Mesa, AZ Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)

Section 8-3-29 spells out both the mechanics and the limits of the program. Acceptable residential recyclable materials are limited to empty, clean, and dry beverage bottles, jugs, and cans made from plastic, glass, steel, or aluminum; empty, clean, and dry metal food cans; corrugated cardboard; and mixed paper including office paper, newspaper, mail, and magazines, though the City Manager or a designee may add or drop commodities from that list. Participating customers get once-per-week collection of recyclables from the recycle barrel and once-per-week collection of nonrecyclable materials from the black barrel, with the City Manager or a designee setting the specific collection day for each address, holidays included.

Recyclables must go into the barrel loose, never bagged or contained, while garbage in the black barrel must be bagged and securely tied. Section 8-3-30 backs this up with a compliance mechanism: prohibited items such as animal waste, human waste, dangerous or hazardous waste, food waste, green waste, or construction debris get a recycle barrel immediately retrieved by the City, while merely unacceptable, non-prohibited items draw two written notices before the barrel is pulled. A customer designated a nonparticipant loses the recycle barrel, reverts to once-per-week solid waste collection at applicable rates, and may not re-enter the program for at least three months, though a nonparticipant can appeal that designation to the Development Services Manager within ten days and, ultimately, to the City Manager.