Bozeman, MT Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)

Section 32.02.070 of the Bozeman Municipal Code contains the City of Bozeman's recycling receptacle rule. The deposit of materials not identified or listed as acceptable materials at any recycling receptacle owned and operated by the city or any private entity is forbidden and prohibited. Any such depositing is deemed a violation of the article and, upon conviction in the municipal court, subjects the offender to the penalties provided within the article. The rule is a contamination and misuse prohibition, so the operative test is the list of acceptable materials posted or identified for each receptacle. It applies to receptacles run by private entities as well as those run by the city.

The penalty comes from § 32.02.110. A person violating the article is guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to six months in the county jail, a fine not to exceed $500.00, or both. Separately, the director of transportation and engineering can refuse the violator use of the city's landfill or transfer station and charge the city's costs, and must adopt an appeal procedure if either step is used.

Recycling pickups are also written into the noise chapter. Section 16.06.070(A)(2) exempts the loading, unloading, opening or other handling of containers, including the collection of recyclables or compostable materials by the city or a private contractor licensed by the Montana Public Service Commission, from the prohibitions in § 16.06.060. Where no permit is required, that activity is authorized between 5:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. from October 1 through March 30, and between 5:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. from April 1 through September 30.

Compost has its own line in the container rules. Under § 32.02.040(C), racks for compost only are allowed along the alley right-of-way, provided they are adequately maintained and do not encroach upon the driving area within the alley. Administration of Chapter 32 rests with the department of transportation and engineering under § 32.02.050, and § 32.02.120 lets the city contract with private haulers to serve residents.