Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Laguna Beach
Collections in California municipal routes run weekly (Mon-Fri). Your specific collection day is determined by your local neighborhood route.
State Mandate
Follow SB 1383 guidelines for food waste.
Utility Billing & Payments
Manage your local solid waste services
Solid waste, recycling, and organics services are contracted through CR&R Environmental Services and are billed quarterly in February, May, August, and November.
Billing Cycle
Quarterly
Accepted Methods
Online, Auto-Pay, Phone, Mail
Pro Tip / Discount
Free valet cart pull-out service is available for residents with qualifying physical disabilities upon application. No specific income or senior discounts listed.
Black or Grey Bin (Trash)
Place out by 7:00 a.m. on collection day. Carts must be stored completely out of public view on non-collection days.
Accepted Items
- ✓Pet waste
- ✓Diapers
- ✓Palm fronds
- ✓Synthetic materials
- ✓Treated wood
- ✓Non-recyclable plastics
Blue Bin (Recycling)
Flatten all cardboard boxes to maximize space. Do not bag recyclables; place them loose in the cart.
Accepted Items
- ✓Plastic bottles and containers (1-7)
- ✓Glass jars and bottles
- ✓Aluminum and tin cans
- ✓Clean flattened cardboard
- ✓Mixed paper and junk mail
Do NOT Include
- ✕Food waste
- ✕Liquids
- ✕Plastic bags
- ✕Hazardous materials
- ✕Tanglers (cords, hoses, wires)
Yard Waste Bin
Do not use plastic bags. If you need to line your kitchen pail to eliminate odors, use only a paper bag or a BPI-certified compostable bag.
Accepted Items
- ✓Yard trimmings and leaves
- ✓Fruits and vegetables
- ✓Meat, fish, and bones
- ✓Bread and dairy
- ✓Food-soiled paper napkins and towels
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
As scheduled with CR&R
Placement
Place scheduled bulky items at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on the designated collection day.
Accepted
- ✓ Furniture
- ✓ Mattresses
- ✓ Desks
- ✓ Chairs
- ✓ Large appliances (non-hazardous)
Not Accepted
- ✕ Hazardous waste
- ✕ Liquid paint
- ✕ Chemicals
- ✕ Construction and demolition debris
- ✕ Automotive parts
Contact CR&R to confirm your eligibility for complimentary pickups included in your residential tier; exceeding your limit or disposing of specialized items may incur an additional fee.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
If a recognized holiday falls on a weekday, trash and recycling collection will be delayed by one day for the remainder of that week.
Yard Waste Exception
Organics collection follows the exact same holiday delay schedule as trash and recycling.
If the holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, there are no delays to your regularly scheduled service. Street sweeping is also canceled on these major holidays.
Observed Holidays
Seasonal Information
Winter Holidays
Late December to mid-JanuaryCR&R collects holiday greenery, including Christmas trees, for a three-week period between December 26th and January 15th. Place bare, un-flocked trees next to or inside your organics cart on your regular collection day.
Storm Season
November to MarchDuring heavy rains, many coastal residents utilize sandbags. After the storms pass, do not place full sandbags in the trash. Empty the sand for reuse (or take it to the landfill for a nominal fee), and then place the empty bag into your landfill cart.
Local Tips & Community Info
Coastal Sanitation Operations with Waste Management
Maintaining the pristine beauty of Laguna Beach's coastline and canyon neighborhoods requires dedicated civic coordination. The city contracts exclusively with Waste Management (WM) to execute residential refuse, recycling, and organics hauling. By utilizing a standardized three-cart system, the community actively minimizes landfill usage and protects the nearby marine protected areas from urban runoff and windblown litter. All standard single-family dwellings are automatically enrolled in these weekly hauling services as part of their local utility framework.
Strict Roll-Out and Retrieval Windows
Because Laguna Beach features narrow, winding streets and scenic coastal views, strict ordinances dictate container placement. Residents must wheel their carts to the curb edge by 7:00 a.m. on their assigned pickup morning. To ensure the trucks' automated lifting arms function properly, bins should be spaced at least two feet apart and kept clear of parked vehicles. Crucially, municipal codes require that all empty receptacles be removed from the public right-of-way and stored out of sight by 8:00 p.m. on the day of collection.
Diverting Organics from the Landfill
In full compliance with California's SB 1383 mandate, Laguna Beach enforces mandatory organic waste recycling. Homeowners must use their designated green cart for all yard clippings, foliage, and food scraps, encompassing everything from vegetable peels and coffee grounds to dairy and meat bones. Keeping these organics out of the standard trash bin drastically lowers greenhouse gas emissions. Residents are advised to avoid contaminating the green bin with plastic bags, treated wood, or pet waste, which can spoil an entire compost batch.
Scheduling Complimentary Bulky Hauls
Laguna Beach property owners don't have to worry about hauling large, cumbersome items to a county landfill. Waste Management provides residential customers with up to three free bulky item collections annually, with a limit of three items per scheduled visit. This is the perfect solution for discarding old furniture, mattresses, or broken household appliances. Pickups must be arranged in advance by contacting WM's customer service center, and items should only be placed curbside on the confirmed collection date.
Safe Disposal of Hazardous Toxins
Protecting the local watershed means keeping dangerous chemicals out of the curbside carts. Items such as leftover paint, motor oil, pesticides, and lithium-ion batteries pose severe fire and environmental risks. Laguna Beach residents are barred from throwing these items in standard bins. Instead, Orange County provides multiple Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Collection Centers, with the closest facilities located in nearby Irvine and San Juan Capistrano, where locals can safely drop off toxic materials and electronic waste at no charge.
How Holidays Impact Your Service
Throughout the year, Waste Management halts operations for six widely recognized holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day. If any of these dates fall on a standard weekday, all remaining collections for that week will be delayed by exactly 24 hours, extending service into Saturday. When a holiday takes place on a weekend, your standard weekday routine will proceed without any scheduling shifts.
Drop-off Facilities
San Juan Capistrano Collection Center (Prima Deshecha Landfill)
32250 Avenida La Pata, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
Materials Accepted
Laguna Beach City Hall
505 Forest Ave, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Materials Accepted
Community and Susi Q. Center
380 Third Street, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the official trash collector for Laguna Beach?
Waste Management (WM) serves as the exclusive franchised waste hauler for residential and commercial refuse collection within the City of Laguna Beach.
When must my trash cans be put away?
To preserve neighborhood aesthetics and clear the narrow streets, municipal regulations require all carts to be removed from the curb and stored out of public view by 8:00 p.m. on your collection day.
How do I get rid of an old mattress or couch?
Residents can take advantage of up to three free bulky item collections per year by calling Waste Management in advance to schedule a special curbside pickup.