Yolo County, CA Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing definition
- § 6-17.201(hh)
- Purity threshold
- At least 90% recyclable
- Accepted plastics
- Numbers 1 to 7 (HDPE, LDPE, PET)
- Single-family cart size
- 96 gallons, § 6-17.303(a)
- Excluded
- Food-contaminated or wax paper
Summary
Yolo County Code Section 6-17.201(hh) defines Recyclable Materials that must go in the recycling cart, listing paper, cardboard, glass, aluminum, steel cans, and plastics numbered 1 through 7, but the material must be at least 90% recyclable and kept separate from trash.
"Recyclable Materials or Recyclables" means those Discarded Materials that the Generators set out in Recyclables Containers for Collection for the purpose of Recycling; that are at least ninety percent (90%) Recyclable; and that exclude Excluded Waste. No Discarded Materials shall be considered Recyclable Materials unless such material it is separated from Solid Waste, Yard Trimmings, Organics, and C&D. Recyclable Materials shall include, but not be limited to: newspaper... mixed paper... chipboard; corrugated cardboard; glass containers of any color... aluminum... steel, tin or bi-metal cans; mixed plastics such as plastic containers (no. 1 to 7)... including containers made of HDPE, LDPE, or PET.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-21: Supplement 2026 S-21 includes: Local legislation current through Ord. 1584, effective June 25, 2026).
Full Breakdown
201(hh) defines "Recyclable Materials or Recyclables" as those Discarded Materials that generators set out in Recyclables Containers for the purpose of Recycling, that are at least ninety percent (90%) recyclable, and that exclude Excluded Waste. The definition specifies that no discarded material counts as Recyclable Materials unless it is separated from Solid Waste, Yard Trimmings, Organics, and C&D. The list of covered materials includes newspaper with inserts and coupons; mixed paper such as office paper, magazines, junk mail, catalogs, brown paper bags, cereal boxes, and envelopes, but excludes tissues, paper towels, plastic-coated paper, and food-contaminated paper; chipboard; corrugated cardboard; glass containers of any color; aluminum, including beverage containers and small scrap metal; steel, tin, or bi-metal cans; and mixed plastics numbered 1 through 7, including HDPE, LDPE, and PET containers and bottles. 303(c), tied to state law AB 341. 302. 403.
Violations & Fines
Depositing Excluded Waste, meaning hazardous, corrosive, or toxic substances, in a recyclables container violates § 6-17.403 and is enforced as an infraction under § 6-17.102 by the Director of the Community Services Department. Contaminating a recyclables load below the 90% recyclable threshold required by § 6-17.201(hh) can result in the material being rejected as Solid Waste rather than processed as Recyclables, and interfering with a franchisee's recyclables container or its collection violates § 6-17.404.
Frequently Asked Questions
What plastics can I put in my Yolo County recycling cart?
Can greasy pizza boxes go in the recycling bin?
Do recyclables have to be separated from trash in Yolo County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Yolo County
California rules heatmap·Compare Yolo County to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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