Pacifica, CA Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- PMC § 6-5.207
- Curbside set-out window
- 12 hours before, 12 hours after
- Receptacle ownership
- Property of authorized recycling agent
- Unauthorized pickup
- Infraction under § 6-5.214
- Civil remedy
- Treble damages, Gov. Code § 66764
Summary
Pacifica Municipal Code Section 6-5.207 requires residents in the Pacifica Recycling Program to separate recyclables from garbage and place receptacles at curbside no more than twelve hours before pickup and no longer than twelve hours after, with theft of set-out recyclables treated as an infraction under Section 6-5.214.
(a)Persons desiring to participate in the Pacifica Recycling Program shall prepare and separate those recyclable materials that the City has contracted for pickup by the authorized recycling agent from other garbage and refuse as required by the collection contract, and thereafter have the segregated recyclable materials placed within receptacles as required by this article, or within the designated collection location, which shall be collected by the authorized recycling agent.(b)Persons desiring to participate in the Pacifica Recycling Program shall place receptacles containing recyclable materials for residential units at curbside for collection by the authorized recycling agent; but said receptacles shall not be placed at curbside earlier than twelve (12) hours prior to the date and time for scheduled collection, nor left remaining at curbside longer than twelve (12) hours following the date and time for scheduled collection.
Full Breakdown
207 sets the day-to-day rules for anyone participating in the Pacifica Recycling Program. Participants must prepare and separate the recyclable materials the City has contracted to collect from other garbage and refuse, as the collection contract requires, then place the segregated materials in the receptacles specified by the article or at the designated collection location for pickup by the authorized recycling agent. 106: recyclables cannot go to curbside more than twelve hours before the scheduled collection date and time, and the receptacle cannot remain at curbside more than twelve hours after.
Multi-residential, commercial, and institutional locations instead use a designated collection location, with receptacle size and serviceability agreed between the authorized recycling agent and the customer. 208 requires the City to provide residential participants with suitable and sufficient receptacles, in a color, style, and markings set by the City, that remain the property of the authorized recycling agent and must be left behind if a participant moves out of Pacifica. 214 makes them the property of the authorized recycling agent, and anyone else who collects them commits a separate infraction for each unauthorized pickup location.
Violations & Fines
Placing recyclables at curbside earlier than twelve hours before pickup or leaving the receptacle out more than twelve hours after collection violates Section 6-5.207(b). Unauthorized collection of set-out recyclables is a separate infraction under Section 6-5.214(b), punishable under Section 1-2.01 of the Pacifica Municipal Code, with each unauthorized pickup at a different location treated as a distinct offense; the City and the recycling agent can also pursue civil remedies, including treble damages under California Government Code Section 66764.
Frequently Asked Questions
When can I put my recycling bin out at the curb in Pacifica?
Do I have to sort my recyclables in Pacifica?
Is it illegal for someone to take recyclables from my bin before the truck comes?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pacifica
California rules heatmap·Compare Pacifica to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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