San Bernardino, CA Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- SBMC § 8.24.090
- Who must comply
- All residential, commercial, multi-family generators
- Non-compliance cure period
- 30 days from notice
- Site-visit cycle
- Every commercial generator every 5 years
- Enforcement
- City Manager plus administrative fines
Summary
San Bernardino Municipal Code § 8.24.090 requires every household, business and multi-family generator to subscribe to a recycling and organic waste collection level with the city's franchised hauler sufficient to handle the property's volume. Generators must separate materials into designated containers and post signage, with the City Manager auditing compliance annually.
(B) Recycling and organics collection required. Each generator shall subscribe to a level of service with the franchised hauler that is sufficient to handle the volume of recyclable materials and organic waste generated or accumulated on the premises. Additionally, each generator shall ensure the proper separation of solid waste, as established by the franchised hauler, by placing each type of material in designated containers or containers, and ensure that employees, contractors, volunteers, customers, visitors and other persons on site conduct proper separation of solid waste.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-2: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. MC-1666, passed 8-5-2026).
Full Breakdown
090(A)-(B), every solid waste generator in San Bernardino, meaning every household, apartment complex and business, is responsible for demonstrating compliance with the city's mandatory recycling and organic waste law. Each generator must subscribe to a level of service with the franchised hauler sufficient to handle the recyclable materials and organic waste the property generates, and must ensure employees, contractors, customers and visitors separate that waste into the containers the hauler designates. 090(C)(1) requires generators to post one or more signs in work or common areas identifying what materials go in which container and how to recycle them; the city provides outreach and training to commercial tenants on request.
Enforcement is compliance-first: the City Manager works with the franchised hauler each year to identify covered generators, reviews the hauler's subscription data to catch non-subscribers, and conducts site visits covering every commercial generator on a five-year rotation. 130. 120(D), and contamination can trigger the same compliance notice process.
Violations & Fines
A generator that ignores a non-compliance notice for more than 30 days faces enforcement under § 8.24.130: violations may be charged as an infraction or, at the City Attorney's discretion, a misdemeanor, on top of administrative fines set by City Council resolution and issued by the City Manager's designee. Unpaid administrative penalties become a lien on the property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do San Bernardino apartment buildings have to recycle?
What happens if my business doesn't subscribe to recycling service?
Does San Bernardino require recycling signage at businesses?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Bernardino
California rules heatmap·Compare San Bernardino 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.