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Welcome to your Organics Recycling Program!
CR&R Environmental Services, together with the City of Laguna Hills, launched an Organics Recycling Program on July 1st, 2022. The program co-collects food scraps and yard waste in your green cart. The organic material collected will be taken to one of CR&R’s approved composting facilities to be converted into compost.

Yard Waste
Acceptable Items	Unacceptable Items
Grass clippings	Palm fronds
Leaves	Pet waste
Weeds
Prunings
Flowers
Wood scraps/chips

Kitchen
Acceptable Items	Unacceptable Items
Fruit	Crustacean shells
Bread	Meat bones
Fish
Meat
Vegetables
Dairy
Coffee & Filter
Compostable bags
Food soiled paper

Tips for your Kitchen Food Scrap Container (click here for image)

How to reduce odor

Empty your container after every meal
Sprinkle baking soda on top of your food scraps
Line your container with a compostable bag
Place pieces of torn newspaper or paper bag on the bottom of the container to absorb liquids
Drain excess liquids before placing food scraps in the container
Your container is dishwasher safe!

Tips for your Green Organics Cart

How to reduce odor

Place yard waste in the very bottom of the cart first to absorb liquids
Alternate layers of yard waste and food scraps
Keep the cart in a covered or shaded area out of direct sunlight

Organics Recycling FAQs

How often is my green organics cart going to be picked up? Weekly on your collection day.
If I don’t have much organic material, can I put my kitchen food scrap container out for collection? No. All organic material must be placed in your green organics cart.
Does pet waste go into the green organics cart? No. Pet waste needs to be placed into the black landfill cart.

Curbside Pickup Information
CR&R Recommends the Following On Collection Day
- Containers should be placed at curbside no later than 6:30 a.m. on collection day.
- Please place your carts side-by-side approximately one (1) foot apart and at least three (3) feet from any obstruction (i.e. car, fire hydrant, trees).
- Place your carts with the handles and wheels facing towards your home.
- Containers should be removed from curbside within 12 hours after service.
- Items not in containers will not be collected.
- Each resident may select a set of specially designed automated containers with attached lid and wheels.
Cart Reminders
- The black container is for regular refuse.
- The brown container is for recyclables.
- If you have a green container, it is for green/yard waste or horse manure.
Holiday Schedule
CR&R Observes the Following Holidays
- New Years Day
- Memorial Day
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Thanksgiving Day
- Christmas Day
If the holiday falls during the week, service postponed by one day the remainder of the week. Example: If Independence Day is a Monday, and your normal collection day is Thursday, we'll see you on Friday.
Container Information
Approximate Container Sizes Available

Residents may order a set of the following containers.
- 35 gallon automated container - 27"Hx 23"Wx 23"D
- 60 gallon automated container - 41"Hx 27"W x 33"D
- 90 gallon automated container - 45.5"Hx 31"Wx 37"D
If your residence generates a greater quantity of waste, additional automated containers may be ordered by contacting CR&R customer service.
- 3 Yard Temporary Bin - 4'H x 4'W x 6'9"L for clean up projects - 500 lb limit
Special Collections
Larger waste collection containers (from 10 to 40 yards) are available for clean-up projects and other disposal needs.

Recycling

Christmas tree collection will begin on December 26th for a two week period. Please remove all ornaments, lights, stands, and cut the tree in half if it is over 6 feet tall. If possible, please place your tree bottom first and upright in your green waste container. If you cannot use the green waste container or do not have one, place your tree curbside on your service day and our tree collectors will come by in a separate truck, there is no need to call the office.

It's important to identify and remove materials unsuitable for recycling. Please review this section for more information on what's acceptable and unacceptable for Recycling. If you have questions about how to join the recycling program in your area, or plan a clean-up project, please contact the office located closest to you.

