Chapter 19.108 — BEVERAGE CONTAINER REDEMPTION AND RECYCLING CENTERS
Cupertino Zoning Code · 2026-06 edition · ingested 2026-07-06 · Cupertino
19.108.010 Purpose. ¶
The purpose of this chapter is to establish regulations regarding beverage container redemption and recycling centers.
- (Ord. 2085, § 2 (part), 2011; Ord. 1682, (part), 1995)
19.108.020 Applicability of Regulations/Penalty. ¶
It is unlawful for a recycling facility to be placed, erected, moved, reconstructed or altered unless made to comply with the provisions of this title. Violation of this chapter is an infraction and is punishable as provided in Chapter 1.12 of this code.
(Ord. 2085, § 2 (part), 2011; Ord. 1682, (part), 1995)
19.108.030 Permits Required. ¶
No person shall place, construct, or operate a recycling facility without first obtaining a permit pursuant to the provisions set forth in this section. Recycling facilities may be permitted as set forth in table 19.108.030.
Table 19.108.030: Permits Required
| Type of Facility | Zones Permited | Permit Required | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indoor Reverse vending machines |
All commercial | None | |||
| Reverse vending machines | All commercial All industrial All planned development zones which permit commercial, ofce and industrial actvity BA and BQ |
Admin. Use permit |
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| Small collecton Grouping of reverse vending Mobile recycling: enclosed vehicle |
All commercial All industrial All planned development zones which permit commercial, ofce, and industrial actvity BA and BQ |
Admin. Use permit |
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| Small collecton Bulk vending machines Kiosk units Mobile recycling: open vehicle Mobile recycling: enclosed vehicle that utlizes external collecton bins |
All commercial All industrial All planned development zones which permit commercial, ofce, and industrial actvity BA and BQ |
Architectural and Site Approval - DRC |
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| e. Unatended containers | Admin. Use permit |
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| Large collecton | Light industrial BA and BQ All planned development which allows light industrial actvites |
Conditonal Use Permit |
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| Light processing | Light Industrial All planned development which allows light industrial actvites |
Conditonal Use Permit |
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| Heavy processing | Light Industrial All planned development which allows light industrial actvites |
Conditonal Use Permit |
(Ord. 2085, § 2 (part), 2011; Ord. 1682, (part), 1995)
19.108.040 Permits for Multiple Sites. ¶
A single applicant may process an application to allow more than one reverse vending machine installation or small collection facility located on different sites under the following conditions:
The operator of each of the proposed facilities is the same;
The proposed facilities are determined by the Director of Community Development to be similar in nature, size and intensity of activity; and
All of the applicable criteria and standards set forth in Section 19.108.050 are met for each such proposed facility.
(Ord. 2085, § 2 (part), 2011; Ord. 1682, (part), 1995)
19.108.050 Criteria and Standards. ¶
The criteria and standards for recycling facilities are as set forth in Table 19.108.050:
Table 19.108.050: Criteria and Standards
| Reverse Vending Machines |
Small Collecton Facilites |
Large Collecton Facilites |
Processing Facilites |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Collocaton with |
Existng commercial uses |
Existng commercial, ofce, industrial and public or quasi- public uses |
Not required | Not required | |||||
| 2. Locaton | **·Within a reasonable proximity to the entrance to the commercial structure and ·**Shall not obstruct pedestrian or vehicular circulaton |
**·Setback at least 10 feet from any street line and ·Shall not obstruct pedestrian or vehicular circulaton. ·Sited in a manner that balances the need to provide visual accessibility to the recycling center versus the objectve to maintain an atractve streetscape for the community ·**Area for facility clearly marked to prohibit other vehicular parking during hours when mobile center is scheduled to be present. |
**·Facility does not abut a property zoned or occupied for residental use; ·Facility will be screened from the public right- of-way by operatng in an enclosed building or: ·Within an area enclosed by an opaque fence at least six feet in height with landscaping, ·At least one hundred ffy feet from property zone or occupied for residental use, and ·Meets all noise standards; ·**Setbacks and landscape requirements shall be those provided for the zoning district in which the facility is located; |
**·Setbacks and landscaping requirements shall be those provided for the zoning district in which the facility is located; ·Facility does not abut a property zoned for residental use; ·Processor will operate in a wholly enclosed building except for incidental storage, or: ·Within an area enclosed on all sides by an opaque fence or wall not less than eight feet in height and landscaped on all street frontages, ·**Located at least one hundred ffy feet from a residental zone; |
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| 3. Maximum Size |
