Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Lake Elsinore
Trash Day
Varies by neighborhood zone
Recycling
Same day as trash pickup (weekly)
Yard Waste
Same day as trash pickup (weekly)
Set Out Time
By 6:00 AM on collection day
Utility Billing & Payments
Manage your local solid waste services
Residential waste and recycling services in Lake Elsinore are provided by CR&R Environmental Services and billed separately from local water utilities.
Billing Cycle
Monthly
Accepted Methods
Online, Auto-Pay, Phone, Mail
Pro Tip / Discount
A 10% senior discount is available for single-family residential customers aged 65 and older who are primary account holders.
Black Bin (Trash)
Use the black container for all non-recyclable, non-hazardous, and non-compostable household refuse. Ensure the lid closes completely and place it at the curb by 6:00 a.m.
Accepted Items
- ✓Diapers and sanitary products
- ✓Pet waste
- ✓Treated or painted wood
- ✓Chip bags and snack wrappers
- ✓Styrofoam packing peanuts
- ✓Broken ceramics
Grey Bin (Recycling)
Keep recyclables loose inside the grey container; never place them in plastic grocery bags. Cardboard boxes must be broken down to save space.
Accepted Items
- ✓Glass bottles and jars
- ✓Plastic bottles and jugs
- ✓Metal cans (aluminum and tin)
- ✓Clean paper and junk mail
- ✓Corrugated cardboard
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic bags
- ✕Food waste
- ✕Electronic waste
- ✕Tanglers (hoses, wires)
- ✕Polystyrene foam
Yard Waste Bin
Mix your food scraps directly with your yard waste in the green cart. Never use standard plastic bags for your organic materials.
Accepted Items
- ✓Kitchen food scraps (meat, dairy, bread, veggies)
- ✓Food-soiled paper
- ✓Grass clippings and weeds
- ✓Leaves and prunings
- ✓Small tree branches
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Two (2) free bulky item pick-ups per calendar year.
Placement
You must schedule your pickup in advance via CR&R. Place the approved bulky items at the curb by 6:00 a.m. on your regular waste collection day.
Accepted
- ✓ Washers and dryers
- ✓ Sofas and chairs
- ✓ Mattresses
- ✓ Desks and tables
- ✓ Patio furniture
Not Accepted
- ✕ Household Hazardous Waste
- ✕ Construction materials
- ✕ Car parts or tires
- ✕ Items that cannot be handled by a two-person crew
The two pickups (up to 4 items total annually) are free. Additional bulky item pick-ups can be provided for a nominal charge.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
If a recognized holiday falls during the week (Monday-Friday), CR&R service is postponed by one day for the remainder of the week.
Yard Waste Exception
The one-day delay applies to all collection services, including organics and recycling.
If the holiday falls on a weekend, your regular collection schedule remains unaffected. For example, if Independence Day is on a Monday and your normal collection day is Thursday, you will be serviced on Friday.
Observed Holidays
Seasonal Information
Summer
June - SeptemberDue to extreme summer heat in the Lake Elsinore valley, the local Household Hazardous Waste drop-off facility shifts its operating hours to earlier in the day, running from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on the first Saturday of the month.
Autumn/Winter
October - DecemberHigh winds sweeping across Lake Elsinore can blow loose trash down the streets and into the lake. Always ensure your cart lids are tightly closed, and consider waiting until the morning of your collection to put your bins out on windy nights.
Winter
December - JanuaryFollowing the holidays, CR&R offers curbside Christmas tree recycling. Remove all decorations, lights, tinsel, and stands. Flocked trees are typically not recyclable and may need to go in the trash. The Lake Elsinore HHW facility is completely closed during the month of January.
Local Tips & Community Info
CR&R Environmental Services Curbside Operations
Refuse collection operations in Lake Elsinore are entrusted to CR&R Environmental Services, which provides standard residential neighborhoods with automated three-cart pickup. Homeowners need to have their black, blue, and green containers parked at the curb by 6:00 a.m. on their assigned collection day. To prevent property damage and allow the trucks to operate efficiently, ensure there is at least three feet of clearance around each bin. Keep them away from mailboxes, low-hanging branches, and parked cars. After the CR&R trucks finish their routes, city ordinances require that you pull your empty bins out of the street and store them out of public view by the evening.
