Downey, CA Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Branch size limit
- 4 ft long, 4 in diameter max
- Earliest curbside setout
- 6:00 p.m. day before pickup
- Removal deadline
- 1:00 a.m. day after pickup
- Minimum pickup frequency
- Once per week (§ 5236)
- Collection hours
- No pickup before 6 a.m. or after 6 p.m.
- Contamination rule
- No hazardous substances in Green Waste bin
Summary
Downey requires green waste to be cut down before it goes in the bin: branches can be no longer than four feet and no thicker than four inches in diameter. Containers go out no earlier than 6 p.m. the night before pickup and must come back in by 1 a.m. the next morning.
(c) To minimize interference with public rights-of-way, no person shall place a Residential Solid Waste Container or any Bulky goods adjacent to a street or public right-of-way for collection service before 6:00 p.m. on the day before the regularly scheduled collection day. ... (e) Residential Solid Waste Containers shall be removed from locations adjacent to a street or other public right-of-way not later than 1:00 a.m. on the day following the regularly schedule collection day. ... (g) Green Waste shall be cut into pieces not to exceed four feet in length and four inches in diameter, before being placed in containers designated for Green Waste. If placed in containers designated for Green Waste, Green Waste shall not be contaminated with other forms of solid waste or with Hazardous Substances.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4807734; v5 updated 2026-01-27).
Full Breakdown
Under Downey Municipal Code § 5232, green waste destined for curbside pickup has to be reduced in size before it is bagged or binned: pieces cannot exceed four feet in length or four inches in diameter, and whatever goes into a container marked for Green Waste cannot be mixed with other solid waste or Hazardous Substances. on the day after collection. During the collection window itself, containers must sit where the Solid Waste Collector designates them and stay accessible for mechanized pickup; outside of curbside collection time they cannot be left visible from the public right-of-way.
so trucks do not run through neighborhoods at odd hours. Downey also runs a separate mandatory organics program (§ 5932) that requires single-family generators to subscribe to the city's organic waste collection service and sort green waste, including yard trimmings, into the designated Green Container rather than the black trash cart, consistent with the state's SB 1383 organics diversion mandate. Collection itself is franchised: only a Solid Waste Collector holding a City franchise, contract, permit or license may pick up green waste from a premises, so residents cannot simply hire an unlicensed hauler to haul brush away.
Violations & Fines
Leaving green waste out early, past the removal deadline, oversized, or contaminated with other waste violates § 5232 and, under § 5238, can be treated as an unlawful public nuisance subject to abatement. Section 5252 separately makes it a public nuisance to occupy or control a premises without arranging regular green waste collection service at all, and each day of noncompliance can be charged as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How small do I need to cut tree branches for Downey's green waste bin?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Downey
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