**·50 square feet of foor space per installaton, including any protectve enclosure and ·**8 feet in height |
**·**500 square feet and occupy no more than fve parking spaces not including space that will be periodically needed for removal of materials or exchange of containers |
**·4,500 square feet for light processing facilites ·**Heavy processing facilites may be larger |
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| Reverse Vending Machines |
Small Collecton Facilites |
Large Collecton Facilites |
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| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 4. Parking | **·Facility shall not occupy parking spaces required by the primary use and ·**Shall be placed on the apron of the host facility when possible |
**·One space for atendant, if needed ·No additonal spaces required for customers ·Atendant parking or facility may not reduce available parking spaces below the minimum required for the primary hose use unless all of the following conditons exist: ·The facility is located in a convenience zone or potental convenience zone as designated by the CA Department of Conservaton ·A parking study shows that existng parking capacity is not already fully utlized during the tme the recycling facility will be on the site ·**The permit will be reconsidered at the end of 18 months. If the permit expires without renewal, the collecton facility shall be removed from the site on the day following permit expiraton. |
**·Space will be provided on site for six vehicles or the antcipated peak customer load, whichever is higher, to circulate and to deposit recyclable materials ·One parking space will be provided for each commercial vehicle operated by the recycling center. ·**Parking requirements will be as provided for in the zone, except that parking requirements for employees may be reduced when it can be shown that parking spaces are not necessary, such as when employees are transported in company vehicle to a work facility |
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| 5. Illuminaton |
**·**Shall be illuminated to ensure comfortable and safe operaton if operatng hours are between dusk and dawn |
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| 6. Noise | **·**Shall comply with |
**·**Shall comply with the City's |
**·**Shall comply with the City's |
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| Reverse Vending Machines |
Small Collecton Facilites |
Large Collecton Facilites |
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| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| the City's Noise Ordinance |
Noise Ordinance |
Noise Ordinance |
| Reverse Vending Machines |
Small Collecton Facilites |
Large Collecton Facilites |
Processing Facilites |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7. Accepted Materials |
**·Shall accept only glass botles, metals, plastc containers, papers and reusable items. ·Used motor oil may be accepted with permission of the central fre district, or other agency which administers the City's hazardous material ordinances. ·**Used motor oil can only be accepted at an atended site having containers approved by the administrator of the City's hazardous materials ordinance; |
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| 8. Hours of Operaton |
**·**Shall be at least the operatng hours of the host use |
**·**Atended facilites located with one hundred feet of a property zoned or occupied for residental use shall be operated only during the hours between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Containers for the twenty- four-hour donaton of material shall be at least one hundred feet from any property zoned or occupied for residental uses unless there is acoustcal shielding between the containers and the residental use |
**·**If the facility is located within fve hundred feet of property zoned or occupied for residental use, it shall not be in operaton between 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. |
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| 9. Landscaping |
**·**The facility shall not impair the landscaping required for a |
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| Reverse Vending Machines |
Small Collecton Facilites |
Large Collecton Facilites |
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| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| concurrent use by this ttle or any permit issued pursuant thereto. |
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| 10. Power- driven Processing Equipment |
**·**Shall use no power-driven processing equipment except for bulk reverse vending machines |
**·**Power driven processing, including aluminum foil and can compactng, baling, plastc shredding, or other light processing actvites necessary for efcient temporary storage and shipment of material may be approved through a use permit process or at the discreton of the Director of Community Development if noise and other conditons are met. |
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| 11. Maintenance |
