Huntington Beach, CA Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)

Section 8.21.010 defines yard waste as tree trimmings, grass cuttings, plants, weeds, leaves, branches, trees and similar non-soil landscape materials, distinct from bagged household refuse. Section 8.21.020(A) puts the City's contracted refuse collector in sole charge of collecting it: the City Council may regulate frequency, means of collection and transportation, service levels, and fees entirely by ordinance or resolution, and no other hauler may perform that work under Section 8.21.090's ban on unauthorized transport for compensation. If the contracted collector cannot maintain service during an emergency, Section 8.21.020(C) lets the City Manager issue temporary permits, capped at 30 days, to other persons or companies to fill the gap; anything longer needs City Council approval.

Under the automated residential collection system described in Section 8.21.080(A), households must separate yard waste into the correct residential cart, a 100-gallon container colored as described in Section 8.22.020(b), and keep it "level full" with the lid closing completely so no waste is visible. Section 8.21.150 sets the basic level of residential service at not less than once each week, though the Director may exclude hazardous or obnoxious items from that schedule. Billing is governed by Section 8.21.030: the standard charge applies to single-family homes and each unit in a duplex, triplex or fourplex, and residents 62 or older whose household income falls at or below the HUD "Very Low Income" guideline pay only half the normal rate.

Once yard waste is set out for pickup, Section 8.21.220 bars anyone but the City's collector from removing or scavenging it, and a resident who disputes a Director ruling on service may appeal in writing to the City Manager under Section 8.21.210, with a hearing and written decision due within 30 days each.