Restaurant dumpster and trash area checklist and cleaning log

The dumpster is the part of a restaurant the guests don't see and the rats find first. An open lid, a missing drain plug or a pile of bags next to a full bin will undo a lot of work inside the kitchen, and inspectors do walk out back.

This post gives you the Food Code's rules for refuse in one table, a trash run procedure for staff, daily and weekly checklists, a pickup and cleaning log, and the questions to ask your hauler.

General information. Your state or local health department enforces its own edition of the Food Code, and your city or county may have its own rules on dumpster enclosures, recycling and food waste collection. Section numbers and quotes below are from the FDA Food Code 2026.

The rules, in one table

Rule	What the Food Code says	Section
The right receptacles	Receptacles for refuse with food residue are "durable, cleanable, insect- and rodent-resistant, leakproof, and nonabsorbent." Plastic bags may line receptacles inside, or inside closed outside receptacles.	§5-501.13
Lids outside	Outside receptacles with food residue have "tight-fitting lids, doors, or covers."	§5-501.15(A)
A compactor installed right	An on-site compactor is installed so debris and pest harborage are minimized and you can clean around it, and under it if it isn't flush with the pad.	§5-501.15(B)
A proper surface	An outdoor storage surface is "constructed of nonabsorbent material such as concrete or asphalt and shall be SMOOTH, durable, and sloped to drain."	§5-501.11
Enough capacity	Storage areas and receptacles hold the refuse that accumulates, and there's a receptacle wherever refuse is made, including at every hand sink with paper towels.	§5-501.16
Covered restroom bins	"All toilet rooms shall be provided with a covered receptacle."	§5-501.17
Inaccessible to pests	Refuse is stored "so that they are inaccessible to insects and rodents."	§5-501.110
Nothing loose outside	Receptacles that aren't rodent-resistant, unprotected plastic and paper bags, or baled units with food residue "may not be stored outside." Clean cardboard waiting for pickup may be, if it doesn't create a rodent harborage problem.	§5-501.112
Keep it covered	Inside, covered when they contain food residue and aren't in continuous use, or once full; outside, with tight-fitting lids or doors.	§5-501.113
Drain plugs	"Drains in receptacles and waste handling units for REFUSE, recyclables, and returnables shall have drain plugs in place."	§5-501.114
A clean area	The refuse area is kept "free of unnecessary items" and clean.	§5-501.115
Clean the bins	Receptacles are cleaned "at a frequency necessary to prevent them from developing a buildup of soil or becoming attractants for insects and rodents," without contaminating food or equipment, with wastewater disposed of properly.	§5-501.116
Pickup often enough	Refuse is removed "at a frequency that will minimize the development of objectionable odors and other conditions that attract or harbor insects and rodents."	§5-502.11
No pests	The premises are routinely inspected for evidence of pests and harborage conditions are eliminated.	§6-501.111

Under 18: the baler and the compactor

Under federal child labor rules, operating or helping to operate a cardboard baler or a trash compactor is a hazardous occupation for 16- and 17-year-olds, and so is setting up, adjusting, repairing, oiling or cleaning one (29 CFR 570.63(a), Hazardous Occupations Order 12). "Operating" includes "placing materials into or removing materials from a machine, including clearing a machine of jammed materials."

There's one narrow exception: 16- and 17-year-olds may load, but not operate or unload, a scrap paper baler or paper box compactor that meets the listed ANSI standard, has a key-lock switch kept by an adult, stays switched off when not in use, and carries a posted notice, among other conditions in 570.63(c). If you're not sure your machine qualifies, keep everyone under 18 off it. Our state pages on hiring minors cover the rest of the federal list.

The trash run procedure

Post this by the back door.

[Café / restaurant name] — Taking out the trash

Tie the bag before lifting it out. Don't overfill: a bag you can't tie is too full.
Carry it, don't drag it. Use [the cart] for more than [two] bags. Lift with your legs.
Back door: prop it only while you're walking through, and close it behind you. [Door closes on its own; don't block it.]
At the dumpster: bags go inside, never on the ground or on top of a full bin. If it's full, tell [the shift lead]; don't leave bags next to it.
Close the lid. Every time, even if you're coming back in a minute.
Cardboard: break boxes down, keep them clean and dry, and [put them in the recycling bin / bale them (18 and over only)].
Fryer oil: only into the oil container, with the lid closed, following the fryer oil procedure.
Wash your hands when you come back in, before touching food or clean equipment.

