Black Bin (Trash)
All trash should be bagged to prevent litter. Carts must be placed at the curb no earlier than 4:00 p.m. the day before collection and stored out of public view by midnight on collection day.
Accepted Items
- ✓Non-recyclable household garbage
- ✓Styrofoam
- ✓Diapers
- ✓Pet waste
- ✓Broken ceramics
- ✓Treated or painted wood scraps
Blue Bin (Recycling)
Items must be clean, dry, and placed loosely in the blue cart. Never bag your recyclables.
Accepted Items
- ✓Clean cardboard
- ✓Paper and junk mail
- ✓Glass bottles and jars
- ✓Aluminum and tin cans
- ✓Rigid plastics (bottles, jugs, and tubs)
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic bags
- ✕Greasy pizza boxes
- ✕Food waste
- ✕Tanglers (hoses, wires, cords)
- ✕Styrofoam packaging
Yard Waste Bin
Do not use plastic bags or compostable bio-plastics. You may use a paper bag to contain food scraps before placing them into the green cart.
Accepted Items
- ✓Grass clippings and leaves
- ✓Weeds and small branches
- ✓Food scraps (meat, bones, dairy, produce)
- ✓Food-soiled paper products
- ✓Coffee grounds and tea bags
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
4 free collections annually for curbside cart residents; 10 items per quarter per unit for multi-family bin residents.
Placement
Set items safely at the curb no earlier than 4:00 p.m. the day before your scheduled pickup date. Ensure items do not block the sidewalk.
Accepted
- ✓ Furniture (sofas, mattresses, tables)
- ✓ Large household appliances
- ✓ Consumer electronics
- ✓ Excess bagged trash (up to 4 bags)
- ✓ Bagged yard waste (up to 20 bags)
Not Accepted
- ✕ Hazardous waste (paint, chemicals)
- ✕ Construction and demolition debris (concrete, dirt)
- ✕ Vehicle tires and car bodies
- ✕ Any single item too heavy for two workers to lift safely
If you exhaust your free annual pickups, additional bulky collections can be scheduled directly with Republic Services for a predetermined fee.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
If a designated holiday falls on a weekday, trash and recycling collection will be delayed by one day for the remainder of that week.
Yard Waste Exception
Organics and yard waste follow the same one-day delay as trash and recycling.
If the holiday falls on a weekend, your standard collection schedule remains completely unaffected.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Keep Plastic Out of Organics
Never use plastic bags, including those labeled 'biodegradable' or 'compostable,' in your green organics cart. Use paper bags for food scraps, or simply toss them in loose.
Ditch the Tanglers
Garden hoses, electrical cords, and clothing do not belong in the blue recycling bin. They wrap around the sorting gears at the Republic Services facility and can halt the entire recycling operation.
E-Waste is Banned from Bins
Old cell phones, batteries, and computer monitors contain toxic materials. Never place these in your black trash bin; instead, use your free bulky item pickups or visit an Orange County HHW drop-off.
Seasonal Information
Winter
December to JanuaryHoliday trees are collected curbside for three weeks following Christmas Day. Ensure trees are bare (no lights, ornaments, or stands). If a tree is over 6 feet tall, cut it in half. Flocked trees cannot be recycled and must be cut up and placed in the black trash cart.
Spring
March to MayDuring peak landscaping season, remember that if you exceed your green cart's capacity, you can use one of your four free annual bulky item pickups to dispose of up to twenty 30-gallon bags of yard waste.
Year-Round
January to DecemberSenate Bill 1383 requires random cart inspections to check for cross-contamination. Follow the lid labels carefully to avoid fines, ensuring recyclables go in the blue bin and organics exclusively in the green bin.
About Santa Ana Waste Management
Santa Ana Residential Trash & Recycling Overview
Waste management in Santa Ana has seen significant upgrades with the transition to Republic Services, bringing enhanced cart collections and dedicated neighborhood cleanup initiatives. Properly sorting your waste into the designated color-coded carts helps maintain neighborhood cleanliness and keeps the city compliant with California's state-mandated environmental goals. Collections occur weekly, and residents can quickly verify their exact service day using the city's interactive public works map.
Mastering Organics: Your Green Cart Duties
Thanks to California's SB 1383 legislation, Santa Ana strictly requires all residents to separate their food scraps and yard trimmings into the green organics bin. This means kitchen remnants, plate scrapings, and even food-soiled paper products must stay out of the landfill. You can collect kitchen scraps in a standard paper bag—never plastic, not even the 'compostable' kind—before tossing them in the green cart with your grass clippings.
Generous Bulky Item Pickups in Orange County
Getting rid of old couches, broken appliances, or excessive yard debris doesn't have to be a headache. Santa Ana provides an exceptionally generous bulky item pickup program. Residents with standard curbside carts are entitled to four free collections annually. Even better, a single scheduled request allows you to dispose of up to four large items, four extra 30-gallon trash bags, or twenty 30-gallon bags of yard waste at one time.
Street Sweeping vs. Trash Day Etiquette
Santa Ana prioritizes clean streets to prevent debris from polluting local waterways and storm drains. To ensure street sweepers can do their jobs effectively, never place your waste carts directly in the street on your designated sweeping days. Instead, carts should be set safely on the curb or in your driveway with the handles facing your home, ensuring a minimum two-foot clearance from parked cars, mailboxes, and fences.
Drop-off Facilities
Anaheim Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center
1071 North Blue Gum Street, Anaheim, CA 92806
Materials Accepted
Irvine Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center
6411 Oak Canyon (Next to City Yard), Irvine, CA 92618
Materials Accepted
Huntington Beach HHW Center
17121 Nichols Street (Use Gate 6), Huntington Beach, CA 92647
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
How many free bulky item pickups do I get in Santa Ana?
Residents with curbside cart collection receive four free bulky item pickups per year. Each pickup covers up to four large items, four 30-gallon trash bags, or up to twenty 30-gallon yard waste bags. Multi-family complexes with large bin service are eligible for up to 10 bulky items per unit, per quarter.
What is the holiday trash schedule for Republic Services in Santa Ana?
Republic Services delays curbside collection by one day if a major holiday falls on a weekday. The six recognized holidays are New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. Weekend holidays do not impact the schedule.
Can I put food waste in my regular black trash cart?
No. Under California's SB 1383 state mandate, all food scraps—including meat, bones, dairy, and food-soiled paper—must be placed in your green organics cart. You can transport scraps to the cart using a kitchen pail or paper bags, but never use plastic or 'compostable' bio-plastic bags.
Where can I legally dispose of used motor oil in Santa Ana?
Curbside trash and recycling customers can request a free motor oil collection jug and oil filter bag directly from Republic Services by calling 657-467-6220. Once filled, you can schedule a free pickup and place the materials next to your carts on your designated service day.