Recycling collection facilities.
El Paso City Code § 20.10.520
in effect20.10.520 - Recycling collection facilities.
A. Small Collection Facilities. Small collection facilities may be located in commercial, manufacturing and industrial zones provided they comply with the following standards:
1. Shall be established as an accessory use to a permitted commercial, manufacturing or industrial use which is in compliance with the zoning, building and fire codes of the city;
2. Shall be no larger than two thousand square feet and occupy no more than ten parking spaces, not including space that will be periodically needed for removal of materials or exchange of containers. For mobile facilities the size of the trailer shall not exceed five hundred square feet;
3. Shall be set at least ten feet from any property line and not obstruct pedestrian or vehicular circulation. However, this setback requirement may be modified by the zoning administrator following a report by the traffic engineer that a reduced setback will not obstruct visibility or create a traffic safety problem;
4. Shall accept those items defined as recyclable materials in Section 9.04.030 of this Code. Used oil may be accepted as permitted by and in accordance with Chapter 15.20, which must be recycled in compliance with state and federal law;
5. Power-driven processing equipment shall be permitted, provided the equipment does not exceed the noise standards contained in Chapter 9.40 of this Code;
6. Shall use containers that are constructed of durable material, covered when site is not attended, secured from unauthorized entry or removal of material, and shall be of a capacity sufficient to accommodate materials collected during collection hours;
7. Shall store all recyclable material in containers or in the mobile unit vehicle, and shall not leave materials outside of containers when attendant is not present;
8. Shall be maintained free of litter and any other undesirable materials, and mobile facilities, at which truck or containers are removed at the end of each collection day, shall be swept at the end of each collection day;
9. Attended facilities located within fifty feet of a property line of an existing residential use or existing R, A, PR, SRR, RMU, PMD or NOS zoning district shall operate only during the hours between nine a.m. and seven p.m.;
10. Containers for the twenty-four-hour donation of materials shall be at least thirty feet from any property line abutting an existing residential use or an existing R, A, PR, SRR, RMU, PMD or NOS zoning district;
11. Containers shall be clearly marked to identify the type of material which may be deposited; the facility shall be clearly marked to identify the name and telephone number of the facility operator and the hours of operation, and display a notice stating that no material shall be left outside the recycling enclosure or containers;
12. Small collection facilities may have identification signs with a maximum of forty percent per side, in addition to informational signs and shall be restricted to on-premises advertising;
13. No additional parking spaces will be required for customers of a small collection facility located at the established parking lot of a primary use. However, one space will be provided for the attendant;
14. Mobile units shall have an area clearly marked to prohibit other vehicular parking during hours when the mobile unit is scheduled to be present;
15. Occupation of parking spaces by the facility and by the attendant may not reduce available parking spaces below the minimum number required for the primary use; and
16. Small collection facilities shall not be located in an area that obstructs the visibility of oncoming traffic exiting from adjacent driveways.
B. Large Collection Facilities. Where permitted in a district, large collection facilities shall comply with the following standards:
1. Facility does not abut a bridge or overpass or the property lines of an existing residential use or an existing R, A, PR, SRR, RMU, PMD or NOS zoning district;
2. Facility will be screened from the public right-of-way by operating in an enclosed building or:
a. Within an area enclosed by a screening fence having a minimum height of six feet,
b. At least one hundred fifty feet from the property line of existing residential use or existing R, A, PR, SRR, RMU or PMD zoning district, and
c. Meets all applicable noise standards required by city code;
3. Setbacks and landscape requirements shall be those provided for the zoning district in which the facility is located, or the setbacks and landscaping imposed by the city at the time of rezoning or special permit approval;
4. All exterior storage of material shall be in study containers or enclosures which are covered, secured and maintained in good condition, or shall be baled or palletized. Oil storage must be in containers complying with state and federal regulations. No storage, excluding truck trailers and overseas containers, will be visible above the height of the fencing;
5. Site shall be maintained free of litter and any other undesirable materials, and will be cleaned of loose debris on a daily basis;
6. Space will be provided on site for six vehicles or the anticipated peak customer load, whichever is higher, to circulate and to deposit recyclable materials, except where the traffic engineer determines that allowing overflow traffic above six vehicles is compatible with surrounding businesses and public safety;
7. One parking space will be provided for each commercial vehicle operated by the large recycling facility. Otherwise, parking requirements will be as provided for in Chapter 20.14 of this Code;
8. Noise levels shall be in conformance with Chapter 9.40 of this Code;
9. If the proposed facility is located within five hundred feet of existing residential use or existing R, A, PR, SRR, RMU, PMD or NOS zoning district, it shall not be in operation between seven p.m. and seven a.m.;
10. Any containers provided for after-hours donation or recyclable materials will be at least fifty feet from any property line of an existing residential use or existing R, A, PR, SRR, RMU, PMD or NOS zoning district, shall be of sturdy, rustproof construction, shall have sufficient capacity to accommodate materials collected, and shall be secure from unauthorized entry or removal of materials;
11. Donation areas will be kept free of litter and any other undesirable material, and the containers will be clearly marked to identify the type of material that may be deposited; facility shall display a notice stating that no material shall be left outside the recycling containers;
12. Facility will be clearly marked with the name and phone number of the facility operator and the hours of operation; identification and informational signs will meet the standards of the zone; and directional signs, bearing no advertising message, may be installed with the approval of the traffic engineer, if necessary, to facilitate traffic circulation or if the facility is not visible from the public right-of-way;
13. Power-driven processing, including aluminum foil and can compacting, baling, plastic shredding, or other light processing activities necessary for efficient temporary storage and shipment may be approved at the discretion of the director of the department of environmental services if noise and other conditions are met; and
14. The owner/operator shall obtain a permit in compliance with all applicable regulations.
(Ord. 16817 §§ 7, 9, 2008; Ord. 16653 § 2 (part), 2007) (Ord. No. 17306, § 4, 4-6-2010)
Source: City of El Paso, City Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/tx/el_paso/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT20ZO_CH20.10SUUSRE_20.10.520RECOFAFetched: 10/28/2026