Sorting Your Blue Recycling Container
Keeping contamination out of the local recycling stream is a major priority. The blue cart is meant exclusively for dry and loose recyclable goods. You can safely deposit aluminum cans, glass bottles, clean paper, and flattened cardboard boxes into this bin. It is incredibly important that you do not place recyclables inside plastic grocery bags, as the flexible film wreaks havoc on the sorting machines at the regional processing plant. Furthermore, sticky food residue can ruin an entire load of clean paper, so be sure to quickly rinse out all plastic and glass containers before tossing them.
Food Scraps and the Green Organics Cart
In strict accordance with California's state-mandated organics recycling laws, Lake Elsinore residents must rethink how they dispose of food waste. Your green cart is no longer just for yard trimmings like grass clippings and tree branches. Every household must now utilize this bin for all kitchen organics, which includes meat, bones, vegetable peels, dairy products, and soiled paper napkins. By keeping these materials out of the black landfill cart, the community actively reduces methane emissions. Many residents find that using a countertop compost caddy helps make transferring daily kitchen scraps to the outdoor green bin much more convenient.
Oversized Item Pickups for Residents
When a major home cleanout leaves you with items too large for the standard carts, you do not have to haul them to the dump yourself. Eligible Lake Elsinore households receive up to two free bulky item collections per calendar year through CR&R. This service is ideal for discarding old mattresses, broken couches, or large appliances. To take advantage of this benefit, you must call the CR&R customer service hotline well in advance to reserve a slot on the pickup route. Items abandoned on the sidewalk without a confirmed appointment violate local illegal dumping laws and will not be collected.
Managing Household Hazardous Waste safely
Certain toxic materials used around the house can cause fires in collection trucks or poison local groundwater if handled improperly. Everyday hazards such as wet paint, heavy-duty solvents, used motor oil, fertilizers, and lithium-ion batteries are strictly banned from all residential bins. Instead of tossing them on the curb, Lake Elsinore residents must transport these toxic substances to designated Riverside County Household Hazardous Waste collection events or permanent drop-off facilities. Utilizing these secure sites guarantees that dangerous chemicals are neutralized or recycled in a secure, environmentally responsible manner.
Holiday Route Interruptions
While waste collection is generally uninterrupted throughout the year, CR&R does observe a handful of major federal holidays that will slightly shift your service. New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas all cause a one-day delay. If your regular trash day falls on or after one of these dates during the week, expect the trucks to arrive a day later than usual, with Friday neighborhoods being serviced on Saturday. Normal scheduling automatically resumes the following Monday.
Drop-off Facilities
Lake Elsinore Permanent HHW Facility (Public Works Yard)
512 N Langstaff St, Lake Elsinore, CA 92530
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I schedule a bulk pickup for an old mattress in Lake Elsinore?
Lake Elsinore residential customers get two free bulky item pick-ups (up to two items each) per calendar year. You must contact CR&R Environmental Services at (951) 943-1991 or use their Online Scheduling Service to arrange the pick-up on your regular collection day.
What happens to the food scraps I put in my green cart?
Unlike traditional composting programs, organic materials collected from your green cart in Lake Elsinore are transported to CR&R's Anaerobic Digester (AD) Facility in Perris, CA. There, the mixture of food and yard waste is converted into a rich soil amendment and Renewable Natural Gas.
Where can I safely dispose of old paint and batteries?
Household hazardous waste cannot go in your curbside bins. You can take these items to the Lake Elsinore Permanent HHW Facility located at 512 North Langstaff Street. It is open on the first Saturday of every month (except January), though hours vary depending on the season.
Does my trash get delayed if a holiday falls on a weekend?
No. CR&R only delays collection service if one of their six observed holidays (like Thanksgiving or Christmas) falls on a weekday. If the holiday lands on a Saturday or Sunday, your normal pickup day will not change.