Trash Service Now Required Countywide, With Fines Starting Nov. 1
Property owners outside city limits must subscribe to collection or register as self-haulers
Letters are landing in mailboxes across unincorporated Santa Cruz County and if you receive one, the message is: arrange for waste service by Nov. 1, or risk a fine.
The County’s Department of Community Development & Infrastructure has begun notifying property owners who are out of compliance with the Universal Service Ordinance, which requires every developed property outside city limits to either subscribe to waste collection or register with the County as a self-hauler. The mailings open a countywide compliance campaign ahead of the Nov. 1, 2026, enforcement deadline.
The ordinance itself is not new — it took effect Jan. 1, 2022, alongside the statewide mandate. What changes this fall is enforcement.
The rules apply to residents and businesses everywhere in the county outside the city limits of Santa Cruz, Capitola, Scotts Valley and Watsonville. That includes remote properties in the San Lorenzo Valley, the North Coast and the hills above Corralitos.
Two ways to comply
Subscribe to curbside service. GreenWaste Recovery is the County’s exclusive franchise hauler and collects garbage, recycling and organics. The lowest rate for weekly service is currently under $25 a month. Sign up by calling (831) 426-2711 or through GreenWaste’s Santa Cruz County service page.
Register as a self-hauler. Owners who prefer to handle their own waste can apply to the County, pay a $46 annual administrative fee, and transport separated trash, recycling and organics to the Ben Lomond Transfer Station, the Buena Vista Landfill or another approved facility. Disposal fees still apply, with a minimum charge of $27 per visit — so for households generating waste every week, curbside service usually costs less.
Exemptions may be available for properties that are undeveloped or vacant, or where other special circumstances apply. The Request for Exceptions form is posted on the County website in English and Spanish; completed forms are mailed to the address printed on the form.
Owners who doubt a truck can reach them, due to narrow roads and steep driveways, are encouraged to call GreenWaste rather than assume service is unavailable. The company will check whether curbside collection can be arranged for properties with difficult access.
What noncompliance costs
Properties still out of compliance after Nov. 1 face escalating administrative penalties: $100 for a first violation, $200 for a second, and $500 per day for a third violation and each one after that.
Why now
The requirement stems from Senate Bill 1383, the state law targeting methane — a potent, short-lived greenhouse gas released when food scraps and yard waste decompose in landfills. Beginning in 2022, the law directed California cities and counties to provide universal recycling, organics and trash collection to help meet state climate targets.
County officials note that universal service is already standard practice in most California jurisdictions, where waste collection is treated much like water, sewer and power. Beyond the climate goals, they say the requirement should reduce the chronic problem of illegal dumping and keep more organic material and recyclables out of the landfill.
Where to get answers
Service options, the self-hauler application, exemption forms and a full FAQ are posted at santacruzcountyca.gov/universalservice. Questions can also go to GreenWaste Recovery at (831) 426-2711 or County Recycling and Solid Waste Services at (831) 454-2160.
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