Salt Lake City and South Salt Lake apartment owners, asset managers, and on-site teams: avoid confusing code requirements and costly civil citations while giving residents the modern valet trash & recycling amenity they expect. National Doorstep’s valet trash & recycling program is engineered to align with Salt Lake City Code, Chapter 9.08 (Refuse, Recycling, and Green Waste) and the City’s Business & Multi-Family Recycling Ordinance for larger generators, helping you stay out of the citation pipeline while boosting NOI.
Within the City of Salt Lake City, multifamily communities and other “generators” that produce an average of 4 or more cubic yards of solid waste per week must provide residents with on-site recycling service through an authorized recycling hauler, keep recycling containers at least as convenient as trash containers, post clear signage, and maintain an inspector-ready recycling plan under Salt Lake City Code §9.08.200 (Business and Multi-Family Recycling). In South Salt Lake, other Salt Lake County cities, and unincorporated areas, there is currently no county-wide apartment recycling mandate, but properties are still exposed to health, solid-waste, and nuisance violations when enclosures overflow or residents lack clean, convenient disposal options.
- Protect NOI & Asset Value: Reduce risk of repeated civil citations and service disruptions by aligning your program with Salt Lake City’s Business & Multi-Family Recycling Ordinance.
- Resident-First Convenience: Doorstep service that keeps residents out of dark, icy enclosures, reduces trips to dumpsters, and supports renewals and online reputation.
- Code-Smart Design: Container layouts, labels, and service frequencies designed around §9.08.200 access, signage, and diversion expectations.
- Hands-Off Compliance: We handle hauler coordination, resident education, and documentation so your property manager can focus on leasing and operations.
At a Glance: City of Salt Lake City vs. South Salt Lake & Salt Lake County
Salt Lake City (Inside City Limits)
- Mandate Type: Mandatory recycling service for business and multifamily generators over a set waste threshold.
- Applicability Threshold: Applies to multifamily properties and other generators that produce an average of 4+ cubic yards of solid waste or recyclables per week under Chapter 9.08, §9.08.200 (often equivalent to roughly 15+ apartment units).
- Owner / Property Manager Duties: Subscribe to recycling service through an authorized recycling hauler or approved self-haul arrangement; make recycling containers at least as convenient as trash containers for residents; and ensure materials are delivered to a facility that actually recycles at least 50% of collected recyclables.
- Program Duties: Maintain an on-site written recycling plan and service agreements; post clear signage; provide resident and staff education at move-in and at least annually; and keep containers covered, labeled, and in compliance with city container standards.
- Key City Links: Business & Multi-Family Recycling – Salt Lake City · Salt Lake City – Official Site
South Salt Lake, Salt Lake County & Other Cities
- Mandate Type: No county-wide apartment recycling mandate. South Salt Lake and most Salt Lake County cities provide or franchise residential garbage and recycling, but apartments are typically treated as commercial solid-waste customers.
- Applicability Threshold: Salt Lake County health and solid-waste regulations apply broadly to haulers and facilities, but there is no county ordinance that requires multifamily properties to provide on-site recycling to residents in the same way Salt Lake City does.
- Program Duties: Maintain adequate trash service; prevent overflow, illegal dumping, and nuisance conditions; and rely on private haulers or voluntary recycling programs to provide residents with recycling access in South Salt Lake, West Valley City, Murray, Sandy, West Jordan, Draper, and other nearby jurisdictions.
- Risk Profile: Even without a formal apartment recycling mandate, properties can still be cited for unsanitary conditions, overflowing containers, scattered refuse, and improperly managed waste by local code enforcement and the Salt Lake County Health Department.
- How National Doorstep Helps: We design valet trash & recycling programs that meet or exceed local expectations and anticipate future ordinance changes, so your communities are “inspection ready” across the Salt Lake valley.
Salt Lake City, South Salt Lake & Apartment Recycling Mandates
Only Salt Lake City currently has a codified business & multifamily recycling ordinance with a defined waste-generation threshold and formal enforcement framework. South Salt Lake, Salt Lake County, and other valley cities operate under general solid-waste, health, and property maintenance rules without a dedicated apartment recycling mandate, but they still expect clean, well-managed enclosures and compliant waste handling.
