Scottsdale, AZ Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Prohibited categories
- 7 (e.g., hazardous, food, green waste, C&D debris)
- Notices before service cut
- Minimum 2 written notices
- Nonparticipant re-entry wait
- 6 months minimum
- Appeal to director
- Within 10 calendar days
- Appeal to city manager
- Within 7 days of director's decision
- Recyclables in cart
- Must not be bagged
Summary
Scottsdale's curbside recycling program bans seven categories of material from the blue cart, from animal and human waste to construction debris and general refuse. Repeat noncompliance costs a household its recycling service and its container, though the code sets out a written-notice and reinstatement path first.
(g)Residents that dispose of any of the following prohibited wastes in their recycle container shall be subject to discontinuation of recycling service and immediate removal of the recycling container by the City:1.Animal waste;2.Human waste;3.Dangerous or hazardous waste;4.Food waste;5.Green waste;6.Construction debris or inert material.7.General refuse.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 80).
Full Breakdown
Under § 24-17(f), the city supplies residential customers a recycling container in addition to their refuse container, and acceptable materials are set by the director; recyclables placed inside must not be bagged or otherwise contained. Section 24-17(g) lists prohibited wastes that trigger discontinuation and immediate container removal: animal waste, human waste, dangerous or hazardous waste, food waste, green waste, construction debris or inert material, and general refuse. Residents who place non-prohibited but still unacceptable items in the cart instead get a minimum of two written notices before the city discontinues service and retrieves the container.
A household the city has designated a nonparticipant loses its recycling cart and reverts to once-per-week refuse collection under § 24-14, but may ask to re-enter the program no earlier than six months later; the director can waive that wait for exceptional circumstances (§ 24-17(h)). A nonparticipant may appeal the designation to the director within ten calendar days, and appeal the director's decision to the city manager within seven more days, whose ruling is final. Section 24-13(f) separately bars dumping garbage, refuse, or filth in a recycling container regardless of program status, and § 24-51(b) makes it unlawful to deposit anything but recyclable material in any city-serviced recycling container.
Violations & Fines
Placing prohibited waste in a recycling cart draws the same chapter-wide civil fine schedule as other solid-waste offenses: up to $500 for a first violation and up to $700 for a second within two years (§ 24-52(c)), with repeat violations within a year potentially charged as a class one misdemeanor (§ 24-52(d)). Beyond the fine, the city can immediately pull the recycling container and drop the address to once-weekly refuse-only service under § 24-17(g), and § 24-55 authorizes removing city-owned containers from any noncompliant user regardless of citation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can't go in my Scottsdale recycling cart?
Can I get my Scottsdale recycling cart back after losing service?
Do I have to bag my recyclables in Scottsdale?
Can I appeal if Scottsdale cuts off my recycling service?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Scottsdale
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