Santa Clarita, CA Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Max piece size
- 4 feet long, 6 inches diameter
- Bundle weight limit
- 50 pounds
- Container
- organics container or tied bundles
- Excludes
- stumps, palm fronds, cactus, bamboo
- Oversized limbs
- handled as bulky waste separately
Summary
Santa Clarita curbside green waste, leaves, grass clippings, brush, branches, and Christmas trees, can't exceed four feet in length or six inches in diameter before it's set out for pickup under Municipal Code § 15.44.220(A)(13). Residents must use the organics container or tie bundles no heavier than fifty pounds, and can't mix green waste with garbage or contaminate it with hazardous waste.
Green waste shall not exceed four (4) feet in length and six (6) inches in diameter before being placed adjacent to a street or public right-of-way for collection. Place green waste in organic waste containers designated for the collection of green waste, or tied securely in bundles not exceeding fifty (50) pounds, and shall not be contaminated with other forms of solid waste or with hazardous waste. No person shall mix green waste with other forms of solid waste, nor contaminate green waste with any other substance, unless specifically permitted by the City or a solid waste enterprise.
Full Breakdown
010, defined as leaves, grass clippings, brush, branches, tree trimmings, prunings, weeds, incidental scrap lumber, bedding straw, and even Christmas trees and Hanukkah bushes. The definition excludes stumps or branches over six inches in diameter or four feet long, along with dirt, agaves, palm fronds, yucca, bamboo, juniper spears, and cactus, none of which count as green waste for curbside pickup. 220(A)(13): pieces can't exceed four feet in length or six inches in diameter before being placed at the curb, and must go either in the organics container designated for green waste or in bundles tied securely at no more than fifty pounds each.
Mixing green waste with other solid waste, or contaminating it with anything else, is barred unless the City or the franchised solid waste enterprise specifically allows it. Oversized material, such as tree trunks or large branches up to two feet in diameter and four feet long, falls instead under the separate 'bulky waste' category and is handled through a special pickup rather than curbside organics collection. 220(A)(11). 44.
Violations & Fines
Green waste placed in bundles over fifty pounds, oversized past four feet by six inches, or mixed with other solid waste violates § 15.44.220(A)(13) and is treated the same as other Chapter 15.44 container violations: an infraction under § 15.44.915, enforceable by the City's code enforcement officers with penalties running through Sections 1.01.200 through 1.01.250 and 23.10.010 through 23.10.080.
Frequently Asked Questions
How big can tree branches be for curbside green waste pickup?
Can I bundle yard clippings instead of using a container?
Do palm fronds and cactus count as green waste in Santa Clarita?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Clarita
California rules heatmap·Compare Santa Clarita to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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