Clark County, NV Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Contamination limit
- 20% of cart contents
- First response
- Franchisee education program
- Escalation
- Resident survey, opt-out offered
- Worst case
- Recycling cart replaced with trash cart
- Governing law
- Clark County Code § 9.04.119
Summary
Clark County caps recycling-cart contamination at 20 percent; franchisees can survey chronic offenders and, if contamination continues, swap the recycling cart for a second trash cart instead of fining residents.
(a) Residential recyclables should not include more than twenty percent contamination in the wheeled cart.
(b)If franchisee identifies routes with consistent recycling contamination, franchisee shall work with the county to create an education program for the residential customers within those routes to increase recycling. If the education does not minimize the recycling contamination, franchise has the right to provide a survey to residents within the contaminated routes that allows the residential customer to opt out of the single-stream recycling program. If the residential customer opts out of the single-stream recycling program or does not respond to the survey about participating in the single-stream recycling program and continues to contaminate the recyclables, franchisee may remove the recycling cart and replace it with a wheeled cart for solid waste after notifying county of such action
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 147).
Full Breakdown
Under Clark County Code Section 9.04.119, residential single-stream recyclables should not include more than twenty percent contamination in the wheeled cart. Franchisees that identify routes with consistent contamination must run an education program first; if that fails, they may survey residents and let them opt out of recycling, or ultimately pull the recycling cart and replace it with an extra solid-waste cart. Customers can opt back in once contamination stays under 20 percent.
Violations & Fines
No fine is imposed on individual households. Persistent contamination after education and a survey lets the franchisee remove the recycling cart entirely and substitute a second wheeled solid-waste cart.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Clark County fine residents for contaminated recycling?
Can I get my recycling cart back after losing it?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Clark County
Compare Clark County to another location·View the Nevada trash & recycling overview
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