Definitions.
Oklahoma City Municipal Code § 49-21
in effect§ 49-21. - Definitions.
The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this article, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
(1) Ashes includes all ashes of wood, coal and coke and the residue resulting from the combustion of any material or substance, soot, cinders, slag or charcoal.
(2) Business, commercial establishment or institution includes any building or structure or premises not defined as a residence.
(3) Bulky waste includes but is not limited to discarded large and small household appliances, furniture, carpets, mattresses, and similar small and large items produced as refuse, and small non-contracted remodeling wastes from single-unit or multi-unit dwellings.
(4) Cart means City-issued cart for the disposal of municipal solid waste.
(5) Collectible solid waste means all solid waste, including but not limited to garbage, rubbish, yard waste, bulky waste, recyclable materials(s) or trash, except non-collectible solid waste.
(6) Collection route includes the term "refuse route" and means a prescribed line of travel by crews and equipment engaged and used at regular stated intervals in the collection, transportation and delivering of refuse for disposal.
(7) Commercial solid waste means all solid waste, including garbage, rubbish and trash, except yard waste, bulky waste and non-collectible solid waste.
(8) Department means the Utilities Department.
(9) Director means the Director of Utilities Department.
(10) Disabled house-side service cart at a location to be determined by the Superintendent. To be granted this service, the resident must submit an affidavit provided by the Department and must provide proof of disability in accordance with departmental rules and that no other occupant of the residence is capable of taking the cart to the designated pickup point near the street.
(11) Disposal means placement of solid waste inside the landfill.
(12) Division means the Solid Waste Management Division of the Utilities Department.
(13) Garbage means all putrescible wastes from any place where meats, fish, fowls, fruits, or vegetables are prepared for food for immediate consumption and shall include all household waste containing organic matter that has been prepared for or was intended to be used as food or has resulted from the preparation of food.
(14) Hazardous waste means materials or substances, which by reason of their composition or characteristics are:
a. hazardous waste as defined in the Solid Waste Disposal Act, 42 USC 6901 et seq., or the regulations there under, or the Oklahoma Controlled Industrial Disposal Act, 63 O.S. § 1-2001 et seq., or the regulations there under, and any similar or substituted legislation or regulations or amendments to the foregoing;
b. any other materials, which any governmental agency or unit having appropriate jurisdiction shall determine from time to time are harmful, toxic or dangerous.
(15) Household hazardous waste means wastes produced at residential premises as defined by the Federal Solid Waste Disposal Act (42 U.S.C. § 3251 et seq.), as amended, or the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (42 U.S.C. §§ 6901 et seq.) and all future amendments thereto, or regulations promulgated there under.
(16) Municipal solid waste means all collectible solid waste within the City.
(17) Multifamily dwelling units mean apartments, condominiums, rooming houses, and boardinghouses.
(18) Non-collectible waste includes: pathological and hospital waste; poisons, acids, caustics, explosives, body wastes, automobile frames, crankcases, transmissions, tires, and materials that may cause damage to collection equipment or personal injury to collectors; dirt, rocks, or debris resulting from construction, reconstruction or repairs of premises; animal excreta or any article or substance soiled by human or animal excreta that has not been wrapped and tightly sealed in moisture-proof paper or plastic prior to placement for collection; refuse which has been combined or mixed with any of the above-mentioned items; sewage; liquid waste and other highly diluted water-carried materials or substances; waste materials and substances in gaseous form; special nuclear material or byproducts materials, as defined in the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended; household hazardous waste, hazardous waste, and untreated biomedical waste.
(19) Occupant of premises means the individual and/or business who inhabits any premises within the City.
(20) Owner means the owner of record as shown by the most current tax rolls of the county treasurer.
(21) Pickup point means any premises regularly serviced by the division and any location on the premises designated by the Superintendent for placement of collectible solid waste.
(22) Premises means the lot, plot, or parcel of land, buildings, or other structures or parts thereof upon or in which refuse is stored or accumulated plus the front or side parkway between the property line or sidewalk and curb or traveled way, and the rear or side parkway between the property line and the center line of an adjacent alley.
(23) Putrescible waste means solid wastes which are capable of becoming decomposed by microorganisms with sufficient rapidity as to cause nuisances from odors or gases and capable of providing food for or attracting, birds and disease-carrying vectors.
(24) Recyclable material(s) as designated by the Superintendent shall include but not be limited to:
a. old newspaper—Newspapers containing less than five percent other than news (i.e., color printed slick advertisements and magazine sections).
b. used beverage cans (non ferrous)—All aluminum beverage containers.
c. glass containers—Food and beverage glass in various colors (i.e., flint, or clear, green and amber) which have been rinsed and are reasonably clean.
d. plastic drink containers—Clear high density polyethylene (HDPE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
e. steel (bi-metal ferrous) food and beverage containers covered with tin or other alloys.
(25) Refuse means all putrescible and nonputrescible solid wastes including garbage, rubbish, and trash.
(26) Rental agent means the agent, contractor, or employee in charge of the management and/or maintenance of any premises.
(27) Residence means any building or structure used solely as a family domicile including single-family dwelling units, duplexes, triplexes, and trailer homes but shall not include hotels, tourist courts, motels, motor courts, motor hotels, apartment hotels or dwellings with more than three units, including but not limited to apartment complexes and trailer courts.
(28) Rubbish means a normal accumulation by resident families or commercial establishments of worthless or offensive matter, the accumulation of which may create a nuisance or be deleterious to public health or offensive to sight or smell.
(29) Rural collection residence means those residences designated by the Superintendent that are within the City but are not an urban collection residence.
(30) Superintendent shall mean the Superintendent of the division who is designated as the administrative officer empowered to carry out the duties of the City Council under Section 49-32 of this article.
(31) Trash means any refuse, litter, ashes, leaves, debris, paper, combustible materials, rubbish, offal, or waste, or matter of any kind or form, which is uncared for, discarded, or abandoned.
(32) Undue accumulation means the accumulation of garbage, rubbish, or trash in amounts exceeding the capacity of the waste receptacle at the pickup point or at the point of disposal.
(33) Urban collection residence shall mean those residences that are within the City.
(34) Yard waste shall include but not be limited to all tree trimmings, grass cuttings, dead plants, weeds, leaves, branches and dead trees (not more than six inches in diameter) and similar materials produced at residential premises in the City.
(Code 1970, § 30-1; Ord. No. 16732, 1, 6-29-82; Code 1980, § 49-21; Ord. No. 18325, 1, 11-26-85; Ord. No. 21055, § 1, 5-26-98; Ord. No. 22533, §§ 1, 2, 8-31-04; Ord. No. 23451, § 9, 9-25-07; Ord. No. 26729, § 1, 4-13-21)
Source: City of Oklahoma City, Municipal Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/ok/oklahoma_city/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=OKMUCO2020_CH49SOWA_ARTIIMUCOSE_DIV1GE_S49-21DEFetched: 10/28/2026