Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Laguna Hills
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.
Black Bin (Trash)
Landfill trash should be securely bagged before being placed inside the cart. Cart lids must be completely closed to prevent wind scattering and keep out local pests.
Accepted Items
- ✓Single-use plastic bags, grocery bags, and film wrap
- ✓Styrofoam packaging blocks, plates, and cups
- ✓Disposable baby diapers and sanitary wipes
- ✓Mylar chip bags, snack wraps, and candy packaging
- ✓Palm fronds, palm branches, and bamboo stalks
- ✓Bagged pet waste and kitty litter
Blue (Transitioned from Brown) Bin (Recycling)
Do not bag your recyclables; all items must be clean, empty, dry, and placed loosely inside the blue recycling container.
Accepted Items
- ✓Flattened cardboard and clean paperboard boxes
- ✓Clean office paper, junk mail, newspapers, and catalogs
- ✓Glass bottles and jars (emptied and rinsed)
- ✓Aluminum beverage cans and clean foil baking trays
- ✓Steel, tin, and bi-metal food cans
- ✓Rigid plastics larger than a credit card (bottles, jugs, tubs)
Do NOT Include
- ✕Loose plastic shopping bags, bubble wrap, or film wrap
- ✕Styrofoam blocks or food packaging
- ✕Garden hoses, electrical cords, or wire hangers (tanglers)
- ✕Food scrap leftovers, cooking grease, or liquid container residue
- ✕Household electronics and universal batteries
Yard Waste Bin
Place organic materials loosely in the green cart. Keep out plastic bags, soil, sod, rock, concrete, treated wood, pet waste, and palm fronds.
Accepted Items
- ✓Kitchen food scraps (raw/cooked meat, bones, cheese, fruits, vegetables)
- ✓Grass clippings, tree leaves, weeds, and garden flowers
- ✓Brush prunings, hedge trimmings, and small branches
- ✓Stable bedding and horse manure (for permitted zones)
- ✓Eggshells and coffee grounds
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
3 free curbside pickups per calendar year (Up to 10 items per pickup)
Placement
Items must be placed curbside by 6:30 AM on your scheduled pickup day. Bulky goods must be manageable by a standard two-person crew.
Accepted
- ✓ Oversized furniture (sofas, desks, chairs, tables, mattresses)
- ✓ Major home appliances (washing machines, dryers, stoves, ovens)
- ✓ Refrigerators, freezers, and air conditioners (Freon units)
- ✓ Electronic waste (televisions, computer monitors, computers, printers)
- ✓ Bundled cardboard or excessive bagged green waste
Not Accepted
- ✕ Extremely heavy items (materials requiring a crane or forklift)
- ✕ Commercial construction and demolition debris
- ✕ Household hazardous waste (liquid chemicals, gasoline, motor oil)
- ✕ Automotive tires
The three annual curbside pickups are free. Extra collections or commercial bulky items can be scheduled with CR&R's Laguna Hills Customer Service for an additional fee.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
CR&R observes six major holidays annually. If your scheduled collection day falls on or follows an observed holiday, your collection service will be delayed by exactly one day for the remainder of that holiday week.
Yard Waste Exception
Organic waste, recycling, and regular waste schedules are shifted uniformly during holiday weeks.
If an observed holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, collections proceed as scheduled on normal weekdays with zero delay.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Loose Recyclables Only in the Blue Cart
Never bundle your cardboard or place plastic grocery bags inside your blue container. The sorting facilities process materials loosely; bagged items cannot be scanned mechanically and are diverted directly to the landfill.
Keep Pet Waste Out of Your Green Organics Cart
While pet waste and cat litter are accepted in the black trash cart, they are strictly banned from the green organics cart. Animal feces contain pathogens that contaminate agricultural-grade compost, making it unsafe for local farms.
Palm Fronds belong in the Black Bin
Keep fibrous palm fronds and palm branches entirely out of your green cart. Their highly stringy structure does not decompose in standard commercial composting loops and can damage municipal grinding equipment.
Seasonal Information
Autumn Leaf Management
October - DecemberWith heavy late-autumn leaf drop, residents are encouraged to place excess leaves in their green organics cart. Do not blow or pile leaves in street gutters, as loose garden debris clogs municipal storm sewer grates and causes street flooding.
Holiday Christmas Tree Recycling
December - JanuaryNatural Christmas tree collection runs for three consecutive weeks starting December 26th. Remove all ornaments, lights, stands, and tinsel. Place trees over 6 feet tall cut in half next to your carts. Flocked trees are not compostable and must go with regular trash.
About Laguna Hills Waste Management
Laguna Hills' Progressive Curbside Environmental Partnership
In the scenic South Orange County community of Laguna Hills, municipal solid waste, curbside recycling, and organic programs are operated through a long-term franchise agreement with CR&R Environmental Services. Managed in close alignment with regional environmental codes and California's resource recovery laws, this comprehensive weekly service helps preserve local natural canyon pathways and protect nearby watersheds.
Mandatory Residential Organics and State SB 1383 Rules
To fulfill California’s Senate Bill 1383 organic waste diversion mandates, Laguna Hills residents must separate kitchen food leftovers and garden trimmings from regular trash. These items go into the green organics container to be sent to high-capacity composting facilities, where they are transformed into premium compost rather than rotting in landfills and releasing greenhouse gases.
The Direct Multi-Bin Curbside System
To keep the community neat, residents use specialized automated carts with attached lids and wheels. Standard residential waste service includes a black container for regular landfill trash, a blue container (transitioned from brown) for mixed dry recyclables, and a green container for yard waste and food scraps. Pull-out service is provided at no extra charge to qualifying disabled residents.
Annual Household Hazardous Waste and Free Compost Benefits
To reward residents for sorting organics, CR&R sponsors two free compost giveaway events and an annual 'how-to' home composting workshop. Additionally, the city hosts a free annual household hazardous waste (HHW) drop-off event, providing residents with a localized way to drop off toxic items like cleaners, auto fluids, and paints without driving to permanent county depots.
Drop-off Facilities
Irvine Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center
6411 Oak Canyon, Irvine, CA 92618
Materials Accepted
San Juan Capistrano HHW Collection Center
32250 Avenida La Pata, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I schedule a free bulky waste pickup in Laguna Hills?
Laguna Hills residents are entitled to schedule three free curbside bulky item pickups per calendar year. Each collection can include up to 10 items. You can arrange a pickup by using the online scheduling tool at crrwasteservices.com or by calling CR&R Laguna Hills Customer Service at 949-849-5771.
How do I get a kitchen food scrap recycling pail in Laguna Hills?
To support residential compliance under California's organics recycling mandate (SB 1383), kitchen food scrap pails are made available to residents. You can pick up a free countertop pail or get more information by contacting the Laguna Hills Resident Service Line at 949-849-5771 or emailing [email protected].
Where can I drop off toxic chemicals, paint, and electronic waste?
Laguna Hills residents can dispose of household hazardous wastes (HHW) and electronic waste for free at permanent Orange County HHW collection centers. The closest permanent facility is the Irvine Collection Center located at 6411 Oak Canyon, Irvine.
Does Laguna Hills have a curbside battery recycling program?
No, you cannot place household batteries in your curbside bins. Instead, batteries must be brought to an Orange County Household Hazardous Waste Center or to the city's annual free municipal drop-off event organized by CR&R.