to the residents and businesses in the city of Vallejo, including mandatory subscription to such programs.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Update 12 - 25).
Full Breakdown
48's collection rules and gives the city council broad, resolution-based authority to design and run Vallejo's recycling programs, including deciding whether participation is voluntary or mandatory for a given service area. 020: one for solid waste, one for source-separated recyclables, and one for source-separated organic waste, with the public works director able to require additional or different containers where needed for adequate service. 020 also sets container standards: each cart must hold at least thirty-two gallons, cannot exceed seventy-five pounds when full, must stay closed except when waste is being deposited or removed, and must sit where the franchisee can reach it without creating a nuisance. 180(B). 050's criminal, civil, and administrative-citation tracks.
Violations & Fines
A property that refuses the mandatory recycling subscription the council has authorized under Section 7.48.170, or that interferes with the franchisee's collection of recyclables under Section 7.52.030, is subject to Section 7.52.050's enforcement: criminal infraction or misdemeanor charges, civil action, or an administrative citation under Chapter 1.15, with the city able to recover attorney's fees in civil enforcement and each day of noncompliance treated as a separate violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is recycling mandatory for Vallejo residents?
How many recycling containers does a Vallejo property need?
What happens if I interfere with the recycling truck?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Vallejo
California rules heatmap·Compare Vallejo to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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Recycling Requirements in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Solano County handle recycling requirements.