San Bernardino County — Recycling Facilities

Decision-Ready Standards

Operations, Storage, and Maintenance

All recycling collection and processing sites have a daily cleanup obligation. The operator and host business must remove recyclable material or solid waste deposited outside the intended containers, bins, or enclosures; if they fail to do so, the County may treat the material as abandoned, remove it, and charge the property owner and operator for the full cleanup cost. § 84.19.050

Small-facility containers must be durable, waterproof, rustproof, and covered. They must identify accepted recyclable materials and provide the operator’s name and telephone number; the site must be swept and maintained dust-free and litter-free daily. § 84.19.060(c)–(d)

Large collection facilities require covered, secured, well-maintained exterior storage containers, unless material is baled or placed on pallets. Flammable-material containers must be nonflammable, oil storage requires County Fire Department-approved containers, and storage generally cannot extend above screening or landscaping. § 84.19.070(e)

Heavy processing facilities have comparable storage controls, plus daily loose-debris cleanup and security against unauthorized entry or removal when attendants are absent. No dust, fumes, odor, smoke, or vibration above ambient levels may be detectable on neighboring properties. § 84.19.090(i), (l)–(n)

Access, Parking, and Customer Flow

For a large collection facility, the site must accommodate six vehicles or the anticipated peak customer load, whichever is higher, for circulation and material drop-off. The review authority may allow overflow above six vehicles only when compatible with nearby businesses and public safety; one space is required for each commercial vehicle, while remaining customer parking follows the parcel’s district rules. § 84.19.070(g)

Heavy processing requires on-site space for expected peak customers to circulate, park, and deposit material, with at least 6 parking spaces or stacking for 10 vehicles. It also requires one space per commercial vehicle, while other parking requirements remain district-based. § 84.19.090(o)

Screening, Landscaping, and Signs

A large collection facility must be screened from the public right-of-way through an enclosed building or opaque 6-foot fence with landscaping. District setbacks and landscape requirements still apply, so project screening should be coordinated with the County’s landscaping and screening requirements. § 84.19.070(c)–(d)

For heavy processing, a district setback under 25 feet triggers a 10-foot landscape buffer along each property line. Storage must stay below the height of required fencing, screening, or landscaping. § 84.19.090(b), (l)

Heavy processing signs must meet Chapter 83.13 and clearly state the operator’s name and phone number and the hours of operation. Small-facility signs are limited by container type and size, including a maximum 4 square feet for an eligible unattended container and up to 16 square feet for other qualifying container or enclosure signs. § 84.19.060(i); § 84.19.090(f)

For project-wide sign rules, see signage. Whether a separate design review process applies is not established by Chapter 84.19; verify with the jurisdiction.

Equipment, Donations, and Special Materials

Small collection facilities cannot use power-driven sorting or consolidation equipment, such as crushers or balers, except reverse vending machines. § 84.19.060(h)

Heavy processing may use power-driven processing if it meets the noise limits. The chapter also identifies light processing activities as baling, briquetting, crushing, compacting, grinding, shredding, sorting source-separated recyclables, and repairing reusable materials. § 84.19.090(e), (j)

After-hours donation containers at a heavy processing facility must be at least 50 feet from residentially planned, zoned, or occupied property, constructed of sturdy rustproof material, sized for collected material, and secured from unauthorized entry or removal. Donation areas must be litter-free, identify accepted material, and display notice that material may not be left outside containers. § 84.19.090(g)–(h)

A heavy processing facility may accept used motor oil from the generator for recycling as allowed by the referenced state provision. § 84.19.090(k)

Modifications and Discretion

The Director, County Fire Chief, Commission, or Board may relax Chapter 84.19 standards or impose stricter ones when reasonably necessary to implement the chapter’s general intent and Development Code purposes. This discretion means meeting a stated minimum is not necessarily the final project condition. § 84.19.030

Checklist

• Confirm that the recycling facility use is allowed on the specific unincorporated-area parcel under Division 2. § 84.19.020
• Classify the proposal as a small collection, large collection, or heavy processing facility based on the applicable standards. § 84.19.060; § 84.19.070; § 84.19.090
• Obtain the Division 2 permit approval and determine whether a Health Permit is required. § 84.19.040
• For a small collection facility, document the compliant host use, 500 sq. ft. maximum, 10-ft street setback, covered containers, and daily cleaning. § 84.19.060(a)–(f)
• For a large collection facility, show the 150-ft residential separation, screening, storage controls, and customer/commercial-vehicle parking. § 84.19.070(b)–(g)
• For heavy processing, show the 150-ft residential separation, enclosure or 6-ft fence, applicable district setbacks, and any required 10-ft landscape strip. § 84.19.090(a)–(b)
• Demonstrate compliance with applicable noise, hours, storage, security, and daily-cleanup standards. § 84.19.050; § 84.19.090(c), (e), (l)–(n)
• Coordinate primary-use compliance with the California Building Standards Code and Uniform Fire Code where the small-facility accessory-use standard applies. § 84.19.060(a)
• Verify whether the approving authority will impose stricter or modified conditions. § 84.19.030

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain-English Summary

In unincorporated San Bernardino County, a recycling operation is not automatically allowed just because it meets Chapter 84.19’s numbers: the parcel must first allow the use, and the facility then must satisfy its small-, large-, or heavy-processing rules. Small collection sites stay under 500 square feet, while large and heavy operations face stronger separation, screening, circulation, cleanup, and operating controls. § 84.19.020; § 84.19.060; § 84.19.070; § 84.19.090

Source References

• San Bernardino County Development Code, § 84.19.010 — purpose.
• San Bernardino County Development Code, § 84.19.020 — applicability.
• San Bernardino County Development Code, § 84.19.030 — modification of standards.
• San Bernardino County Development Code, § 84.19.040 — permit requirements.
• San Bernardino County Development Code, § 84.19.050 — site cleanup.
• San Bernardino County Development Code, § 84.19.060 — small collection facilities.
• San Bernardino County Development Code, § 84.19.070 — large collection facilities.
• San Bernardino County Development Code, § 84.19.090 — heavy processing facilities.