San Leandro, CA Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing sections
- SLMC §§ 3-6-320, 3-6-330, 3-6-340
- Ownership of set-out recyclables
- Transfers to City franchisee immediately
- Scavenging penalty
- Infraction or misdemeanor per § 3-6-330(d)
- Unauthorized container removal
- 24 hrs after posting, or 6 business hrs after phone notice
- Self-haul carve-out
- Owner may haul own waste under § 3-6-320
Summary
Once recyclables are set out for pickup, San Leandro makes them the property of the City's franchisee and bars anyone else, including the person who set them out, from taking them back or placing an unauthorized collection container in the City.
§ 3-6-330. PROHIBITION ON SCAVENGING. (a) Upon placement of recyclable materials at a designated recycling collection location for collection by the City or its franchisee or contractor, recyclable materials shall become the property of the City's franchisee or contractor. (b) It shall be unlawful for any person other than an authorized City employee or the City's franchisee or contractor to take, remove, or otherwise appropriate recyclables that have been placed for recycling collection or the container in which such recyclables have been placed. Any and each such removal in violation hereof shall constitute a separate and distinct violation enforceable as provided for in this Code. (d) ... A conviction for a violation of this section shall be an infraction or misdemeanor pursuant to Chapter 1-12 of this Code.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4967405; v8 updated 2026-07-06).
Full Breakdown
SLMC § 3-6-330 declares that recyclable materials placed at a designated collection location become the property of the City's franchisee or contractor the moment they're set out, and it is unlawful for anyone other than an authorized City employee or the franchisee to take, remove, or otherwise appropriate those recyclables or the container holding them; each taking is a separate violation. Section 3-6-320 backs this with a general ban on unauthorized collection: only the City's franchisee may collect solid waste, recyclables, or green waste, with narrow carve-outs letting a resident self-haul their own waste to an authorized facility, donate or sell their own recyclables, or let a licensed contractor or landscaper remove debris incidental to work being performed on the property.
Section 3-6-340 separately bars anyone but the City or its franchisee from placing a collection container in the City at all, unless that person is the property's own owner, operator, or manager self-hauling under § 3-6-320; the City can post a removal notice on an unauthorized container and impound it if it isn't gone within 24 hours of posting, or six business hours after phone notice. Section 3-6-330(d) also preserves the franchisee's own right to bring a civil action against a violator on top of whatever the City pursues.
Violations & Fines
Taking recyclables from the curb or running an unauthorized collection route is a violation of Chapter 1-12: § 3-6-330(d) makes a conviction an infraction or misdemeanor, meaning fines of $100 to $200 for a first or second offense within a year, rising to a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 and six months in jail for a third violation of the same section.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone else take recyclables I've set out at the curb?
Can I set out my own bin and haul recyclables myself for cash?
What happens if I leave an unauthorized dumpster on my property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Leandro
California rules heatmap·Compare San Leandro to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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Recycling Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Alameda County handle recycling rules.