Pasadena, CA Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing definition
- PMC § 8.60.020(FF), Yard Waste
- Branch size limit
- No wider than 3 inches in diameter
- Excluded items
- Palm fronds, bamboo, tree stumps, logs, ashes
- Container rule
- § 8.60.120(B) restricts cart to yard waste only
- First violation
- Courtesy notice; cart not emptied until fixed
- Third violation
- Compliance order or administrative citation (§ 8.60.325)
Summary
Pasadena defines yard waste narrowly and requires it to go in its own city-issued cart. Municipal Code Section 8.60.020(FF) covers grass clippings, leaves and branches no wider than 3 inches, but excludes palm fronds, bamboo, tree stumps, logs and ashes, and Section 8.60.120(B) limits the yard waste container to that material only.
As a privilege, and not as a right, each single-family residential unit may be offered the opportunity to participate in a solid waste reduction program which is designed to reduce the amount of mixed solid waste by allowing separate collection of recyclables, yard waste, organics, and other compostable materials... In electing to participate in the solid waste reduction program, every responsible person agrees to sort and separate or to cause the sorting and separating of their solid waste as follows: ...B.Yard Waste Container. Only yard waste, as defined in this chapter and within size and weight limitations specified, may be deposited in any regulation container provided by the city and designated for collection of yard waste.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 79 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
020(FF) defines 'yard waste' as the component of solid waste consisting of grass clippings, leaves, twigs and branches no wider than 3 inches in diameter that fit into a regulation container with the lid closed, plus material from gardens; the definition specifically excludes palm fronds, bamboo, fruits and vegetables, tree stumps, lumber, logs, cactus and ashes, so those items must go out as mixed solid waste or a separate bulky item pickup instead. 120 get a dedicated yard waste container, and subsection B restricts that cart to yard waste only, within the size and weight limits the city sets; recyclables and mixed trash go in their own separate containers under the same section.
320(A). 275 requires any franchisee that collects organics or other compostable material, which includes yard waste under the chapter's organics definitions, to haul it only to a composting facility permitted or certified by the State of California.
Violations & Fines
Putting non-yard-waste material, like palm fronds, tree stumps or bagged trash, into the yard waste cart is contamination and counts as misuse of a regulation container under Section 8.60.320. A first violation draws a courtesy notice and the collector will not empty the cart until it is fixed; a second violation within 6 months adds a warning that the container privilege can be revoked, and a third violation within 6 months of the second can bring a compliance order or administrative citation under Section 8.60.325.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as yard waste in Pasadena?
Can I put tree stumps or palm fronds in my yard waste cart?
What happens if I put trash in my yard waste cart?
Where does a hauler have to take collected yard waste?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pasadena
California rules heatmap·Compare Pasadena 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 Los Angeles County handle yard waste collection.