Torrance Municipal Code Art. 1 GENERAL Revised 6/25

(Amended by O-293; O-3355; O-3527)

The following words and phrases shall, for the purpose of this Chapter, have the meanings respectively ascribed to them in this Section:

a) Solid waste means refuse, garbage, rubbish, recyclables and compostables, and solid waste as defined in Section 40191 of the California Public Resources Code.

b) Refuse means garbage and rubbish.

c) Garbage means animal, fruit and vegetable refuse and offal.

d) Rubbish means combustible rubbish and non-combustible rubbish.

e) Combustible rubbish means paper, leaves, Christmas trees, chips, grass, pasteboard, carpets, clothing, magazines, books, straw, packing material, barrels, boxes, crates, rags and all other similar articles or materials, which will burn by contact with flames of ordinary temperature, which are rejected by the owner or producer thereof as worthless or useless.

f) Non-combustible rubbish means ashes, broken glass and crockery bottles, tin cans and containers, metals and all other similar articles or materials other than combustible rubbish or garbage, which are rejected by the owner or producer thereof as worthless or useless.

g) Recyclables or Compostables means paper, plastic, glass, metal, Christmas trees, grass clippings, leaves or any material determined by the City Manager or the City Manager’s designee as suitable for diversion or recycling and separated for diversion or recycling by the owner or producer thereof.

(Amended by O-293)

No person shall dispose of any refuse within the City limits or transport any such refuse over any public highway, street, alley or place within the City, when such refuse has been collected outside of the City limits and in any manner brought to the exterior boundary lines thereof, except that such refuse may be transported over such highways, streets, alleys or places when destined for a point outside the City and transported in accordance with the provisions of this Article.

No person shall load or unload any refuse from one vehicle to another or from a vehicle onto the ground or onto any building or structure thereon; provided, however, that the provisions of this Section shall not apply to the City, its agents, employees or contractees as to any refuse originating within the boundary lines of the City, nor shall it apply to any person or his contractor loading his own refuse onto a vehicle at the place where said refuse originated.

(Amended by O-293; O-924)

No person shall transport or cause to be transported any garbage over any public highway, street, alley or place within the City, except in watertight truck bodies or trailers completely enclosed with metal, or in receptacles which are constructed of metal and have a tight-fitting metal cover.

(Amended by O-924)

No person shall transport or cause to be transported any rubbish over any public highway, street, alley or place within the City, except in truck bodies or trailers which are completely enclosed or so equipped or constructed that rubbish may not spew therefrom upon the street, or in receptacles or containers so constructed as to prevent rubbish from being scattered by the wind.

(Amended by O-3527)

The City Manager or the City Manager’s designee, with the approval of the City Council, may establish regulations governing the operation of any public dumping grounds operated by the City, and may fix fees for disposing of refuse thereat.

(Amended by O-3527)

No person shall deposit or bury any refuse in the City unless it is leveled and covered, and written permission to do so has first been obtained from the health officer and the City Manager or the City Manager’s designee.

No person shall cause or permit garbage or combustible rubbish to accumulate at any place or premises under his charge or control for a period in excess of seven (7) days, or permit or allow non-combustible rubbish to accumulate thereat for a period in excess of thirty (30) days.

(Amended by O-3527)

Each person accumulating or producing refuse shall provide their own receptacle for keeping, depositing or accumulating same, unless the receptacles are provided by the City or other authorized collector.

(Added by O-3295; Amended by O-3527; O-3926)

a) It shall be unlawful for any person to interfere with the collection, conveyance or disposal of refuse, recyclable, or compostable materials by the City or any licensed, authorized, private collector.

b) No person, except the City or a licensed private collector authorized by the City, shall gather, collect, or transport refuse, recyclable, or compostable materials within the City and collect fees for such service.

c) It shall be unlawful for any person other than an officer or employee of the City, or the owner, or the employee of an authorized private collector to interfere in any manner with any residential or commercial solid waste containers, or the contents thereof, or to remove any residential or commercial solid waste container from the location where the same was placed by the owner thereof, or to remove the contents of any residential or commercial solid waste.

d) For purposes of this Section, the term "private collector" shall include the following types of persons, firms or corporations which collect, transport, or dispose of solid waste from the City specific to their type of business (such as landscapers and contractors) as listed in Section 43.6.040.