Black Bin (Trash)
Place carts side-by-side, approximately one foot apart and three feet from any obstruction. Lids must close completely. Remove carts from the curb within 12 hours after service.
Accepted Items
- ✓Standard household garbage
- ✓Diapers and pet waste
- ✓Polystyrene foam (Styrofoam)
- ✓Treated or painted wood
- ✓Non-recyclable wrappers and films
Grey or Blue Bin (Recycling)
Items must be placed completely loose inside the cart. Do not put recyclables inside plastic bags. Lightly rinse out food residue before disposal.
Accepted Items
- ✓Clean, flattened cardboard
- ✓Mixed paper, mail, and newspaper
- ✓Aluminum and tin cans
- ✓Glass bottles and jars
- ✓Rigid plastics (bottles, jugs, tubs)
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic bags or film wrap
- ✕Food waste or liquids
- ✕Tanglers (cords, hoses, wires)
- ✕Styrofoam
Yard Waste Bin
Do not use plastic bags—even if labeled 'compostable'—as they jam the Anaerobic Digestion facility. Freeze food scraps in a paper bag before collection day to prevent extreme odors during the summer.
Accepted Items
- ✓Food scraps (meat, dairy, fruits, vegetables, bones)
- ✓Food-soiled paper (pizza boxes, napkins, coffee filters)
- ✓Grass clippings and leaves
- ✓Tree trimmings and brush
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Two (2) free bulky item pick-ups per calendar year.
Placement
You must call CR&R customer service to schedule. Place the approved items at the curb no later than 6:00 a.m. on your designated bulky collection day.
Accepted
- ✓ Furniture (chairs, couches, tables)
- ✓ Mattresses and box springs
- ✓ Major household appliances
- ✓ Automobile tires (limit of 2 per request)
- ✓ Electronic waste (TVs, monitors)
Not Accepted
- ✕ Household hazardous waste (paint, oil, chemicals)
- ✕ Construction and demolition debris
- ✕ Dirt, concrete, or asphalt
- ✕ Items that cannot be safely lifted by a two-person crew
If you exceed your annual limit of four items (across two pickups), additional bulky item collections can be arranged with CR&R for a nominal charge.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
If an observed holiday falls during the work week (Monday-Friday), your regular service will be postponed by exactly one day for the remainder of that week.
Yard Waste Exception
Organics and recycling follow the exact same holiday delay schedule as standard trash collection.
If a holiday happens to fall on a Saturday or Sunday, there are no delays to your standard Monday through Friday collection schedule.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Loose is the Rule
Never bag your clean recyclables. Plastic grocery bags and garbage bags wrap around the mechanical sorting gears at CR&R's Material Recovery Facility (MRF), causing hazardous jams.
E-Waste is a Fire Hazard
Old computers, cell phones, and batteries contain heavy metals and can ignite inside collection trucks. Never place them in your carts; schedule a specific e-waste pickup with CR&R instead.
Faux Compostables Go in the Trash
Plastic utensils, cups, and takeout containers labeled 'biodegradable' or 'compostable' do not break down in the AD facility. They must be placed in your black landfill cart.
Seasonal Information
Winter
December - JanuaryCR&R begins curbside Christmas tree collection on December 26th for a two-week period. Trees over 6 feet tall must be cut in half. Place your bare, unflocked tree at the curb on your normal service day; a separate truck will collect it.
Summer
July - SeptemberDuring extreme Temecula heatwaves, freeze your meat and dairy scraps inside a paper bag, and only place them in your green organics cart the night before or the morning of collection to deter fruit flies and maggots.
About Temecula Waste Management
Powering Trucks with Your Food Scraps via Anaerobic Digestion
Temecula’s organics recycling program goes beyond traditional composting. Under California's SB 1383 mandate, residents must toss all food waste and food-soiled paper into their green organics cart alongside yard trimmings. CR&R Environmental Services transports this material to their advanced Anaerobic Digestion (AD) Facility in Perris, CA. There, the organic waste is converted into renewable natural gas that is directly used to fuel the very collection trucks servicing your neighborhood, while the byproduct becomes high-quality agricultural fertilizer.
Navigating Temecula’s Specific Bulky Item Limits
Clearing out large items in Temecula comes with very specific limits. Single-family residential customers are entitled to two complimentary bulky item curbside pickups per calendar year. However, unlike neighboring cities that allow large volume limits, Temecula's CR&R contract strictly limits these pickups to two individual items per scheduled call (amounting to an annual maximum of four items per household). Automobile tires are accepted, but are restricted to two tires per collection request.
Strict Cart Color Compliance for Standard Service
To ensure uniform diversion across Riverside County, CR&R has updated its cart fleet to reflect state-mandated colors. Your standard Temecula three-cart setup includes a black 64-gallon cart for landfill waste, a grey or blue cart for clean recyclables, and a green cart for all organic material. Carts must be placed at the curb by 6:00 a.m. on collection day, separated by at least three feet of clearance from parked cars, fire hydrants, and mailboxes.
Safe Disposal of Riverside County Hazardous Waste
Toxic liquids, pool chemicals, and old paint cannot be dumped into standard residential bins. While CR&R does not collect these items curbside, Temecula residents have free access to permanent Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) facilities managed by the Riverside County Department of Waste Resources. Residents can also look out for periodic mobile collection events hosted within the city limits throughout the year to safely purge their garages of dangerous substances.
Drop-off Facilities
Lake Elsinore Permanent HHW Facility (Riverside County)
512 North Langstaff Street, Lake Elsinore, CA 92530
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
How many items can I leave out for a bulky waste pickup in Temecula?
Temecula residents are entitled to two free bulky waste pickups per year. However, CR&R strictly limits each pickup to a maximum of two (2) items, for a total of four items annually.
Can I put food waste in my green yard trimmings cart?
Yes. Due to SB 1383 regulations, all food scraps, including meat, dairy, and food-soiled paper, must be placed directly into your green organics cart. CR&R takes this material to an Anaerobic Digestion facility to create renewable natural gas.
What should I do with my old television or computer monitor?
Electronic waste (e-waste) cannot go into your standard carts due to heavy metals. You can schedule a bulky item pickup with CR&R by calling (951) 943-1991, and they will safely collect the electronics from your curbside.
Will my trash be picked up on Labor Day?
No. CR&R observes Labor Day. Because it falls on a weekday, all collection services in Temecula will be delayed by one day for the entire week following the holiday.