Simi Valley, CA Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Container
- Green container for yard waste and food scraps
- Authority
- SVMC 6-3.14(c), added by Ord. No. 1332 (2022)
- Gutter ban
- No sweeping or blowing yard waste into gutters
- Storage
- Must be kept in an enclosed container
- Gardener exception
- Incidental hauling allowed under SVMC 6-3.28(e)
- Stormwater penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine and/or 6 months jail
Summary
Simi Valley requires single-family households to sort yard waste into the green organics container under the City's three-container collection system (SVMC 6-3.14(c)). Sweeping clippings, prunings, or brush into a gutter, street, or watercourse is banned outright, and yard waste must be kept in an enclosed container until pickup (SVMC 6-12.504).
6-3.14(c) Single-family organic waste generators shall participate in the City's three-container system for source separated recyclable materials, source separated green container organic materials, and gray container waste collection services. Generator participation in the collection programs requires that generators place source separated green container organic waste, including food waste, in the green container; source separated recyclable materials in the blue container; and gray container waste in the gray container. Generators shall not place materials designated for the gray container into the green container or blue container. ... 6-12.504 - Yard Wastes. (a)No Person shall sweep, rake, blow, or otherwise allow yard waste to be deposited in the gutter, street, flood control channel, or any location adjacent or connected to a Watercourse.(b)All yard waste generated from landscaping or yard maintenance activities must be disposed of in an enclosed container.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 51).
Full Breakdown
SVMC 6-3.02 defines "yard waste" as material from maintaining or altering public, commercial, or residential landscapes, including yard clippings, tree trimmings, prunings, brush, and weeds. Under SVMC 6-3.14(c), added by Ord. No. 1332 (effective February 22, 2022), every single-family organic waste generator must participate in the City's three-container system: a green container for source-separated organic materials including food waste and yard trimmings, a blue container for source-separated recyclables, and a gray container for remaining waste, and generators may not cross-place gray-container material into the green or blue bins. SVMC 6-3.29 lets the City Council fix the days, hours, and frequency of collection through the franchise agreement with the City's discards collector.
Separately, SVMC 6-12.504, part of the Storm Water Quality Management chapter adopted by Ord. No. 1195 (effective August 2, 2012), bars anyone from sweeping, raking, or blowing yard waste into a gutter, street, flood control channel, or any location adjacent to a watercourse, and requires that all yard waste from landscaping or yard maintenance be kept in an enclosed container rather than left loose at the curb. A licensed gardener, tree trimmer, or similar tradesperson may still haul away grass cuttings and prunings generated incidentally while providing service under the SVMC 6-3.28(e) "gardeners' exclusion," so long as the material goes to a lawful disposal or processing site. Residents who occasionally self-haul brush to a permitted transfer station or landfill stay exempt from the franchise requirement under SVMC 6-3.28(b), but no one besides the City's franchised collector may run a regular yard-waste hauling business within City limits without that franchise.
Violations & Fines
Sorting violations under Chapter 6-3 default to City Code infractions: up to $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second within a year, and $500 for a third or later offense under SVMC 1-2.03(a). Sweeping or blowing yard waste into a gutter, street, or watercourse is a separate stormwater violation under SVMC 6-12.504(a); the City Attorney can pursue civil fines under Title 1, Chapter 8, plus investigation costs and attorney's fees, and SVMC 6-12.801(b)(2) makes it a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 and/or six months in County Jail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which container does yard waste go in?
Can I sweep grass clippings into the street or gutter?
Can my gardener take my yard clippings with them?
What happens if yard waste ends up in a storm drain?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Simi Valley
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