| City / Area | Apartment Recycling Mandate? | Notes for Owners & Property Managers |
|---|---|---|
| Salt Lake City | Yes – Business & multifamily recycling ordinance |
Multifamily properties and other generators that produce an average of 4+ cubic yards of solid waste per week must provide on-site recycling service through an authorized recycling hauler, keep recycling containers as convenient as trash, post signage, and maintain a written recycling plan. Non-compliance can trigger civil citations issued for each day of continuing violation, fines set by the City’s civil enforcement schedule, and even removal or suspension of city collection service for chronic violations. Key local links: SLC Business & Multi-Family Recycling |
| South Salt Lake | No dedicated apartment recycling mandate |
South Salt Lake provides residential garbage and recycling service and promotes curbside and drop-off recycling options, but there is no standalone ordinance that functions like Salt Lake City’s Business & Multi-Family Recycling Ordinance with a cubic-yard threshold. Apartment properties are expected to maintain clean, well-managed trash and recycling areas, typically via solid-waste contracts with haulers. Key local links: South Salt Lake – Official Site |
| Salt Lake County & Regional Solid-Waste System | No county-wide apartment recycling mandate |
Salt Lake County and the Salt Lake County Health Department regulate solid-waste haulers, disposal, and facilities and, together with Salt Lake City, operate the Salt Lake Valley Solid Waste Management Facility through an interlocal agreement. These rules control how waste is collected and disposed of, but they do not directly require individual apartment communities to provide on-site recycling to residents. Properties can still face enforcement if they create health or nuisance conditions. Key local links: Salt Lake County – Official Site · Salt Lake County Health Department |
| Other Salt Lake County Cities (West Valley, Sandy, Murray, West Jordan, Midvale, Draper, Taylorsville) | No dedicated apartment recycling mandate (current public codes) |
Many neighboring cities offer or franchise solid-waste and residential recycling, but current publicly available codes do not show a Salt Lake City–style multifamily recycling ordinance with explicit thresholds and fines. Multifamily properties are treated as commercial customers that can add recycling service by contract. A structured valet trash & recycling program helps prevent complaints, contamination, and future enforcement risk while positioning communities ahead of potential policy changes. Key local links: West Valley City · Sandy City · Murray City |
Salt Lake City Fines & Penalties Snapshot
- Civil Citations Under Chapter 9.08: Under Salt Lake City Code, Chapter 9.08, violations of refuse, recycling, and green waste requirements (including the Business & Multi-Family Recycling Ordinance) are treated as civil violations enforced through the City’s civil enforcement process rather than criminal misdemeanors.
- Each Day = Separate Offense: If a multifamily site that generates 4+ cubic yards per week fails to provide required recycling service, does not maintain required access, signage, or a written recycling plan, each day the condition persists may be cited as a separate offense with its own civil fine.
- Fine Levels Set by Schedule: Exact dollar amounts are set in Salt Lake City’s consolidated fee and civil enforcement schedules, but in practice solid-waste violations often carry fines in the low- to mid-hundreds of dollars per citation, which can add up quickly when issues are not corrected.
- Property Manager & Hauler Exposure: Both the property owner/property manager and haulers can be drawn into enforcement if they ignore city recycling requirements, fail to use authorized haulers, or allow chronic contamination and overflow.
- Service Disruption Risk: For serious or ongoing violations, the City can suspend or remove city collection service from a site and charge container removal or reinstatement fees, creating operational headaches and resident dissatisfaction.
- Risk Management Tip: Build a paper trail: keep signed hauler agreements, service logs, resident education pieces, contamination photos, and your written recycling plan. This documentation shows good-faith compliance if a notice of violation or citation is issued.
Salt Lake City & Salt Lake County Multifamily Recycling Compliance Checklist
| Task | Action / Requirement | Helpful Links |
|---|---|---|
| ☑ Confirm Jurisdiction & Waste Volume | Verify that your community is inside Salt Lake City or another Salt Lake County city, and determine your average weekly solid-waste generation. If you are in Salt Lake City and generate around 4+ cubic yards per week (roughly 8+ 96-gallon carts, common for ~15+ units), the Business & Multi-Family Recycling Ordinance applies to your property. | SLC Business & Multi-Family Recycling · Salt Lake City |
| ☑ Engage an Authorized Recycling Hauler | In Salt Lake City, confirm that your current vendor is an authorized recycling hauler or enroll in a compliant city-recognized program. If you only have trash service, you are at risk: add recycling service and right-size container counts and pickups to match resident volume. | SLC Waste & Recycling |
| ☑ Design Compliant Container Layout & Access | Ensure your recycling containers are at least as convenient as trash for residents: co-locate containers in enclosures, garages, or valet pickup zones; follow city container standards; and keep areas clean, lit, and accessible to collection vehicles and residents. | Internal site plans and enclosure layouts; city container guidance where available. |
| ☑ Create & Maintain a Written Recycling Plan | Prepare a written Multifamily Recycling Plan that documents haulers, collection frequency, container sizes and locations, materials accepted, and how you communicate the program to residents and staff. Keep a signed copy on-site and update it whenever service changes. | Store a copy with your operations manual, vendor contracts, and compliance files. |
| ☑ Resident Education & Signage | Provide recurring resident education at move-in and throughout the year: what can be recycled, how to bag or prepare materials, and when/where to place items for valet collection. Use signage at enclosures, corridors, elevators, and digital channels so every resident knows how to use the program. | National Doorstep can provide co-branded move-in inserts, posters, and digital templates. |
| ☑ Document Service & Inspections | Keep a file with service logs, contamination notices, photos of container areas, vendor contracts, and inspection notes. This helps you quickly respond to complaints, demonstrate diligence to inspectors, and justify operational decisions to owners and lenders. | Store alongside your capital plan, risk management, and environmental/sustainability documentation. |
Want a Salt Lake City–ready program across all your Salt Lake County properties? Request a Free Compliance Audit for your Salt Lake–area property. We’ll review your current setup, right-size containers and service, design a resident-friendly valet trash & recycling program, and prepare the inspector-ready documentation you need to show alignment with Salt Lake City’s Business & Multi-Family Recycling Ordinance and regional best practices.
Interested in talking about how we can work together? Here's our contact info.
