Sonoma County, CA Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Recyclables container
- Blue container, source-separated
- Organics container
- Green, excludes textiles and plastics
- First violation
- Written warning notice only
- Repeat violation fines
- $200 second, $500 third
- Applies to
- Unincorporated county only
Summary
Unincorporated Sonoma County requires every household and business to source-separate waste into blue (recyclables), green (organics) and gray (trash) containers under County Code § 22-4, with mixing enforced through administrative citations and escalating fines.
(1)Generators shall place source separated organic waste, excluding non-compostable paper and textiles, in the green container;(2)Generators shall place source separated recyclable materials in the blue container; and(3)Generators shall place solid waste in the gray container. Generators shall not place materials designated for the gray container into the green container or blue container.
(d) Composting and Recycling Facility Processing Limits. Notwithstanding designation of certain materials as organic waste or recyclable materials under this chapter, generators shall not place materials in the green container or the blue container that cannot be processed by available compost and recycling facilities, as may be determined by agreement between the county and the county's frachisee(s) from time to time. Generators shall be provided with advanced written notice of the same determination.
As of the effective date of this chapter, compostable plastics, manure, biosolids, digestate, sludges, textiles, carpets (whether or not organic), and lumber are not accepted in the green container. Only yard trimmings, food waste, paper products and printing and writing paper may be deposited into the green container as of the effective date of this ordinance. As of the effective date of this chapter, paper products and printing and writing paper may also be placed in the blue container, in addition to other source separated recyclable materials.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 64 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Sonoma County Code Chapter 22 requires every occupied premises in the unincorporated county to maintain separate blue, green and gray containers and source-separate discarded material: recyclables go in blue, yard trimmings and food waste in green, everything else in gray (§ 22-4). Placing gray-container waste in the green or blue container is barred outright, and approved disposal sites may not accept unseparated tires, major appliances, organic waste or recyclable materials (§ 22-15). This governs only unincorporated areas. Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Rohnert Park, Windsor, Healdsburg, Sebastopol, Cotati, Cloverdale and the City of Sonoma each enforce their own separate municipal recycling code.
Violations & Fines
First violation draws a written warning notice; a second violation carries a $200 fine and a third or subsequent violation a $500 fine per offense, issued as an administrative citation by the director of transportation and public works (§ 22-24).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this recycling ordinance apply inside Santa Rosa or Petaluma?
What happens if I put recyclables in the trash container?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sonoma County
California rules heatmap·Compare Sonoma County to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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