Black Bin (Trash)
All standard refuse should be properly bagged to prevent litter in your neighborhood. Carts must be placed at the curb or alley by 6:00 a.m. on collection day with the lid securely closed and the front handle facing your home.
Accepted Items
- ✓General household refuse
- ✓Pet waste and cat litter
- ✓Diapers
- ✓Styrofoam and packing peanuts
- ✓Broken ceramics and mirror glass
- ✓Treated or painted wood
Blue Bin (Recycling)
Recyclables must be clean, dry, and placed loosely in the blue cart. Never seal your recyclables inside plastic garbage bags, as they wrap around the sorting gears at the material recovery facility.
Accepted Items
- ✓Clean paper, mail, and magazines
- ✓Flattened cardboard
- ✓Plastic containers and bottles (empty)
- ✓Aluminum and tin cans
- ✓Glass bottles and jars
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic bags or plastic film
- ✕Food-soiled paper and pizza boxes
- ✕Tanglers like hoses, cords, or wires
- ✕Clothing, shoes, and textiles
Yard Waste Bin
Under the OrganicsLA program, keep all organic waste loose. Do not use plastic bags or 'compostable' bio-plastics, as the local commercial composting facility cannot properly break them down.
Accepted Items
- ✓Grass clippings, leaves, and weeds
- ✓Fruits, vegetables, and kitchen scraps
- ✓Cooked meat, fish, bones, and dairy
- ✓Coffee grounds and filters
- ✓Food-soiled paper (napkins, pizza boxes)
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
On-demand (by scheduling an appointment)
Placement
Place approved bulky items at the curb or in the alley at your standard collection point by 6:00 a.m. Do not block sidewalks, driveways, or traffic lanes.
Accepted
- ✓ Couches, chairs, and tables
- ✓ Mattresses and box springs
- ✓ Major appliances (requires specific 'Metal/Household Appliance' request)
- ✓ E-waste (requires specific 'Electronic Waste' request)
Not Accepted
- ✕ Automotive parts and tires
- ✕ Construction materials and drywall
- ✕ Commercial waste
- ✕ Household hazardous chemicals and paint
This service is provided free of charge to residents serviced by LA Sanitation. Multi-family apartments may have different structures or utilize the recycLA program.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
If one of the six observed holidays falls on a weekday (Monday-Friday), collection is delayed by one day for the remainder of the week. For example, Thursday pickups will occur on Friday, and Friday pickups will occur on Saturday.
Yard Waste Exception
Green waste and blue recycling carts follow the exact same delayed holiday schedule as your black trash cart.
Holidays not listed above, such as Presidents' Day or MLK Jr. Day, do not disrupt your service. If a major holiday falls on a weekend, there are generally no service delays.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
No Bio-Plastics in OrganicsLA
Even if a plastic bag, cup, or utensil is heavily marketed as 'biodegradable' or 'compostable', it does not belong in your green cart. LA's composting partners require organic material to be completely free of all plastics.
Keep Electronics Out of Carts
Do not throw old TVs, computers, microwaves, or lithium-ion batteries into your black or blue bins. These are considered e-waste and pose severe fire risks. They must be collected via a special MyLA311 request or dropped off at a S.A.F.E. Center.
Ditch the Plastic Bags for Recycling
One of the most common contaminants in LA's blue bins is plastic grocery bags. They tangle in the material recovery facility's sorting screens, causing mechanical failures. Take your plastic film back to a local grocery store for recycling instead.
Seasonal Information
Winter
December - JanuaryLASAN provides an annual Christmas tree recycling program. You can cut your un-flocked tree into pieces to fit inside your green organics bin, or simply leave the entire bare tree at the curb on your scheduled collection day.
Summer
June - SeptemberDuring hot Los Angeles summers, odor and pests can become an issue in your green bin. Freeze your food scraps in a container during the week and only place them in the green bin the night before collection.
About Los Angeles Waste Management
The OrganicsLA Program and Your Green Bin
In compliance with California's SB 1383 mandate, LA Sanitation & Environment (LASAN) rolled out the OrganicsLA program to combat climate change. Residents are required to dispose of all kitchen food scraps—including meat, bones, dairy, and coffee grounds—directly into their green organics cart along with traditional yard trimmings. By diverting these organic materials away from landfills, the city produces valuable compost and significantly reduces methane emissions. It is crucial to remember that plastic bags, even those marketed as compostable, are strictly prohibited in the green bin.
Scheduling Free Bulky Item Pickups via MyLA311
Los Angeles offers an incredibly accessible and free bulky item pickup service for single-family homes and small complexes serviced by LASAN. Instead of hauling old mattresses, couches, or broken furniture to the dump, residents can schedule a curbside pickup directly through the MyLA311 app, website, or by calling the 24-hour Customer Care Center. As long as the request is submitted at least one day prior to your normal collection day, LASAN crews will collect the bulky items alongside your regular trash.
Navigating LA's Holiday Collection Delays
Keeping track of your trash schedule during the holidays in Los Angeles is simple once you know the 'Big Six' rule. LASAN only delays refuse collection for New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. If any of these major holidays fall on a weekday, service is pushed back by one day for the remainder of the week. Other federal holidays, such as Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Presidents' Day, do not interrupt your normal pickup schedule.
S.A.F.E. Centers for Household Hazardous Waste
To protect local groundwater and sanitation workers, Los Angeles strictly prohibits household hazardous waste and electronics in curbside carts. Instead, LASAN operates several permanent S.A.F.E. (Solvents, Automotive, Flammables, Electronics) Collection Centers across the city. Whether you need to dispose of dried paint, used motor oil, dead batteries, or an old television, you can drop these items off at a S.A.F.E. Center completely free of charge on designated weekend days.
Drop-off Facilities
Washington Blvd S.A.F.E. Center
2649 E. Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90021
Materials Accepted
UCLA S.A.F.E. Collection Center
550 Charles E. Young Dr. West, Los Angeles, CA 90095
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I schedule a bulky item pickup in Los Angeles?
You can easily schedule a free bulky item pickup by calling the LASAN 24-hour Customer Care Center at 1-800-773-2489 or by submitting a request through the MyLA311 app or website. You must schedule the request at least one day before your normal trash day.
What holidays delay trash pickup in Los Angeles?
LA Sanitation only delays service for six major holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. If any of these fall on a weekday, your pickup is delayed by one day for that week. Other holidays like Veterans Day do not cause delays.
Does LA Sanitation take food scraps in the green bin?
Yes. Under the OrganicsLA program, mandated by state law SB 1383, you must place all food scraps—including meat, dairy, bones, and vegetables—along with food-soiled paper directly into your green yard waste bin to be composted.
Can I put compostable plastic bags in my green cart?
No. LA Sanitation's commercial composting facilities cannot process bio-plastics or bags labeled 'compostable' or 'biodegradable.' You must keep your organics loose in the green bin, or you can wrap them in plain paper.