Oakland, CA Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Yard waste category
- "Organic Waste", § 8.28.010
- Container
- Compost (green) container, weekly service
- Minimum capacity
- 20 gallons/unit; 64 gal standard
- Hauling restriction
- MM&O collector only, except incidental landscaper removal
- Governing subsection
- O.M.C. § 8.28.141(a)-(b)
Summary
Grass clippings, leaves, tree trimmings and other "green material, landscape and pruning waste" are legally "Organic Waste" under Oakland Municipal Code § 8.28.010, and every generator must place it in the City's compost container for weekly collection. Section 8.28.141(b) bars mixing yard debris into the mixed-material or recycling cart.
"Organic Waste" means solid waste containing material originated from living organisms and their metabolic waste products, including organic materials, but not limited to food, compostable food ware, compostable food containers, manure, green material, landscape and pruning waste, organic textiles and carpets, lumber, wood, paper products, printing and writing paper, biosolids, digestate, and sludges or as otherwise defined in 14 CCR Section 18982(a)(46).
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 102 | Planning Code: Supplement 59).
Full Breakdown
" That means grass clippings, hedge trimmings, fallen leaves and pruned branches are not general trash in Oakland: they belong in the compost (green) container, not the black mixed-material cart. 142 to supply green-lidded compost containers wherever other disposal containers are provided. 060 further restricts who may haul that yard waste off-site: except for a landscaper removing debris "as an incidental part of a total landscaping or gardening service," only the City's franchised MM&O collector may transport organic materials from a premises, so residents cannot legally have a third party haul away a truckload of yard debris without going through the franchised system or a self-haul permit.
Violations & Fines
Mis-sorting yard waste into the wrong cart, or having it hauled by an unauthorized company, is enforced as a Chapter 8.28 violation; § 8.28.290(A) sets fines up to $100 for a first infraction conviction, $200 for a second, and $500 for a third within a year, with repeat offenses beyond that chargeable as a misdemeanor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do grass clippings go in the recycling bin in Oakland?
Can my landscaper haul away the yard debris themselves?
How big does my compost container need to be?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Oakland
California rules heatmap·Compare Oakland to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Yard Waste Collection in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Alameda County handle yard waste collection.