Fullerton, CA Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Yard waste defined
- leaves, grass cuttings, shrubs
- Treated as
- organic waste under state law
- Landscaper exception
- §5.14.060(H)(4), incidental hauling only
- Non-compliance
- public nuisance, §5.14.060(F)
- Hauler exclusivity
- franchisee or registered self-hauler only
Summary
Fullerton Municipal Code § 5.14.010 defines yard waste as leaves, grass cuttings and shrubs from routine property upkeep, treating it as organic waste that residents must divert through their franchised hauler under § 5.14.060(F). Gardeners and landscapers may still legally haul away yard waste themselves as an incidental part of their landscaping work, without needing a separate hauling permit, under § 5.14.060(H)(4).
YARD WASTE. All leaves, grass cuttings and shrubs that accompany routine household or property maintenance functions. ...
(4) The collection, transportation and disposal of yard waste, green waste and related solid waste by a gardener or landscaper as an incidental part of the gardening or landscaping services provided to its customers, rather than as a hauling service, provided that such solid waste is not collected or transported by a third party hired for the primary purpose of collecting and transporting said materials, and further provided that such services comply with any ordinances, policies and regulations of city and all state laws and regulations relating to the collection and handling of such materials;
Full Breakdown
R. Division 7, Chapter 12, § 18982, California's mandatory organics recycling regulation. R. Division 7, Chapter 12,' unless the City Manager grants a waiver permitted by law. That means a Fullerton household is expected to route grass clippings, leaves and shrub trimmings into the organics program offered by its franchised hauler rather than the regular trash cart, mirroring the recycling-participation duty in the same section. 060(H)(4): a gardener or landscaper may collect, transport and dispose of a customer's yard waste and green waste as an incidental part of the landscaping service, without being treated as an unlicensed hauler, as long as no third party is hired for the primary purpose of collecting and transporting the material and the work otherwise complies with city and state law. 060(H).
Violations & Fines
Routing yard waste into the regular trash stream instead of the franchisee's organics program, or ignoring the program's sorting requirements, is a public nuisance under § 5.14.060(C), (D) and (F), enforceable through nuisance abatement and the penalties in § 5.14.100. Hiring an unlicensed third party, rather than a landscaper doing incidental hauling or the city's franchisee, to collect and haul away yard waste violates the hauler-exclusivity rule in § 5.14.060(H).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put grass clippings and leaves in my regular trash bin in Fullerton?
Can I hire my own landscaper to haul away yard waste instead of using the city's trash hauler?
What exactly counts as yard waste under Fullerton's code?
What happens if a resident doesn't participate in the yard waste or organics program?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fullerton
California rules heatmap·Compare Fullerton to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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Yard Waste Collection in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Orange County handle yard waste collection.