Fullerton, CA Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Recyclables defined
- glass, newsprint, aluminum, cardboard, metal, plastics
- Non-participation
- unlawful public nuisance, §5.14.060(C)
- Franchisee duty
- must run all state recycling programs
- Organic waste tie-in
- 14 C.C.R. Div. 7, Ch. 12
- Curb theft
- only franchisee may take set-out recyclables
Summary
Fullerton Municipal Code § 5.14.060 makes it a public nuisance for anyone with franchised solid waste service to skip the hauler's recycling and organic waste programs, including sorting materials into the wrong container. RECYCLABLE MATERIAL is defined under § 5.14.010 to include glass, newsprint, aluminum, cardboard, certain plastics and metal, and franchisees must run all state-required diversion programs.
(C) It is unlawful and a public nuisance for any person or entity that subscribes for solid waste handling services with a franchisee to fail to participate in the recycling and organic waste programs offered to him, her or it by the franchisee, including by placing solid waste in containers of a type or nature not designed for the type of waste in question.
(D) It is unlawful and a public nuisance for any person or entity that subscribes for solid waste handling services with a franchisee to fail to comply with the terms of any recycling and organic waste programs offered to him, her or it by the franchisee, including by placing solid waste in containers of a type or nature not designed for the type of waste in question.
Full Breakdown
R. Division 7, Chapter 12, § 18982, tying the local code to the state's mandatory commercial and residential organics law. 060(C) makes it 'unlawful and a public nuisance for any person or entity that subscribes for solid waste handling services with a franchisee to fail to participate in the recycling and organic waste programs offered,' including placing waste in the wrong type of container, and subsection (D) separately bars failing to comply with the terms of those programs once a customer is enrolled. R. Division 7, Chapter 12, while letting the City Manager grant waivers where state law allows.
Subsection (H) reserves collection of recyclable material to the city's franchisee, with narrow carve-outs for registered self-haulers and for a generator selling or donating its own recyclables directly to a third party.
Violations & Fines
A property owner or tenant who fails to participate in, or violates the terms of, a franchisee's recycling or organic waste program is committing a public nuisance under § 5.14.060(C) and (D), subject to nuisance abatement and the penalties in § 5.14.100. Taking recyclables left out for franchisee collection is separately unlawful under § 5.14.060(K), which bars anyone but the franchisee from removing materials placed at the curb for pickup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is recycling mandatory for Fullerton residents?
What materials count as recyclable under Fullerton's code?
Can someone else take the recyclables Fullerton residents set out for pickup?
Does Fullerton's recycling mandate cover food and yard waste too?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fullerton
California rules heatmap·Compare Fullerton to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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Recycling Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Orange County handle recycling rules.