Fresno County, CA Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Accepted recyclables
- Aluminum, cardboard, glass, paper, plastic, metal cans
- Separation rule
- Must be kept apart from refuse
- Incidental mixing
- Hauler cannot refuse the whole cart
- Fee-for-service recycling
- Prohibited outside county contractor system
- Fine schedule
- $25, $50, $150 escalating
Summary
Fresno County requires unincorporated-area households to keep single-stream recyclables such as cardboard, glass, plastic and metal cans separated from trash and green waste under Section 8.21.060(Q) and (S). Haulers cannot refuse a container over incidental recyclables, but repeated mixing draws escalating fines starting at $25.
Single-stream recyclables—aluminum, chipboard, corrugated cardboard, glass containers, milk, soy and juice cartons, mixed waste paper, newspaper, plastic, steel or tin cans, and scrap metal; ... Recyclable materials and green waste each shall be separated by customer from refuse and other solid waste, and each shall be placed by customer in the designated container for collection. However, a designated contractor shall not refuse to collect solid waste from containers properly placed according to this chapter, on the sole basis that it contains incidental amounts of recyclable material.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 51).
Full Breakdown
060(Q)(2) lists what belongs in the single-stream recycling cart: aluminum, chipboard, corrugated cardboard, glass containers, milk and juice cartons, mixed waste paper, newspaper, plastic, and steel or tin cans and scrap metal. 060(S) requires customers to separate recyclable materials and green waste from refuse and place each in its own designated container, though a hauler cannot refuse to collect an otherwise properly sorted container just because it contains an incidental amount of recyclable material mixed in. 21's exclusive service area program, and prospective customers receive that list from their contractor before service begins.
040(AA). 060(B), though residents remain free to donate source-separated recyclables directly to someone other than their designated hauler. 060(V) requires the hauler to leave written notice and report the customer to the county, which then has fifteen calendar days to begin its own enforcement action.
Violations & Fines
Continued failure to separate recyclables from trash after a hauler's written notice leads to county enforcement under Section 8.21.060(V): $25 for a first fine, $50 for a second, and $150 for a third, all within a twelve-month window, with container removal for up to a year available after that or for nonpayment within sixty days.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I put in my recycling cart in unincorporated Fresno County?
Can a hauler skip my whole recycling cart if I mix in a little trash?
Can a private company pick up my recyclables for a fee instead of the county hauler?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fresno County
California rules heatmap·Compare Fresno County to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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