Black or Grey Bin (Trash)
All refuse should be properly contained within the cart with the lid completely closed. Do not overfill the cart or place extra bags on top.
Accepted Items
- ✓Regular household refuse
- ✓Bagged animal waste
- ✓Diapers
- ✓Heavily soiled paper or cardboard
- ✓Treated wood
- ✓Non-recyclable plastics
- ✓Bagged Styrofoam
Blue Bin (Recycling)
All recyclables should be empty, clean, and dry. Do not bag your recyclables; place them loosely inside the blue cart.
Accepted Items
- ✓Flattened cardboard
- ✓Paper food boxes (cereal, cracker, pizza boxes)
- ✓Shredded, color, and white paper
- ✓Magazines and junk mail
- ✓Aluminum cans and foil
- ✓Tin food cans
- ✓Empty aerosol cans
- ✓Glass bottles and jars
- ✓Clean plastics labeled 1-7
Do NOT Include
- ✕Heavily-soiled recyclables
- ✕Food waste
- ✕Plastic bags or film wrap
- ✕Electronic waste
- ✕Hazardous waste
- ✕Carpet or bulky items
Yard Waste Bin
Use your provided kitchen food scrap pail to collect indoor organics, then empty it directly into the green cart. Do not place animal waste, plastics, or standard trash in the green cart.
Accepted Items
- ✓Food scraps
- ✓Vegetable trimmings and plate scrapings
- ✓Spoiled food
- ✓Coffee grounds
- ✓Grass clippings
- ✓Leaves and weeds
- ✓Tree and shrub prunings
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Up to 3 free bulky item pickups per calendar year
Placement
You must contact CR&R at (949) 520-6005 to schedule your bulky item pickup in advance. Do not simply leave items at the curb without an appointment.
Accepted
- ✓ Chairs
- ✓ Couches
- ✓ Desks
- ✓ Mattresses
- ✓ Tables
- ✓ Shelves
- ✓ Refrigerators and freezers
- ✓ Washers and dryers
- ✓ Electronic waste (e-Waste)
Not Accepted
- ✕ Hazardous waste
- ✕ Automotive fluids
- ✕ Dirt, concrete, or asphalt
- ✕ Construction debris
- ✕ Animal carcasses
The first 3 collections per year (up to 10 items each) are completely free for single-family residences. Subsequent pickups require payment.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
If an observed holiday falls on a weekday, collection services for the remainder of that week will be postponed by one day (e.g., Thursday service moves to Friday).
Yard Waste Exception
Yard waste and organics follow the exact same holiday delay schedule as standard trash and recycling.
If the holiday falls on a weekend, your collection schedule is not affected and remains on your normal pickup day.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Pizza Box Prep
While clean parts of pizza boxes can be recycled in the blue cart, any heavily grease-soaked sections must go into the organics (green) cart or the landfill cart. Grease contaminates the paper recycling process.
No Plastic Bags in the Blue Cart
Never bag your recyclables. Plastic bags tangle in the sorting machinery at the CR&R Materials Recovery Facility in Stanton. Place all approved cans, bottles, and paper loosely in the blue cart.
Proper Paint Disposal
Wet paint is strictly prohibited in any curbside cart. You must use the free Door-to-Door HHW collection service or take it to the Irvine HHW Center. Only completely empty or rock-hard dried paint cans may be thrown away.
Seasonal Information
Winter
December - JanuaryChristmas tree recycling runs for a full three weeks following December 25th. Place your tree at the curb on your regular collection day. You must remove all ornaments, lights, and the stand. Trees over 6 feet tall must be cut in half.
Spring
March - MayLake Forest residents can take advantage of the annual bulky item drop-off day and the annual compost giveaway event, typically held in the spring. Check the city website for exact dates and how-to compost workshops.
About Lake Forest Waste Management
Navigating Lake Forest's SB 1383 Waste Mandate
In compliance with California's Senate Bill 1383, the City of Lake Forest has completely upgraded its residential cart system through CR&R Environmental Services. Your household should now be equipped with standardized, color-coded carts: a black or grey cart for landfill waste, a blue cart for recycling, and a green cart for organics. This statewide color coding is designed to drastically reduce confusion at the curb and divert climate-altering organic materials away from Orange County landfills.
The Lake Forest Organics Recycling Program
Organic waste recycling is a cornerstone of Lake Forest's sustainability goals. Residents are provided with complimentary kitchen food scrap pails to make in-home sorting simple. Instead of tossing food scraps, plate scrapings, and coffee grounds into the garbage, residents can collect them in their kitchen pail and empty the contents directly into the green organics cart alongside traditional yard trimmings. The collected organic material is then transported by CR&R to a state-of-the-art composting facility.
Exceptional Bulky Item & HHW Allowances
Lake Forest offers an incredibly robust bulky item and hazardous waste disposal program compared to neighboring municipalities. Single-family residents receive up to three free bulky item curbside pickups per calendar year, with a generous allowance of up to 10 items per pickup. Furthermore, the city provides an invaluable Door-to-Door Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collection program, allowing households to schedule up to two free HHW pickups per year without ever leaving home.
Specialized Medical Waste & Sharps Disposal
Improperly discarding medical waste poses severe health and environmental hazards. To combat this, Lake Forest residents in single-family homes have access to a specialized, pre-paid mail-back sharps collection kit. You can simply call CR&R customer service to request your kit at no additional cost. Remember, medical sharps, syringes, and lancets should never be placed in your black, blue, or green residential carts.
Drop-off Facilities
Irvine Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center
6411 Oak Canyon, Irvine, CA 92618
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I schedule a bulky item pickup in Lake Forest?
You can schedule one of your three free annual bulky item pickups by calling CR&R Customer Service directly at (949) 520-6005. You are allowed up to 10 items per pickup.
What goes in the green organics cart?
Your green cart is for all organic material, including yard trimmings (leaves, branches, grass) and food waste (scraps, plate scrapings, coffee grounds). Do not put plastic bags or animal waste in the green cart.
How can I dispose of hazardous waste if I can't drive to the Irvine facility?
Lake Forest residents in single-family homes are eligible for up to two free Door-to-Door Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) pickups per calendar year. Call CR&R at (949) 520-6005 to schedule. You must provide a list of items and quantities when booking.
What do I do with old medical sharps and needles?
Do not put sharps in any of your curbside carts. Lake Forest single-family residents can request a pre-paid mail-back sharps collection kit by calling CR&R at (949) 520-6005 for safe, compliant disposal.