Elko County, NV Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)

Elko County Code § 10-12-4(E) sets the preparation rule for yard debris in unincorporated Elko County, Nevada: tree trimmings and brush are cut into four foot (4') lengths and tied into bundles not larger than twenty four inches (24") in diameter for ease of pickup. The county does not print a separate yard waste chapter, so the rule works inside the solid waste chapter, Title 10, Chapter 12.

The definitions in § 10-12-1 explain why this matters. "Rubbish" includes grass clippings and tree trimmings, so yard debris counts as solid waste under the chapter, while bulky waste and construction or demolition waste are carved out. The same section lists yard waste among "recyclable materials."

The owner's duty comes from § 10-12-4(A). Every tenant, occupier, operator or owner of a residence must cause solid waste to be removed not less than once a week to an approved disposal site. That can be a single resident pick up site, a common receptacle site set up by the permittee or franchisee, or self-hauling. Under § 10-12-4(A)(1)(a), no container may exceed thirty six (36) gallons or a loaded weight of fifty five (55) pounds unless a mechanical loading system is used. Section 10-12-4(B) bars bulky waste from collection set-out; it is collected only during annual cleanups or by contract with the permittee.

How you get service depends on the district. Under § 10-12-3(F), residents in the Owyhee, Ruby Valley and Elko districts contract separately with an approved permitted collector, form a cooperative storage bin facility, or self-haul. Under § 10-12-5(C), a person may haul their own solid waste, and under § 10-12-5(A) no one else may collect it in the unincorporated area without a county permit or franchise.