Daily checklist

Done at close, by [role].

Check	✓
All inside bins emptied or covered; restroom bins covered
Bags inside the dumpster and recycling, none on the ground
Dumpster and recycling lids closed; doors on the enclosure closed
Area around the bins swept: no food, no loose trash, no spilled liquid
Grease or oil container lid closed, no spills around it
Cardboard broken down and stored [where]
Back door closed and latched
Signs of pests (droppings, gnaw marks, flies): none / written up

Weekly checklist

Check	✓
Inside bins washed, rinsed and sanitized [day]
Drain plugs in place on the dumpster and any wheeled bins
Lids and doors close tight; no holes or broken hinges
Pad under and around the dumpster clean and draining; nothing stored in the enclosure that doesn't belong
Compactor area clean around (and under) the unit
Pickups this week often enough: no overflow, no strong odor
Damage reported to the hauler (date, who you spoke to)

Pickup and cleaning log

[Café / restaurant name] — Refuse pickup and cleaning log

Hauler: [company] · Phone: [number] · Account: [number] · Pickup days: [days]

Date	Pickup done? (trash / recycling / food waste)	Overflow or problem	Bins cleaned (inside / outside)	Reported to hauler (who, when)	Initials

Questions to ask your hauler

How often can you pick up, and what does an extra pickup cost? If the bin is full before pickup day, your schedule doesn't meet §5-502.11.
Who cleans or swaps the dumpster, and how often? The Code asks you to keep it clean; some haulers clean or replace containers, and the Code allows off-premises cleaning services if approved (§5-501.18(B)).
What size and type of container, and does it have drain plugs and lids that close tight?
Separate recycling or food waste collection: does your city require it, and what can go in each?
Who repairs a broken lid or a missing plug, and how fast?

Pests start outside

The refuse area is where pest problems usually start. The Food Code's answer is the same three things: keep refuse inaccessible, keep the area clean, and inspect for signs. If you find droppings, gnaw marks or a burrow near the pad, write it on your pest control log and call your pest control company, and check the food waste log for what's filling the bins.

Your trash area checklist

[ ] Rodent-resistant, leakproof receptacles inside and out, with lids that close
[ ] Drain plugs in, lids closed, nothing on the ground
[ ] Concrete or asphalt pad, clean and draining
[ ] Trash run procedure posted by the back door
[ ] Daily and weekly checklists done and signed
[ ] Pickups often enough to avoid overflow and odor
[ ] Nobody under 18 operates, unloads or clears the baler or compactor

Where Mays fits

The checklists, every day and every week. Build the daily list as a Daily template and the weekly list as a Weekly template on a set day, with a Photo task for Dumpster area, lid closed, nothing on the ground. Assign it to the closing role. See Creating a checklist template and Scheduling and assigning checklists.
Problems, written down. A broken lid, a missed pickup or signs of rodents goes in the Logbook under Maintenance or Health & Safety, with Needs follow-up ticked. See The manager logbook.
Keep under-18s off the baler. With Minors (under 18) on, tick Cardboard baler or trash compactor on the positions that use them (such as dishwasher or porter), and anyone under 18 scheduled there gets a Minor rule warning. See Scheduling minors and Positions and wages.
The answer types. A Multiple Choice task (Pickup: done / missed / overflow) on the daily list gives you the pickup record without a separate sheet. See Task answer types.

What Mays doesn't do: Mays doesn't schedule or track your hauler's pickups, and the Logbook's follow-ups can't be marked done yet (reply on the entry when it's fixed).

Out back counts too

Lids closed, plugs in, nothing on the ground, the area swept every night and the bins washed every week. It's the least glamorous checklist in the building, and the one the rats read most carefully.

Start your free trial: 30 days, every module, no card needed. Or book a walkthrough and we'll set up your closing and weekly checklists with you.