Monterey County, CA Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Monterey County Code § 10.45.040
- Scope
- Unincorporated Monterey County only
- Yard waste goes in
- Green container, source-separated
- Alternative
- On-site composting instead of subscribing
- First fine
- $50 to $100 per violation
- Repeat fine
- Up to $250 to $500 per violation
- Compliance deadline
- 60 days after notice of violation
Summary
In unincorporated Monterey County, single-family households must subscribe to the County's organic waste collection service and put yard waste, defined in Monterey County Code § 10.41.010 as 'leaves, grass, weeds and wood materials from trees and shrubs,' out in the green container under § 10.45.040. The rule implements the state's SB 1383 organics-diversion mandate and applies only outside the county's incorporated cities.
Single-Family Organic Waste Generators shall comply with the following requirements: A.Subscribe to the County's organic waste collection services for all organic waste generated as described below in Subsection (B)...Single-Family generators shall adjust their service level for their collection services as requested by the County. Generators may additionally manage their organic waste by preventing or reducing their organic waste, managing organic waste on-site, and/or using a community composting site pursuant to 14 CCR Section 18984.9(c). B.Participate in the County's organic waste collection service(s) by placing designated materials in designated containers...Generator shall place source separated green container organic waste, including food scraps, in the green container; source separated recyclable materials in the blue container; and gray container waste in the gray container.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 56).
Full Breakdown
020, adopted to comply with Senate Bill 1383's methane-reduction mandate. 040(A), every Single-Family Organic Waste Generator (a residential premises with fewer than five units) must subscribe to the County's organic waste collection service for whatever green material, food scraps and yard trimmings the property generates, and the County can require a household to adjust its container size or number if the service level does not match its output. 040(B), yard waste has to be source-separated into the green container along with food scraps; recyclables go in the blue container, and only true gray-container trash belongs in the third bin.
Mixing yard clippings into the gray container is a 'prohibited container contaminant' under the chapter's own definitions. 010 as 'leaves, grass, weeds and wood materials from trees and shrubs,' which sets what has to move into the green stream. 9(c) in place of subscribing for that material. 030(J), runs inspections and route reviews to check compliance.
Violations & Fines
A generator who fails to subscribe or who contaminates containers violates § 10.45.040 and faces an administrative citation under § 10.45.120: $50 to $100 for a first violation, $100 to $200 for a second within twelve months, and $250 to $500 for a third or later violation, with sixty days to fix the problem before fines start. Citations can be appealed under Monterey County Code Chapter 1.22.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to put my yard trimmings in a special green bin in unincorporated Monterey County?
Can I skip the green-waste service if I compost my own yard trimmings?
What happens if I put yard waste in the regular trash can?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Monterey County
California rules heatmap·Compare Monterey County to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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