**·Shall be maintained in a liter- free, dust free conditon on a daily basis ·**Sanitaton control and practces shall be installed and used to maintain each site in a manner free of rodents, insects and other vectors. |
**·Shall be maintained free of liter and any other undesirable materials, ·Mobile facilites, at which truck or containers are removed at the end of each collecton day, shall be swept at the end of each collecton day. ·**Sanitaton control and practces shall be installed and used to maintain each site in a manner free of rodents, insects and other vectors. |
**·Site and Donaton areas shall be maintained free of liter and any other undesirable materials, and will be cleaned of loose debris on a daily basis. ·**Sanitaton control and practces shall be installed and used to maintain each site in a manner free of rodents, insects and other vectors. |
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| 12. Constructon Materials, Capacity, Security and Storage |
**·**Durable, waterproof and rustproof materials |
**·Durable, waterproof and rustproof materials ·Covered when the facility is not atended ·**Secure from unauthorized entry or |
**·Shall be secured from unauthorized entry and removal of materials when atendants are not present. ·**Containers shall be at least |
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| Reverse Vending Machines |
Small Collecton Facilites |
Large Collecton Facilites |
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| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Reverse Vending Machines |
Small Collecton Facilites |
Large Collecton Facilites |
Processing Facilites |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| removal of material **·Of a capacity sufcient to accommodate materials collected and collecton schedule ·**Shall store all recyclable material in containers or in the mobile center vehicle and shall not leave materials outside of containers when atendant is not present. |
10 feet away from buildings. **·All exterior storage of material shall be in sturdy, nonfammable containers which are covered, secure, and maintained in good conditon. ·Baled or pelletzed material may also be stored. ·Oil storage must be in containers approved by the Fire Marshal. ·**No storage will be visible above the height of the fencing. |
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| 13. Facility Identfcaton |
**·Shall be clearly marked to identfy the type of material that may be deposited ·Operatng Instructons ·Identty and phone number of operator or responsible person to call if the machine is inoperable ·**Shall display a notce statng that no material shall be lef outside the recycling enclosure or containers |
**·Shall be clearly marked to identfy the type of material that may be deposited ·Identty and phone number of operator ·Hours of operaton ·**Shall display a notce statng that no material shall be lef outside the recycling enclosure or containers |
**·The containers shall be clearly marked to identfy the type of material that may be deposited ·Shall be clearly marked with the name and phone number of the facility operator and the hours of operaton; ·**Shall display a notce statng that no material shall be lef outside the recycling containers |
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| 14. Screening | **·**With the excepton of enclosed mobile recycling vehicles, small collecton facilites shall be screened, via fencing and/or landscaping, from public streets. |
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| Reverse Vending Machines |
Small Collecton Facilites |
Large Collecton Facilites |
Processing Facilites |
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| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **·**The screening height, density, and locaton shall be designed to minimize the view of the mobile unit and potental sortng areas from public streets and other public spaces; |
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| 15. Signs | **·**Maximum sign area = 4 square feet, exclusive of operatng instructons |
**·Identfcaton signs with a maximum of twenty percent per side or sixteen square feet, whichever is smaller, and ·Informatonal signs as allowed by the Sign Ordinance ·Must be consistent with character of the locaton ·Directonal signs, bearing no advertsing message, may be installed with the approval of the Director of Community Development if necessary to facilitate trafc circulaton, or if the facility is not visible from the public right-of-way, ·**The Director of Community Development may authorize increases in the number and size of signs upon fndings that it is compatble with adjacent businesses. |
**·Identfcaton and informatonal signs will meet the standards of the zone. ·**Directonal signs, bearing no advertsing message, may be installed with the approval of the Director of Community Development if necessary to facilitate trafc circulaton. |
**·**Sign requirements shall be those provided for the zoning district in which the facility is located. |