Santa Clara County, CA Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Residential yard waste
- Collected at the premises produced
- Landscaper/commercial debris
- Hauled off by the contractor
- Bundle or pile size
- Set by collector and Director
- Governing law
- Ordinance Code § B11-160(aaa)-(bbb)
Summary
Unincorporated Santa Clara County collects residential yard waste through its three-container system, but yard debris removed by a landscaper, gardener, or tree service counts as commercial yard waste and must be hauled away by that contractor, not left at the curb.
Yardwaste, residential means recyclable plant materials resulting from the maintenance of any plants growing on a residential property (including an apartment complex) that are to be collected at the premises where produced. Yardwaste, commercial means recyclable plant materials resulting from the maintenance of any plants growing on nonresidential premises and recyclable plant materials resulting from the maintenance of residential premises that are removed from the premises for collection and disposal by a landscaper, gardener, tree trimmer, or property maintenance company.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 65).
Full Breakdown
The county's Ordinance Code splits yard waste into two categories. Residential yard waste is plant material from a home's own landscaping and is collected at the premises through the green-container organics program. Commercial yard waste is plant debris generated on nonresidential property, or residential trimmings removed by a landscaper, gardener, or tree trimmer for disposal: that material does not qualify for county residential pickup. Loose yardwaste and cardboard set out without a container must still meet bundle or pile-size limits set by the collector and the Director, and can't be placed at the curb until the placement rules for containers are followed.
Violations & Fines
Uncorrected violations draw a Notice of Violation with a 60-day default correction deadline, then administrative citations and fines under Division A37; repeat or willful violations can bring immediate citation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the county pick up yard waste my landscaper leaves at the curb?
How should I bundle branches for pickup in unincorporated Santa Clara County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Clara County
California rules heatmap·Compare Santa Clara County to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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