Recyclable Paper
Acceptable Items	Unacceptable Items
Milk or Juice Cartons	Mixed products such as combinations of paper and metal.
Corrugated Cardboard	Waxed Paper
Junk Mail
Magazines
Phonebooks
Chipboard (Cereal/Cracker Boxes)
Newspaper
Computer paper
Any White Paper

Recyclable Plastics
Please remove liquids, lids and food residue from all recyclables before placing them in the recycling container.
Acceptable Items	Unacceptable Items
PET: soft drink bottles, photo film canisters	Flower/Plant Containers
HDPE: detergent containers, plastic water/milk containers, pails, t-shirt bags	No Mixed Products (ie plastic/metal combination)
PVC: sprinkler pipe
LDPE: trash can liners, shrink wrap, grocery bags
PP: yogurt containers, luggage, drinking straws
PS: plastic plates, cups egg cartons, food trays
Other: Tupperware and mixed plastic containers
Plastic Toys

Recyclable Metal
Acceptable Items	Unacceptable Items
Empty Aerosol Cans	Automotive Parts
Metal Coat Hangers	Plumbing Parts
Aluminum Cans	No Mixed Products such as combinations of metal and paper
Tin Cans
Food and Juice Jars
Empty Paint Cans (dry paint is OK)
Metal Foil
Lawn Furniture

Recyclable Glass
Acceptable Items	Unacceptable Items
Food and Beverage Bottles	Ceramic
Glass Jars and Bottles	Mirrors
House Windows	Fluorescent Tubes
Liquor, Soda and Juice Bottles	Light Bulbs
Tempered Glass	Safety Glass
Pyrex

Yard Waste
Acceptable Items	Unacceptable Items
Grass Clippings	Animal Waste
Green Plants	Palm Branches
Dry Leaves	Diseased Plants
Garden Trimmings	Meat/Fish/Bones
Weeds	Dairy Products
Wood Scraps/Chips	Sod/Dirt

Textiles
Acceptable Items	Unacceptable Items
Clothing	Stuffed Animals
Shoes	Pillows
Linens
Towels

Hazardous Waste
It is illegal to dispose of Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) through the automated residential collection program. Due to changes in California Environmental Protection Legislation, certain waste products are no longer accepted at the landfill or recycling center. The City of Laguna Hills has included the collection of items listed below to their residents through service with CR&R. This service is provided with no additional cost, please be sure to provide specific information on quantities of each item when you place your order for pick up. This is required by law in order to collect the material.
- Batteries (except automobile batteries which must be delivered to a certified hazardous waste center)
- Thermostats
- Fluorescent Tubes
- Cathode Ray Tubes such as televisions and computer monitors
- High Intensity Discharge Lamps such as heat lamps
- Sodium Vapor Lamps such as low light pollution light bulbs
- Aerosol Cans which are not completely empty
- Mercury containing items such as light switches, pressure gauges, thermometers and greeting cards that play music
- Used Paint
- Solvents, Pesticides, Pool Chemicals
- Sharps such as syringes and lancets within a one-way protection container
- Fertilizer
- Used motor oil & filters
To make arrangements with CR&R for the collection and proper disposal of any of these items please contact Customer Service at 1-877-728-0446.
Electronic Waste

Electronic waste (E-waste) is an item such as a computer monitor, television, cell phone or other like materials. Due to the high amounts of lead and chemicals found in E-waste, they are not allowed into local landfills.

Refrigerators contain Freon and other chemicals which require special handling as well. CR&R will collect these items from your curbside, to arrange a curbside pick-up for E-waste or a refrigerator, please use our Online Scheduling Service.
Bulky Items

Items that cannot fit in your automated containers, such as a chair or a couch, are considered "bulky items." A bulky item is an object that can be handled by a two-person crew and may include washers, dryers, sofas or other large materials. Each residential customer is entitled to two (2) bulky item pick-ups free of charge per calendar year. Additional bulky item pick-ups will be provided for a nominal charge. To make arrangements for a bulky item pick-up on your regular waste collection day, please use our Online Scheduling Service.
Special Services

CR&R makes it easy to request special services in your area. Please contact the office located closest to you with details about your special needs. A service representative will then contact you with more information about the appropriate resources. Whether it's collection, containers, recycling or other services, CR&R is here to help.