Whittier, CA Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Bundle size limit
- 2 ft diameter x 4 ft length
- Limb/stump limit
- 4 ft long, 4 in thick, or 75 lbs
- Special pickup
- Scheduled with city's franchise recycler
- Orchard/nursery exclusion
- Not collected over 1/4 acre
- Placement point
- Curb or alley on regular trash day
Summary
Whittier residents get automated green-waste carts under Section 8.12.110(A), but overflow tree trimmings need a scheduled special collection under Section 8.12.210. Bundles can't exceed two feet across and four feet long, and individual limbs or stumps are capped at four feet, four inches thick, and 75 pounds.
A resident must schedule collection of overflow greenwaste which does not fit into a green automated container with the city's franchise recycler for collection on their regular trash day. The city shall not collect nor shall it be required to remove any tree cuttings or trimmings or any orchard or nursery where the total area of the orchard or nursery exceeds one-fourth acre. Scheduled special collection of trimmings for residential areas must be tied securely in bundles and placed at either the curb or in the alley, whichever is the normally designated trash collection area on trash day. Bundles must not exceed two feet in diameter and four feet in length. Tree limbs and stumps must not be larger than four feet in length and four inches in diameter or exceed seventy-five pounds in weight.
Full Breakdown
Section 8.12.110(A) requires the city or its contractor to furnish every residential premises a green waste container alongside the refuse and recycling carts, and Section 8.12.110(B) requires the resident to keep material within the container's capacity with the lid closed, requesting extra service if generation regularly exceeds it. When yard debris does not fit the automated green cart, Section 8.12.210 requires the resident to schedule a special collection with the city's franchise recycler for pickup on the regular trash day.
That special collection comes with size limits: bundled trimmings must be tied securely and placed at the curb or alley, whichever is the normal collection point, and must not exceed two feet in diameter or four feet in length. Individual tree limbs and stumps are capped at four feet long and four inches in diameter, or 75 pounds, whichever limit is reached first. The city will not collect, and is not required to remove, cuttings or trimmings from any orchard or nursery larger than a quarter acre, so larger growers must arrange their own private disposal. Because the scheduling duty sits with the resident rather than triggering automatic curbside pickup, anyone with a large trimming job should confirm the collection date with the franchise recycler before bundling material and setting it out.
Violations & Fines
Setting out oversized bundles, limbs heavier than 75 pounds, or debris from an orchard or nursery over a quarter acre falls outside the city's collection duty under Section 8.12.210, and the material can be left uncollected. Section 8.12.140 separately treats any waste, including yard trimmings, placed out for pickup outside the designated collection window as a public nuisance subject to citation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get rid of yard waste that doesn't fit my green cart in Whittier?
Are there size limits on tree trimmings Whittier will collect?
Will Whittier collect trimmings from my orchard?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Whittier
California rules heatmap·Compare Whittier to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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