Black (or Gray with Black Lid) Bin (Trash)
All solid waste that cannot be recycled or composted must go into the trash cart. Ensure the lid is securely shut and materials do not extend beyond the rim.
Accepted Items
- ✓Styrofoam and foam packing peanuts
- ✓Diapers and pet pads
- ✓Ceramics, cookware, and window glass
- ✓Plastic-coated or waxed paper
- ✓Flocked Christmas trees (cut into pieces)
- ✓Plastic bags, wrappers, and chip bags
- ✓Tanglers (garden hoses, wires, chains)
Green (or Gray with Blue Lid) Bin (Recycling)
Republic Services strictly enforces the 'Empty. Clean. Dry.' rule. Do not bag your recyclables; they must be placed loosely into the cart to avoid jamming the sorting machinery.
Accepted Items
- ✓Aluminum and tin cans
- ✓Empty aerosol cans
- ✓Flattened cardboard and cereal boxes (without lining)
- ✓Glass bottles and jars
- ✓Plastic bottles, jugs, and containers
- ✓Magazines, junk mail, and mixed paper
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic bags and film
- ✕Food or liquid waste
- ✕Styrofoam or foam cups
- ✕Clothing, textiles, or linens
- ✕Electronics and batteries
- ✕Mirrors, ceramics, and hardbound books
Yard Waste Bin
Commingle all food waste and yard trimmings in the brown organics cart. Do not place organic material inside plastic garbage bags.
Accepted Items
- ✓Grass clippings, leaves, and weeds
- ✓Tree branches and shrubbery trimmings
- ✓Fruit and vegetable scraps
- ✓Meat, bones, and dairy products
- ✓Coffee grounds and eggshells
- ✓Food-soiled paper and greasy pizza boxes
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Three (3) free curbside collections per calendar year for single-family homes.
Placement
You must call Republic Services at (714) 238-3300 to schedule your bulky item pickup. Items must be placed at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on the scheduled day.
Accepted
- ✓ Washers, dryers, and stoves
- ✓ BBQ grills (no propane)
- ✓ Lawnmowers (oil/gas removed)
- ✓ Furniture, beds, sofas, and chairs
- ✓ Mirrors or glass (must be securely taped)
Not Accepted
- ✕ Paint, motor oil, and hazardous waste
- ✕ Tires and vehicle parts
- ✕ Building and construction materials
- ✕ Dirt, rock, and concrete
While standard bulky items are free to collect within your 3-pickup allowance, air conditioners and refrigerators incur an additional $57.87 fee due to required Freon recovery.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
If your scheduled collection day falls on or after one of the observed holidays, your service will be delayed by one day for the remainder of that week.
Yard Waste Exception
The one-day holiday delay applies equally to trash, recycling, and the organics cart.
During Thanksgiving week, both Thursday and Friday pickups are delayed by one day. Weekend holidays typically do not interrupt the standard Monday-Friday collection schedule.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Never Bag Your Recyclables
Plastic garbage bags are the number one contaminant at Republic Services' sorting facilities. Keep all your paper, plastic, and glass loose inside the recycling cart so they can be properly processed.
Keep Tanglers in the Trash
Items like garden hoses, electrical cords, and old clothing wrap around the gears at the recycling center. If you cannot donate these items, they must be thrown in the black trash cart.
Styrofoam is Not Recyclable Locally
Even if a foam cup or block of packaging peanuts has a recycling symbol on it, it cannot be recycled in Placentia's curbside program. Polystyrene foam must go in the black trash cart.
Seasonal Information
Winter
Late December to early JanuaryRepublic Services provides free holiday tree collection for roughly two weeks following Christmas. Trees must be placed at the curb by 7:00 a.m., free of stands and decorations, and cut in half if over six feet tall. Flocked trees cannot be composted and must go in the regular trash or be scheduled as a bulky item pickup.
Summer
June to SeptemberDuring the hot summer months, Orange County Waste & Recycling issues high-alert warnings regarding battery disposal. High temperatures combined with compacted batteries in garbage trucks easily ignite fires. Always take batteries to a certified HHW drop-off center.
About Placentia Waste Management
State-Mandated Cart Color Transition
If you recently ordered a replacement cart in Placentia, you might notice it looks different from your old ones. To comply with California state regulations, the city and Republic Services are transitioning to a standardized color scheme. New carts will feature a uniform gray body distinguished by a colored lid: a black lid for landfill trash, a blue lid for recycling, and a green lid for combined yard waste and organics.
Meeting SB 1383 Organics Mandates
Placentia is actively enforcing California's SB 1383, the state's aggressive short-lived climate pollutant reduction law. All residential households are now required to commingle their food scraps—including meat, dairy, vegetables, and food-soiled paper—directly with their yard trimmings in the brown organics cart (or gray cart with a green lid). This material is diverted from local landfills and sent to a regional Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) for processing.
Convenient Curbside Bulky Item Collection
Single-family residents in Placentia receive an excellent benefit through the Republic Services franchise agreement: three free bulky item curbside collections every calendar year. Each scheduled pickup allows you to place up to 10 oversized items, such as broken furniture, mattresses, or taped mirrors, at the curb. Note that while the pickup is free for most items, disposing of appliances containing Freon, like refrigerators, requires a special handling fee.
Battery Fire Prevention and Free HHW Buckets
Improperly disposed batteries are the leading cause of dangerous fires in waste trucks and Orange County landfills. Placentia residents are strictly prohibited from placing any type of battery into their curbside carts. To make safe disposal easier, the nearby Anaheim Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center provides residents with free battery collection recycling buckets to safely store household batteries until their next drop-off.
Drop-off Facilities
Anaheim Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center
1071 N Blue Gum Street, Anaheim, CA 92806
Materials Accepted
Republic Services Public Disposal Center
2790 Coronado Street, Anaheim, CA 92806
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did I receive a gray trash cart with a colored lid?
The State of California mandates a uniform cart color system across municipalities. In Placentia, new and replacement carts will feature a standard gray body with a lid color designating its purpose: black for trash, blue for recycling, and green for organics.
Where should I throw away my leftover food and kitchen scraps?
To comply with California's SB 1383 organics recycling law, Placentia residents must place all food waste, including meat, dairy, and food-soiled paper, directly into the brown organics cart (or gray cart with a green lid) along with regular yard waste.
How do I schedule a large furniture pickup in Placentia?
Single-family residents receive three free bulky item collections per calendar year (up to 10 items per pickup). You must call Republic Services at (714) 238-3300 to schedule the collection in advance.
Are there extra fees for disposing of an old refrigerator?
Yes. While standard bulky items are included in your free annual pickups, appliances containing refrigerants (like AC units and refrigerators) require special environmental handling. A Freon recovery fee of $57.87 applies to these specific items.