Ontario, CA Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Section
- OMC § 6-3.604(a)-(c)
- Covered
- Businesses at 4+ cu yd/week; multifamily 5+ units
- Compliance
- Source-separate or comparable mixed-waste processing
- Exemption grounds
- No recyclables, no storage, or no market
- Penalty
- Infraction under § 1-2.01 (§ 6-3.600(b))
Summary
Ontario businesses generating four or more cubic yards of solid waste a week, and multifamily buildings of five units or more, must recycle under Section 6-3.604. Covered customers arrange recycling service through the City's Collector or a permitted Non-Waste Dealer and either source-separate recyclables or use mixed-waste processing that hits comparable diversion. Businesses with no viable recyclables can apply to the Administrator for an exemption.
The following commercial customers shall recycle and divert from the landfill recyclable materials generated by the customer in accordance with this § 6-3.604: (1) A commercial business that generates four (4) cubic yards or more of solid waste per week; (2) A multi-family dwelling of five (5) units or more. Businesses subject to this § 6-3.604 shall arrange for recycling services from the Collector or a Non-Waste Dealer.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-32: Current through Ordinance 3338, passed 7-21-2026).
Full Breakdown
604(a) applies mandatory recycling to two specific categories: a commercial business that generates four cubic yards or more of solid waste per week, and a multi-family dwelling of five units or more. Subsection (b) requires those customers to arrange for recycling services from the Collector or a Non-Waste Dealer and to take at least one of two compliance paths: source-separating recyclables and subscribing to a basic collection or self-haul service, or subscribing to a mixed-waste processing service that yields diversion results comparable to source separation.
A covered business is not locked in automatically. Subsection (c) lets a customer apply to the Administrator for an exemption by demonstrating one of three conditions: no recyclable materials are actually generated by the business's activities, there is inadequate storage space for recyclables, or no viable recycling market or facility exists for the materials produced. The Administrator reviews and either approves or denies each request. 605, which requires source-separated food and green waste diversion through the Collector or a Non-Waste Dealer, with its own exemption path for businesses generating less than half a cubic yard of organics weekly, having no viable storage, or lacking an organics market. 600 of complying with state commercial recycling laws and state commercial organic waste recycling laws through binding local requirements rather than leaving compliance voluntary.
Violations & Fines
Section 6-3.600(b) makes every violation of Article 6, including failing to arrange recycling service under Section 6-3.604 or skipping the exemption process, an infraction subject to the penalties at Section 1-2.01: escalating fines of $100, $200 and $500 for repeat violations within a year, or a misdemeanor charge for continued noncompliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Ontario businesses have to recycle by law?
Can a business get out of Ontario's mandatory recycling requirement?
Does Ontario also require businesses to recycle food and yard waste?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ontario
California rules heatmap·Compare Ontario to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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Recycling Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Bernardino County handle recycling rules.