Residents Services
Community Home Page-
Organics Recycling
Welcome to your Organics Recycling Program!
Senate Bill 1383 (SB1383) requires all residential households to participate in an organics program. CR&R Environmental Services, together with the City of Rancho Santa Margarita, will utilize a program that co-collects food scraps and yard waste in your green lid organics 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 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).
- Residents can exchange carts that are soiled or old 1 time per year.
- Place your carts with the handles and wheels facing towards your home.
- Containers should be removed from curbside within 12 hours after service.
- Residents are entitled to four annual pick-ups of excess material that can not fit in your automated barrels. One additional pick up is equivalent to three bags or boxes of additional waste. There is an additional fee to collect excess material once your four annual pick-ups are exceeded.
- Each resident may select a set of specially designed automated containers with attached lid and wheels.
Cart Reminders
- The black container is for landfill materials.
- The blue/brown container is for recyclables.
- The green container is for organics.
-
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 curbside collection 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
Special Collections
For construction and clean up projects you may order the following temporary containers:- 3 Yard Temporary Bin - 4'H x 4'W x 6'9"L for clean up projects - 500 lb limit
- 10 Yard Lowboy - for dense material such as dirt, rock, concrete, plaster, and sod.
- 40 Yard Roll Off - for mixed light weight material such as wood, drywall, garage junk, papers, plastics, and other similar waste. No Hazardous Waste is accepted in any of our containers, please see our section under Hazardous Waste for additional information.
-
Recycling
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 bagsNo 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 Recyclable Glass Acceptable Items Unacceptable Items Food and Beverage Bottles Ceramic Glass Jars and Bottles Mirrors Liquor, Soda and Juice Bottles Fluorescent Tubes Light Bulbs Safety Glass Pyrex Tempered Glass House Windows -
Hazardous Waste
Hazardous Wastes are products that are flammable, corrosive, reactive or toxic. They are dangerous to the public and the environment. It is illegal to dispose of hazardous wastes in your CR&R containers. Hazardous wastes must be disposed of properly. For further information about the disposal of hazardous waste, please visit oclandfills.com.Examples of HHW:
- Auto Fluid
- Cleaning Products
- Paint & Solvents
- Pesticides/Herbicides
- Pool Chemicals
- Non-Empty Aerosol Cans
Sharps disposal mail-back containers are available upon request at no charge. The mail-back container allows residents to safely and properly dispose of sharps waste including needles, injector pens, and syringes. Universal Waste Sharps Mail back Box Kit can be picked up by residents at Rancho Santa Margarita City Hall.
Mon-Fri: 8 AM – 5 PM | Phone: 949-635-1800
-
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 residence. 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 carts are considered “bulky items”. Residents of Rancho Santa Margarita are entitled to four (4) bulky item pickups per year, with four (4) items per pickup. Additional pickups can be requested for a fee.Common bulky items include:
- Couches
- Desks
- Chairs
- Tables
- Mattresses
- Excess Green Waste
- Sleeper couches
- Range
- Washer/Dryer
To arrange a pickup of bulky items on your regular service day, please use our Online Scheduling Service.
-
Senior Discount
A 10% Senior Discount is available for single-family residential customers where the head of household is 65 years of age and above. Customers are not required to use smaller carts.
Please contact Customer Service at 877.728.0446 to sign up for your discount.
-
Special Services
Walk-in ServiceCR&R staff can collect your carts from your home and put them back after service for a monthly fee. For customers with a disability, this service is complementary. Proof of disability is required. Please contact customer service for more details.
-
Special Collections
Holiday Greenery Collection
Christmas tree collection is for two weeks following December 26. Please remove all ornaments, lights, stands, and cut the tree in half if it is over 6 feet tall. Please 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.
