Long Beach, CA Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Bundle length limit
- 4 feet maximum
- Bundle weight limit
- 40 pounds maximum
- Automated/commercial
- must fit inside cart, no protruding
- Enforcing agency
- Dept. of Public Works
- Oversized brush
- requires scheduled special pickup
Summary
Long Beach requires green waste, tree limbs, shrubs, trimmings and grass clippings, to go inside city-issued carts without protruding, per LBMC § 8.60.040. Residents on manual collection routes must instead tie brush into compact bundles capped at four feet long and forty pounds, since loose green waste at the curb isn't guaranteed pickup.
A.Property owners or occupants with automated or semi-automated and commercial collection service shall place all tree limbs, shrubs, trimmings, grass clippings and other items of a similar nature inside the receptacle in such a manner that items do not protrude from the receptacle.B.Property owners or occupants in areas designated by the Director of Public Works for manual collection shall tie all tree limbs, shrubs, trimmings and other green waste of a similar nature in compact bundles for disposal. Such bundles shall not exceed four feet (4') in length nor forty (40) pounds in weight and need not be placed in a container.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 52 Update 1 | City Charter: Supplement 5).
Full Breakdown
60, administered by the Department of Public Works. Accounts on automated or semi-automated carts, and commercial accounts, must fit tree limbs, shrubs, trimmings and grass clippings entirely inside the assigned cart so nothing protrudes past the lid, a load that doesn't fit isn't guaranteed collection. 040(B) instead requires green waste to be tied into compact bundles capped at four feet in length and forty pounds in weight; bundles don't need a container, but loose brush left at the curb outside these limits doesn't meet the standard. 200. 060(E)-(F).
Violations & Fines
Green waste that doesn't meet the container or bundle standard is treated like a noncompliant receptacle: it can be left uncollected and, if not corrected by the next regular collection day, removed and billed as a special service under § 8.60.190. Because Chapter 8.60 is a mandatory Code requirement, noncompliance also falls under the general penalty of LBMC § 1.32.010, a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 or six months in jail, with each day a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put loose tree branches at the curb in Long Beach?
What if a branch is too big for the bundle limit?
Who enforces Long Beach's green waste rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Long Beach
California rules heatmap·Compare Long Beach to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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