Los Angeles County, CA Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Who may collect
- Only the county's authorized recycling agent
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor plus possible treble damages
- Applies to
- Unincorporated LA County only
- Residents exempt
- You may still donate or sell your own recyclables
Summary
In unincorporated LA County, only the county's authorized recycling agent may take recyclables you've set out for pickup: anyone else who knowingly removes them is committing a misdemeanor.
No person, other than the authorized recycling agent of the county, shall remove recyclable materials which have been segregated from solid waste materials and placed at a designated collection location for the purposes of collection and recycling. ... A violation of this section is a misdemeanor punishable pursuant to Section 19 of the California Penal Code.
Full Breakdown
Los Angeles County Code § 20.72.196 makes it unlawful for anyone but the authorized recycling agent to remove recyclable materials that a resident has segregated from trash and placed at the curb or designated collection spot for pickup, once that person knows or should know the materials are destined for the county's recycling collection. Residents remain free to donate, sell, or otherwise dispose of their own recyclables: the ban targets outside scavengers, not homeowners. This rule applies only in the unincorporated areas of the county; the 88 incorporated cities, including the City of Los Angeles, enforce their own recycling ordinances.
Violations & Fines
Violation is a misdemeanor under Penal Code § 19; in a civil suit the county or its recycling agent can also recover treble damages measured by the value of the material taken.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I stop a scrapper from taking cans out of my recycling bin?
Does this rule cover the City of Los Angeles?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Los Angeles County
California rules heatmap·Compare Los Angeles County to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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